[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 179 (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55654-55656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23185]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2015-0211]


Instrumentation and Controls

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Standard review plan-draft section revision; request for 
comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting 
public comments on proposed changes to the ``Standard Review Plan for 
the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR 
Edition,'' (NUREG-0800) for changes to 33 individual sections of 
Chapter 7, ``Instrumentation and Controls,'' as listed in the table in 
Section IV of this notice entitled, Availability of Documents.

DATES: Comments must be filed no later than November 16, 2015. Comments 
received after this date will be considered, if it is practical to do 
so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for 
comments received on or before this date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
(unless this document describes a different method for submitting 
comments on a specific subject):
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0211. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, 
Mail Stop: OWFN-12-H8, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001.
    For additional direction on accessing information and submitting 
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael S. Jones, Office of New 
Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-0189, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2015-0211 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information regarding this document. You may 
obtain publicly-available information related to this action by the 
following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0211.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection 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 (if it available in 
ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. In 
addition, for the convenience of the reader, instructions about 
accessing materials referenced in this document are provided in the 
``Availability of Documents'' section.
     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, Maryland 20852.

B. Submitting Comments

    Please include Docket ID NRC-2015-0211 in the subject line of your 
comment submission, in order to ensure that the NRC is able to make 
your comment submission available to the public in this docket.
    The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact 
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your 
comment submission. The NRC posts all comment submissions at http://www.regulations.gov as well as entering the comment submissions into 
ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove 
identifying or contact information.
    If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons 
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to 
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be 
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove such information before making the comment submissions available 
to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS.

II. Further Information

    The NRC seeks public comment on the proposed draft revisions of 
Standard Review Plan (SRP) sections of Chapter 7 listed above. These 
sections have been developed to assist the NRC staff review the design 
of instrumentation and controls and auxiliary systems under parts 50 
and 52 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). The 
revisions to these SRP sections reflect no changes in staff position; 
rather they clarify the original intent of these SRP sections using 
plain language throughout in accordance with the NRC's Plain Writing 
Action Plan. Additionally, these revisions reflect operating 
experience, lessons learned, updates to NRC guidance, and address the 
applicability of regulatory treatment of non-safety systems, where 
appropriate.

[[Page 55655]]

    Following the NRC staff's evaluation of public comments, the NRC 
intends to finalize the proposed revisions of the subject SRP Sections 
in ADAMS and post them on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr0800/. The SRP is 
guidance for the NRC staff. The SRP is not a substitute for the NRC 
regulations, and compliance with the SRP is not required.

III. Backfitting and Issue Finality

    Issuance of these draft SRP sections, if finalized, would not 
constitute backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109 (the Backfit Rule) 
or otherwise be inconsistent with the issue finality provisions in 10 
CFR part 52. The NRC's position is based upon the following 
considerations:
    1. The draft SRP positions, if finalized, would not constitute 
backfitting, inasmuch as the SRP is internal guidance to NRC staff.
    The SRP provides internal guidance to the NRC staff on how to 
review an application for NRC regulatory approval in the form of 
licensing. Changes in internal staff guidance are not matters for which 
either nuclear power plant applicants or licensees are protected under 
either the Backfit Rule or the issue finality provisions of 10 CFR part 
52.
    2. The NRC staff has no intention to impose the SRP positions on 
existing licensees either now or in the future.
    The NRC staff does not intend to impose or apply the positions 
described in the draft SRP to existing licenses and regulatory 
approvals. Hence, the issuance of a final SRP--even if considered 
guidance within the purview of the issue finality provisions in 10 CFR 
part 52--would not need to be evaluated as if it were a backfit or as 
being inconsistent with issue finality provisions. If, in the future, 
the NRC staff seeks to impose a position in the SRP on holders of 
already issued licenses in a manner that does not provide issue 
finality as described in the applicable issue finality provision, then 
the staff must make the showing as set forth in the Backfit Rule or 
address the criteria for avoiding issue finality as described in the 
applicable issue finality provision.
    3. Backfitting and issue finality do not--with limited exceptions 
not applicable here--protect current or future applicants.
    Applicants and potential applicants are not, with certain 
exceptions, protected by either the Backfit Rule or any issue finality 
provisions under 10 CFR part 52. Neither the Backfit Rule nor the issue 
finality provisions under 10 CFR part 52--with certain exclusions--were 
intended to apply to every NRC action that substantially changes the 
expectations of current and future applicants. The exceptions to the 
general principle are applicable whenever an applicant references a 10 
CFR part 52 license (e.g., an early site permit) and/or NRC regulatory 
approval (e.g., a design certification rule) with specified issue 
finality provisions. The NRC staff does not, at this time, intend to 
impose the positions represented in the draft SRP in a manner that is 
inconsistent with any issue finality provisions. If, in the future, the 
staff seeks to impose a position in the draft SRP in a manner that does 
not provide issue finality as described in the applicable issue 
finality provision, then the staff must address the criteria for 
avoiding issue finality as described in the applicable issue finality 
provision.

IV. Availability of Documents

    The documents identified in Table 1 below are available to 
interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as 
indicated.

                                          Table 1--Standard Review Plan (SRP) Chapter 7 Sections Being Revised
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                                                                                                                                Redline ADAMS Accession
            SRP Section                  Current revision ADAMS Accession No.        Proposed revision ADAMS Accession No.                No.
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SRP 7.0, ``Instrumentation and       Revision 6, ML100740146....................  Revision 7, ML15159B042...................  ML14303A149
 Controls--Overview of Review
 Process''.
SRP 7.1, ``Instrumentation and       Revision 5, ML070550076....................  Revision 6, ML15159B068...................  ML14303A153
 Controls--Introduction''.
Table 7-1, ``Table 7-1 Regulatory    Revision 5, ML070460342....................  Revision 6, ML15159B203...................  ML14303A447
 Requirements, Acceptance Criteria,
 and Guidelines for Instrumentation
 and Control Systems Important to
 Safety''.
SRP 7.2, ``Reactor Trip System''...  Revision 5, ML070550083....................  Revision 6, ML15159B086...................  ML14303A403
SRP 7.3, ``Engineered Safety         Revision 5, ML070560004....................  Revision 6, ML15159B099...................  ML14303A408
 Features Systems''.
SRP 7.4, ``Safe Shutdown Systems''.  Revision 5, ML070550085....................  Revision 6, ML15159B122...................  ML14303A411
SRP 7.5, ``Information Systems       Revision 5, ML070550086....................  Revision 6, ML15159B138...................  ML14303A413
 Important to Safety''.
SRP 7.6, ``Interlock Systems         Revision 5, ML070460348....................  Revision 6, ML15159B156...................  ML14303A416
 Important to Safety''.
SRP 7.7, ``Control Systems''.......  Revision 5, ML070670042....................  Revision 6, ML15159B161...................  ML14303A428
SRP 7.8, ``Diverse Instrumentation   Revision 5, ML070650035....................  Revision 6, ML15159B171...................  ML14303A432
 and Control Systems''.
SRP 7.9, ``Data Communication        Revision 5, ML070650036....................  Revision 6, ML15159B177...................  ML14303A435
 Systems''.
App. 7.0-A, ``Review Process for     Revision 5, ML070660258....................  Revision 6, ML15159A199...................  ML14302A297
 Digital Instrumentation and
 Control Systems''.
App. 7.1-A, ``Acceptance Criteria    Revision 5, ML070660170....................  Revision 6, ML15159A207...................  ML14302A299
 and Guidelines for Instrumentation
 and Controls Systems Important to
 Safety''.
App. 7.1-B, ``Guidance for           Revision 5, ML070550087....................  Revision 6, ML15159A226...................  ML14302A300
 Evaluation of Conformance to IEEE
 Std 279''.
App. 7.1-C, ``Guidance for           Revision 5, ML070550088....................  Revision 6, ML15159A337...................  ML14302A303
 Evaluation of Conformance to IEEE
 Std 603''.
App. 7.1-D, ``Guidance for           Initial Issuance, ML070660327..............  Revision 1, ML15159A491...................  ML14302A309
 Evaluation of the Application of
 IEEE Std 7-4.3.2''.
BTP 7-1, ``Guidance on Isolation of  Revision 5, ML070460345....................  Revision 6, ML15159A540...................  ML14302A385
 Low-Pressure Systems from the High-
 Pressure Reactor Coolant System''.
BTP 7-2, ``Guidance on Requirements  Revision 5, ML070550090....................  Revision 6, ML15159A592...................  ML14302A459
 of Motor-Operated Valves in the
 Emergency Core Cooling System
 Accumulator Lines''.
BTP 7-3, ``Guidance on Protection    Revision 5, ML070550091....................  Revision 6, ML15159A638...................  ML14303A079
 System Trip Point Changes for
 Operation with Reactor Coolant
 Pumps Out of Service''.

[[Page 55656]]

 
BTP 7-4, ``Guidance on Design        Revision 5, ML070550093....................  Revision 6, ML15159A672...................  ML14303A088
 Criteria for Auxiliary Feedwater
 Systems''.
BTP 7-5, ``Guidance on Spurious      Revision 5, ML070550094....................  Revision 6, ML15159A681...................  ML14303A109
 Withdrawals of Single Control Rods
 in Pressurized Water Reactors''.
BTP 7-6, ``Guidance on Design of     Revision 5, ML070550095....................  Revision 6, ML15209A319...................  ML15209A455
 Instrumentation and Controls
 Provided to Accomplish Changeover
 from Injection to Recirculation
 Mode''.
BTP 7-8, ``Guidance for Application  Revision 5, ML070550096....................  Revision 6, ML15159A699...................  ML14303A143
 of Regulatory Guide 1.22''.
BTP 7-9, ``Guidance on Requirements  Revision 5, ML070550084....................  Revision 6, ML15209A459...................  ML15209A571
 for Reactor Protection System
 Anticipatory Trips''.
BTP 7-10, ``Guidance on Application  Revision 5, ML070550082....................  Revision 6, ML15159A726...................  ML14302A397
 of Regulatory Guide 1.97''.
BTP 7-11, ``Guidance on Application  Revision 5, ML070550080....................  Revision 6, ML15159A769...................  ML14302A401
 and Qualification of Isolation
 Devices''.
BTP 7-12, ``Guidance on              Revision 5, ML070550078....................  Revision 6, ML15159A799...................  ML14302A404
 Establishing and Maintaining
 Instrument Setpoints''.
BTP 7-13, ``Guidance on Cross-       Revision 5, ML070550077....................  Revision 6, ML15159A809...................  ML14302A410
 Calibration of Protection System
 Resistance Temperature Detectors''.
BTP 7-14, ``Guidance on Software     Revision 5, ML070670183....................  Revision 6, ML15159A946...................  ML14302A467
 Reviews for Digital Computer-Based
 Instrumentation and Control
 Systems''.
BTP 7-17, ``Guidance on Self-Test    Revision 5, ML070550075....................  Revision 6, ML15159A959...................  ML14302A477
 and Surveillance Test Provisions''.
BTP 7-18, ``Guidance on the Use of   Revision 5, ML070550073....................  Revision 6, ML15159A982...................  ML14302A488
 Programmable Logic Controllers in
 Digital Computer-Based
 Instrumentation and Control
 Systems''.
BTP 7-19, ``Guidance for Evaluation  Revision 6, ML110550791....................  Revision 7, ML15159A996...................  ML14302A495
 of Diversity and Defense-in-Depth
 in Digital Computer-Based
 Instrumentation and Control
 Systems''.
BTP 7-21, ``Guidance on Digital      Revision 5, ML070550070....................  Revision 6, ML15159B011...................  ML14303A112
 Computer Real-Time Performance''.
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    The NRC may post materials related to these documents, including 
public comments, on the Federal rulemaking Web site at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2015-0211. The Federal 
rulemaking Web site allows you to receive alerts when changes or 
additions occur in a docket folder. To subscribe: (1) Navigate to the 
docket folder (NRC-2015-0211); (2) click the ``Sign up for Email 
Alerts'' link; and (3) enter your email address and select how 
frequently you would like to receive emails (daily, weekly, or 
monthly).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of September, 2015.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kimyata Morgan Butler,
Acting Chief, New Reactor Rulemaking and Guidance Branch, Division of 
Advanced Reactors and Rulemaking, Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2015-23185 Filed 9-15-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P