[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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