[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 128 (Thursday, July 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 36737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12980]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Regulatory Guide: Withdrawal

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Regulatory Guide: Withdrawal.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John N. Ridgely, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Telephone: (301) 415-
6555 or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing Regulatory 
Guide (RG) 1.49, ``Power Levels of Nuclear Power Plants,'' which was 
issued in response to a NRC Commission policy statement dated March 5, 
1973. Revision 1 of the RG was issued in December 1973. The RG 
established the normal operating core thermal power level of 3800 
megawatts as the limit for any nuclear power plant until January 1, 
1979. This limit was set to encourage greater standardization of 
nuclear power plants and to stabilize the maximum size of nuclear 
plants until sufficient experience was gained with the design, 
construction, and operation of large plants. Since 1979, substantial 
experience has been gained with large power plants and standardization 
of plant designs has proceeded by use of the design certification 
process. The staff has approved plant designs with the core thermal 
operating power levels in excess of 3800 megawatts and has approved 
increased core thermal operating power levels for existing operating 
plants on a case-by-case basis. The staff has determined that RG 1.49 
is no longer necessary. Furthermore, it is not referenced by any other 
documents in association with nuclear plant licensing actions.

II. Further Information

    Withdrawal of RG 1.49 does not, in and of itself, alter any prior 
or existing licensing commitments based on its use. The guidance 
provided in this RG is no longer applicable. Regulatory guides may be 
withdrawn when methods and techniques no longer define an acceptable 
approach to comply with NRC regulations or otherwise do not provide 
useful information.
    Regulatory guides are available for inspection or downloading 
through the NRC's public Web site in the Regulatory Guides document 
collection of the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections. Regulatory guides are also available for 
inspection at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), Room O-1F21, One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The PDR's 
mailing address is USNRC PDR, Washington, DC 20555-0001. The PDR staff 
can be reached by telephone at (301) 415-4737 or (800) 397-4209, by fax 
at (301) 415-3548, and by e-mail to [email protected].
    Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, and NRC approval is not 
required to reproduce them. (5 U.S.C. 552(a))

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of June 2007.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brian W. Sheron,
Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. E7-12980 Filed 7-3-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P