[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71019-71020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28755]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2012-0209]
Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate Interim Staff Guidance
JLD-ISG-2012-04; Guidance on Performing a Seismic Margin Assessment in
Response to the March 2012 Request for Information Letter
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate Interim Staff
Guidance issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing the
Final Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate (JLD) Interim Staff
Guidance (ISG), JLD-ISG-2012-04, ``Guidance on Performing a Seismic
Margin Assessment in Response to the March 2012 Request for Information
Letter,'' (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Accession No. ML12286A029). This JLD-ISG provides guidance and
clarification to assist nuclear power reactor licensees when responding
to the NRC staff's request for information dated March 12, 2012,
Enclosure 1, ``Recommendation 2.1: Seismic'' (ADAMS Accession No.
ML12053A340).
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-
0209.
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0209. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-492-
3668; email: [email protected].
NRC's 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-2012-04 is available under ADAMS Accession No. ML12286A029.
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-
[[Page 71020]]
rm/doc-collections/isg/japan-lessons-learned.html and refer to JLD-ISG-
2012-04.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Lisa M. Regner, Japan Lessons-
Learned Project Directorate, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone:
301-415-1906; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
JLD-ISG-2012-04 is being issued to describe to the public the
guidance that is acceptable to the NRC staff for responding to the
request to reevaluate seismic hazards at operating reactor sites, as
discussed in Enclosure 1, ``Recommendation 2.1: Seismic,'' of the NRC
staff's request for information (RFI), ``Request for Information
Pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 50.54(f)
Regarding Recommendations 2.1, 2.3, and 9.3, of the Near-Term Task
Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident,'' dated
March 12, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12053A340).
The NRC issued the RFI 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. Enclosure 1 to
the RFI states that if a seismic margins analysis (SMA) is performed at
a plant, then the SMA approach that the licensee uses should be in
accordance with the NRC-approved approach in NUREG/CR-4334, ``An
Approach to the Quantification of Seismic Margins in Nuclear Power
Plants,'' issued in August 1985 (ADAMS Accession No. ML090500182), as
enhanced for full-scope plants by NUREG-1407, ``Procedural and
Submittal Guidance for the Individual Plant Examination of External
Events (IPEEE) for Severe Accident Vulnerabilities.'' This ISG
describes the enhancements to the NRC SMA method that are needed to
meet the objectives of the RFI letter. In addition, the ISG presents
staff positions on the major elements of the NRC SMA. Finally, the ISG
provides updated references to allow use of the more recent advances in
methods and guidance.
Numerous public meetings were held to receive stakeholder input on
the proposed SMA guidance document prior to its issuance formally for
public comment. On September 10, 2012 (77 FR 55510), the NRC requested
public comments on draft JLD-ISG-2012-04. The staff received seventeen
(17) comments from two (2) stakeholders. The comments were considered,
evaluated, and resulted in modifications to the final JLD-ISG-2012-04.
The comments and staff responses are contained in ``NRC Responses to
Public Comments,'' for JLD-ISG-2012-04, which can be found in ADAMS at
Accession No. ML12290A002.
Backfitting and Issue Finality
This ISG 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 Part 52, ``Licenses, Certifications, and
Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants,'' of 10 CFR. This ISG provides
guidance on an acceptable method for implementing the March 12, 2012,
RFI. Applicants and licensees may voluntarily use the guidance in JLD-
ISG-2012-04 to comply with the RFI. Methods, analyses, 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 is acceptable.
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 16th day of November 2012.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert M. Taylor,
Deputy Director, Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate, Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2012-28755 Filed 11-27-12; 8:45 am]
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