[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70846-70847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28719]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2012-0285]


Regulatory Guide 1.182, ``Assessing and Managing Risk Before 
Maintenance Activities at Nuclear Power Plants''

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission), is 
withdrawing Regulatory Guide (RG)1.182, Revision (Rev.) 0, ``Assessing 
and Managing Risk Before Maintenance Activities at Nuclear Power 
Plants,'' published in May 2000. The document is redundant due to the 
inclusion of its subject matter in Rev. 3 of RG 1.160, ``Monitoring the 
Effectiveness of Maintenance at Nuclear Power Plants.''

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2012-0285 when contacting the

[[Page 70847]]

NRC about the availability of information on this document. You may 
access information related to this document, which the NRC possesses 
and are publicly available, using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0285. 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 ADAMS accession number 
for each document referenced in this document (if that document is 
available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is 
referenced.
     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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aron Lewin, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-2259, email 
to [email protected] or Rick Jervey, telephone: 301-251-7404, email to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is withdrawing RG 1.182, Rev. 0, ``Assessing and Managing 
Risk Before Maintenance Activities at Nuclear Power Plants,'' published 
in May 2000. The requirements in 10 CFR 50.65 address the requirements 
for monitoring the effectiveness of maintenance at nuclear power 
plants. RG 1.160, Rev. 2, ``Monitoring the Effectiveness of Maintenance 
at Nuclear Power Plants,'' dated March 1997, described methods which 
are acceptable to the NRC staff for complying with the provisions of 10 
CFR 50.65 at that time. In 1999, the NRC amended 10 CFR 50.65 to 
include a new requirement in paragraph (a)(4) that the licensee manage 
and assess risk prior to conducting maintenance. The NRC issued RG 
1.182 to identify methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for 
implementing the provisions of 10 CFR 50.65 associated with managing 
and assessing the risk of maintenance activities, in lieu of revising 
RG 1.160 Rev. 2.
    The NRC has now revised RG 1.160, (Rev. 3) to include the guidance 
in RG 1.182 on acceptable methods to meet the provisions of 10 CFR 
50.65(a)(4) associated with managing and assessing risk. RG 1.160, Rev. 
3 was issued on May 21, 2012 (77 FR 30030). Therefore, RG 1.182 is no 
longer needed, as the guidance in Regulatory Guide 1.182 is already 
contained in Regulatory Guide 1.160. The withdrawal of RG 1.182 does 
not alter any prior or existing licensing commitments or conditions 
based on its use or reference.

II. Additional Information

    The withdrawal of RG 1.182 does not alter any prior or existing 
licensing commitments based on its use. The guidance provided in this 
RG is no longer necessary. Regulatory guides may be withdrawn when 
their guidance no longer provides useful information, or is superseded 
by technological innovations, congressional actions, or other events.
    Regulatory guides are revised for a variety of reasons and the 
withdrawal of an RG should be thought of as the final revision of the 
guide. Although an RG is withdrawn, current licensees may continue to 
use it, and withdrawal does not affect any existing licenses or 
agreements. Withdrawal of a guide means that the guide should not be 
used for future NRC licensing activities. However, although a 
regulatory guide is withdrawn, changes to existing licenses can be 
accomplished using other regulatory products.
    Regulatory guides and publicly available NRC documents are 
available on line in the NRC Library at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/. The documents can also be viewed online for free or 
printed for a fee in the NRC's PDR at 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 
MD; the mailing address is USNRC PDR, Washington, DC 20555-0001; 
telephone: 301-415-4737, or 1-800-397-4209; fax 301-415-3548; or by 
email to [email protected]. Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, 
and NRC approval is not required to reproduce them.
    Regulatory Guide 1.182 is a rule as designated in the Congressional 
Review Act (5 USC 801-808). However, withdrawal of this regulatory 
guide is not a change in a rule under the Congressional Review Act, 
inasmuch as the guidance in Regulatory Guide 1.182 is also provided in 
Regulatory Guide 1.160, Rev. 3, which continues to be effective.

III. Backfitting and Issue Finality

    The withdrawal of RG 1.182 does not constitute backfitting as 
defined in 10 CFR 50.109 (the Backfit Rule) and is not otherwise 
inconsistent with the issue finality provisions in 10 CFR Part 52. As 
discussed above under ``Further Information,'' withdrawal of RG 1.182 
does not alter the acceptability of the guidance contained in that RG 
on compliance with 10 CFR 50.65(a)(4), inasmuch as that guidance is now 
contained in RG 1.160, Revision 3. There is no change in NRC [staff's] 
position on the acceptability of the guidance formerly included in RG 
1.182, which is now included in RG 1.160, Rev. 3.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 16th day of November, 2012.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thomas H. Boyce,
Branch Chief, Regulatory Guide Development Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2012-28719 Filed 11-26-12; 8:45 am]
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