[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 174 (Friday, September 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55231-55232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22078]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2012-0069]
Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate Interim Staff Guidance
JLD-ISG-2012-02; Compliance With Order EA-12-050, Order Modifying
Licenses With Regard to Reliable Hardened Containment Vents
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate interim staff
guidance; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission)
is issuing the Final Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate Interim
Staff Guidance (JLD-ISG), JLD-ISG-2012-02, ``Compliance with Order EA-
12-050, Order Modifying Licenses With Regard to Reliable Hardened
Containment Vents'' (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS) Accession No. ML12229A475). This JLD-ISG provides guidance and
clarification to assist nuclear power reactors applicants and licensees
with the identification of measures needed to comply with requirements
to mitigate challenges to key safety functions. These requirements are
contained in Order EA-12-050, ``Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to
Reliable Hardened Containment Vents'' (ADAMS Accession No.
ML12054A696).
ADDRESSES: You may access information and comment submissions related
to this document, which the NRC possesses and are publically available,
by searching on http://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2012-
0069.
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0069. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-492-
3668; email: [email protected].
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may access publicly-available documents online in the NRC
Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the
search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and then select ``Begin Web-
based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's
Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737, or by email to [email protected]. The JLD-ISG-2012-02 is
available under ADAMS Accession No. ML12229A475.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852
NRC's Interim Staff Guidance Web Site: Go to http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/isg/japan-lessons-learned.html
and refer to JLD-ISG-2012-02.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert J. Fretz, Japan Lessons-
Learned Project Directorate, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone:
301-415-1980; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
II. Background Information
JLD-ISG-2012-02 is being issued to describe methods acceptable to
the NRC staff for complying with Order EA-12-050, ``Order Modifying
Licenses with Regard to Reliable Hardened Containment Vents (Effective
Immediately)'' (Order EA-12-050), issued March 12, 2012. The ISG is not
a substitute for the requirements in Order EA-12-050, and compliance
with this ISG not required.
The NRC issued Order EA-12-050 following the NRC staff's evaluation
of the earthquake and tsunami, and resulting nuclear accident, at the
Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in March 2011. Order EA-12-050
requires licensees to implement requirements relating to reliable
hardened venting systems at boiler water reactor (BWR) facilities with
Mark I and Mark II containment designs. Order EA-12-050 also specified
that the NRC staff would issue final interim staff guidance in August
2012 to provide additional information on acceptable approaches for
complying with the Order.
Numerous public meetings were held to receive stakeholder input on
the proposed requirements for reliable hardened vents prior to issuance
of Order EA-12-050. Following issuance of the Order, additional public
meetings were held with representatives from the BWR Owners' Group and
public stakeholders to discuss development of the guidance for
compliance with Order EA-12-050. On June 7, 2012 (77 FR 33777), the NRC
requested public comments on draft JLD-ISG-12-02. The
[[Page 55232]]
staff received comments from five commenters which were considered in
the development of the final JLD-ISG-12-02. The questions, comments and
staff resolutions of those comments are contained in ``NRC Responses to
Public Comments, Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate Interim
Staff Guidance, JLD-ISG-2012-02: Compliance with Order EA-12-050, Order
Modifying Licenses with Regard to Reliable Hardened Containment
Vents,'' which can be found in ADAMS as Accession No. ML122229A477.
Backfitting and Issue Finality
This ISG does not constitute backfitting as defined in Title 10 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.109 (the Backfit Rule) and
is not otherwise inconsistent with the issue finality provisions in
Part 52, ``Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power
Plants,'' of 10 CFR. This ISG provides guidance on an acceptable method
for implementing the requirements contained in Order EA-12-050, which
was issued as ensuring adequate protection under the provisions of the
backfit rule. Applicants and licensees may voluntarily use the guidance
in JLD-ISG-2012-02 to demonstrate compliance with Order EA-12-050.
Methods or solutions that differ from those described in this ISG may
be deemed acceptable if they provide sufficient basis and information
for the NRC staff to verify that the proposed alternative demonstrates
compliance with Order EA-12-050.
Congressional Review Act
This interim staff guidance is a rule as designated in the
Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801-808). OMB has found that this is
not a major rule in accordance with the Congressional Review Act.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of August 2012.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John D. Monninger,
Associate Director, Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate, Office
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2012-22078 Filed 9-6-12; 8:45 am]
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