[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 132 (Monday, July 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33478-33479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16486]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2008-0147]


License Renewal Interim Staff Guidance LR-ISG-2008-01: Staff 
Guidance Regarding the Station Blackout Rule (10 CFR 50.63) Associated 
With License Renewal Applications; Notice of Withdrawal

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The NRC is withdrawing its proposed License Renewal Interim 
Staff Guidance (LR-ISG) LR-ISG-2008-01, ``Staff Guidance Regarding the 
Station Blackout Rule (10 CFR 50.63) Associated with License Renewal 
Applications.'' The NRC staff issued the proposed guidance to clarify 
the acceptance criteria for the scoping of systems, structures, and 
components in accordance with section 54.4(a)(3) of Title 10 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 54.4(a)(3)). However, after 
evaluating comments received on the proposed guidance, the NRC staff 
has determined that the current acceptance criteria, as provided in 
section 2.5.2.1.1 of NUREG-1800, Revision 1, ``Standard Review Plan for 
Review of License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants'' (SRP-
LR), are adequate for the NRC staff's review of license renewal 
applications. As such, the NRC staff is withdrawing the proposed LR-
ISG-2008-01.
    On March 12, 2008, the NRC requested public comments on the 
proposed LR-ISG in the Federal Register (73 FR 13258). The proposed LR-
ISG and accompanying figures are available in the NRC's Agencywide 
Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession Nos. 
ML080520619 and ML080520620, respectively.
    The NRC staff drafted the proposed LR-ISG-2008-01 after finding 
that some license renewal applications did not include within the scope 
of license renewal all structures and components required by 10 CFR 
54.4(a)(3) for demonstrating compliance with 10 CFR 50.63 (Station 
Blackout Rule). The proposed LR-ISG was intended to clarify the NRC 
staff's acceptance criteria in SRP-LR section 2.5.2.1.1, ``Components 
Within the Scope of SBO (10 CFR 50.63).''
    By letters dated May 9, 2008 (ML081400346), and May 12, 2008 
(ML081350619), the NRC received comments on the proposed LR-ISG from 
the Strategic Teaming and Resource

[[Page 33479]]

Sharing alliance and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), respectively. 
On July 18, 2008, the NRC staff discussed these comments during a 
public meeting with NEI and industry representatives, as documented in 
``Summary of the License Renewal Meeting Held between the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission Staff and the Nuclear Energy Institute,'' dated 
October 3, 2008 (ML082480547). Overall, the comments indicated that the 
NRC staff's proposed guidance is too prescriptive and does not 
acknowledge the unique design aspects of each plant, as reflected in 
the plant's current licensing basis.
    The NRC staff evaluated both the comments submitted in writing, and 
those provided during the July 18, 2008, meeting and subsequent public 
license renewal meetings, and determined that the proposed 
clarification in LR-ISG-2008-01 is unnecessary because the NRC staff's 
review of license renewal applications is based on the plant-specific 
current licensing bases, regulatory requirements, and offsite power 
design configurations. As such, the NRC staff will continue to review 
license renewal applications against the acceptance criteria in SRP-LR 
section 2.5.2.1.1 to ensure applicants include within the scope of 
license renewal the systems, structures, and components that perform 
functions to demonstrate compliance with the Station Blackout Rule, as 
required by 10 CFR 54.4(a)(3).
    Therefore, by this action, the NRC is withdrawing LR-ISG-2008-01.

ADDRESSES: Documents created or received after November 1, 1999, are 
available electronically at the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room on 
the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this 
site, the public can gain entry into ADAMS. If you do not have access 
to the Internet or if there are any problems in accessing the documents 
located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room reference staff 
at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Matthew Homiack, Division of 
License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone 301-415-
1683; or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC issues LR-ISGs to communicate 
insights and lessons learned, and to address emergent issues not 
addressed in certain license renewal guidance documents. The NRC staff 
and stakeholders can use approved LR-ISGs until their guidance is 
incorporated into a formal license renewal guidance document revision. 
The NRC posts its issued LR-ISGs on the NRC Public Web page at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/isg.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of July 2009.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brian E. Holian,
Director, Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. E9-16486 Filed 7-10-09; 8:45 am]
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