[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 27, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 44971-44974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20709]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 72

[NRC-2017-0138]
RIN 3150-AK05


List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: TN Americas LLC, 
Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular Storage System, 
Certificate of Compliance No. 1004, Renewal of Initial Certificate and 
Amendment Nos. 1 Through 11, 13, Revision 1, and 14

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to 
amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Standardized 
NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular Storage System (NUHOMS[supreg] 
System) listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage 
casks'' to renew, for an additional 40-year period, Revision 1 of the 
initial certificate and Amendment Nos. 1 through 11, and 13, and 
Amendment No. 14 of Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1004. These 
changes require, among other things, that all future amendments and 
revisions to this CoC include evaluations of the impacts to aging 
management activities (i.e., time-limited aging analyses and aging 
management programs (AMPs)) to ensure that they remain adequate for any 
changes to spent fuel storage cask systems, structures, and components 
(SSCs) within the scope of the renewal. Each general licensee using a 
NUHOMS[supreg] System at a reactor site must have a program to 
establish, implement, and maintain written procedures for each AMP 
described in the AREVA Inc. (AREVA) Updated Final Safety Analysis 
Report (UFSAR). In addition, the renewals reflect the change in the 
name of the CoC holder from AREVA to TN Americas LLC, and make several 
other changes as described in Section IV, ``Discussion of Changes,'' in 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of a companion direct final rule 
published in the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the 
Federal Register.

DATES: Submit comments by October 27, 2017. Comments received after 
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC 
staff 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:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0138. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions contact 
the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
of this document.
     Email comments to: [email protected]. If you do 
not receive an automatic email reply confirming receipt, then contact 
us at 301-415-1677.
     Fax comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission at 301-415-1101.
     Mail comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Rulemakings and 
Adjudications Staff.
     Hand deliver comments to: 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (Eastern Time) Federal 
workdays; telephone: 301-415-1677.
    For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting 
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christian Jacobs, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, 301-415-6825; email: 
[email protected], or Robert D. MacDougall, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, 301-415-5175; email: 
[email protected]. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
II. Rulemaking Procedure
III. Background
IV. Plain Writing
V. Availability of Documents

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2017-0138 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain 
publicly-available information related to this action by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0138.
     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]. For 
the convenience of the reader, instructions about obtaining 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-2017-0138 in your comment submission.
    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 will post all comment submissions at http://www.regulations.gov as well as enter 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

[[Page 44972]]

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 into ADAMS.

II. Rulemaking Procedure

    This proposed rule is limited to the renewal of the initial 
certificate and Amendment Nos. 1 through 11, 13, Revision 1, and 
Amendment No. 14 of CoC No. 1004. Because the NRC considers this action 
to be non-controversial and routine, the NRC is publishing this 
proposed rule concurrently with a direct final rule in the Rules and 
Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register. Adequate 
protection of public health and safety continues to be ensured.
    The direct final rule will become effective on December 11, 2017. 
However, if the NRC receives significant adverse comments on this 
proposed rule by October 27, 2017, then the NRC will publish a document 
that withdraws the direct final rule. If the direct final rule is 
withdrawn, the NRC will address the comments received in response to 
these proposed revisions in a subsequent final rule. Absent significant 
modifications to the proposed revisions requiring republication, the 
NRC will not initiate a second comment period on this action in the 
event the direct final rule is withdrawn.
    A significant adverse comment is a comment where the commenter 
explains why the rule would be inappropriate, including challenges to 
the rule's underlying premise or approach, or would be ineffective or 
unacceptable without a change. A comment is adverse and significant if:
    (1) The comment opposes the rule and provides a reason sufficient 
to require a substantive response in a notice-and-comment process. For 
example, a substantive response is required when:
    (a) The comment causes the NRC staff to reevaluate (or reconsider) 
its position or conduct additional analysis;
    (b) The comment raises an issue serious enough to warrant a 
substantive response to clarify or complete the record; or
    (c) The comment raises a relevant issue that was not previously 
addressed or considered by the NRC staff.
    (2) The comment proposes a change or an addition to the rule, and 
it is apparent that the rule would be ineffective or unacceptable 
without incorporation of the change or addition.
    (3) The comment causes the NRC staff to make a change (other than 
editorial) to the rule, CoC, or technical specifications.
    For additional procedural information and the regulatory analysis, 
see the direct final rule published in the Rules and Regulations 
section of this issue of the Federal Register.

III. Background

    Section 218(a) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982, as 
amended, requires that ``the Secretary [of the Department of Energy] 
shall establish a demonstration program, in cooperation with the 
private sector, for the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel at civilian 
nuclear power reactor sites, with the objective of establishing one or 
more technologies that the [Nuclear Regulatory] Commission may, by 
rule, approve for use at the sites of civilian nuclear power reactors 
without, to the maximum extent practicable, the need for additional 
site-specific approvals by the Commission.'' Section 133 of the NWPA 
states, in part, that ``[the Commission] shall, by rule, establish 
procedures for the licensing of any technology approved by the 
Commission under Section 219(a) [sic: 218(a)] for use at the site of 
any civilian nuclear power reactor.''
    To implement this mandate, the Commission approved dry storage of 
spent nuclear fuel in NRC-approved casks under a general license by 
publishing a final rule which added a new subpart K in part 72 of title 
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) entitled, ``General 
License for Storage of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor Sites'' (55 FR 
29181; July 18, 1990). A general license authorizes a reactor licensee 
to store spent fuel in NRC-approved casks at a site that is licensed to 
operate a power reactor under 10 CFR part 50 or 52. This rule also 
established a new subpart L in 10 CFR part 72 entitled, ``Approval of 
Spent Fuel Storage Casks,'' which contains procedures and criteria for 
obtaining NRC approval of spent fuel storage cask designs. The NRC 
subsequently issued a final rule on December 22, 1994 (59 FR 65898) 
that approved the NUHOMS[supreg] System design and added it to the list 
of NRC-approved cask designs in 10 CFR 72.214 as CoC No. 1004.

IV. Plain Writing

    The Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-274) requires Federal 
agencies to write documents in a clear, concise, well-organized manner 
that also follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or 
field and the intended audience. The NRC has written this document to 
be consistent with the Plain Writing Act as well as the Presidential 
Memorandum, ``Plain Language in Government Writing,'' published June 
10, 1998 (63 FR 31883). The NRC requests comment on the proposed rule 
with respect to clarity and effectiveness of the language used.

V. Availability of Documents

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          ADAMS  Accession No./  Federal
                Document                        Register  citation
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Final Rule: ``General License for         55 FR 29181
 Storage of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor
 Sites''.
Final Rule: List of Approved Spent Fuel   59 FR 65898
 Storage Casks: Addition.
AREVA, Inc.--Renewal Application for the  ML14309A341
 Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] System--CoC
 1004.
AREVA, Inc.--Revision 1 to Renewal        ML15295A354
 Application for the Standardized
 NUHOMS[supreg] System--CoC 1004,
 Response to First Request for
 Additional Information.
AREVA, Inc., Second Response to NRC RAI   ML16169A025
 Re: Renewal Application for the
 Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] System--CoC
 1004.
AREVA, Inc., Regarding Response to Re-    ML16279A368
 Issue of Second Request for Additional
 Information--AREVA, Inc. Renewal
 Application for the Standardized
 NUHOMS[supreg] System--CoC 1004.
AREVA, Inc., AREVA Internal               ML16327A011
 Reorganization--Effect on Certificate
 of Compliance Ownership.
Submittal of NUH-003, ``Updated Final     ML14255A191
 Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) for the
 Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal
 Modular Storage System For Irradiated
 Nuclear Fuel,'' Revision 14.
Preliminary Certificate of Compliance     ML17131A006 (package)
 and Preliminary Technical
 Specifications for CoC No. 1004,
 Renewed Amendment Nos. 1-11, Revision
 1, and Amendment Nos. 13-14, Revision 1.

[[Page 44973]]

 
TN Americas LLC, Standardized             ML17131A121
 NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular
 Storage System--Draft SER [Safety
 Evaluation Report] for Renewed CoC
 1004, Amendment Nos. 1-11, 13 and 14.
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    The NRC may post materials related to this document, including 
public comments, on the Federal Rulemaking Web site at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2017-0138. 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-2017-0138); (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).

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 72

    Administrative practice and procedure, Criminal penalties, 
Hazardous waste, Indians, Intergovernmental relations, Manpower 
training programs, Nuclear energy, Nuclear materials, Occupational 
safety and health, Penalties, Radiation protection, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Security measures, Spent fuel, 
Whistleblowing.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble and under the authority of 
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended; the Energy Reorganization 
Act of 1974, as amended; the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as 
amended; and 5 U.S.C. 552 and 553; the NRC is proposing to adopt the 
following amendments to 10 CFR part 72:

PART 72--LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT STORAGE OF 
SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-
RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE

0
1. The authority citation for part 72 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, secs. 51, 53, 57, 62, 63, 
65, 69, 81, 161, 182, 183, 184, 186, 187, 189, 223, 234, 274 (42 
U.S.C. 2071, 2073, 2077, 2092, 2093, 2095, 2099, 2111, 2201, 2210e, 
2232, 2233, 2234, 2236, 2237, 2238, 2273, 2282, 2021); Energy 
Reorganization Act of 1974, secs. 201, 202, 206, 211 (42 U.S.C. 
5841, 5842, 5846, 5851); National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4332); Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, secs. 117(a), 
132, 133, 134, 135, 137, 141, 145(g), 148, 218(a) (42 U.S.C. 
10137(a), 10152, 10153, 10154, 10155, 10157, 10161, 10165(g), 10168, 
10198(a)); 44 U.S.C. 3504 note.

0
2. In Sec.  72.214, Certificate of Compliance 1004 is revised to read 
as follows:


Sec.  72.214  List of approved spent fuel storage casks.

* * * * *
    Certificate Number: 1004.
    Initial Certificate Effective Date: January 23, 1995, superseded by 
Initial Certificate, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Initial Certificate, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Initial Certificate, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Initial Certificate, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 1 Effective Date: April 27, 2000, superseded by 
Amendment Number 1, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 1, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 1, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 1, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 2 Effective Date: September 5, 2000, superseded by 
Amendment Number 2, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 2, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 2, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 2, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 3 Effective Date: September 12, 2001, superseded 
by Amendment Number 3, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 3, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 3, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 3, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 4 Effective Date: February 12, 2002, superseded by 
Amendment Number 4, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 4, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 4, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 4, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 5 Effective Date: January 7, 2004, superseded by 
Amendment Number 5, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 5, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 5, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 5, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 6 Effective Date: December 22, 2003, superseded by 
Amendment Number 6, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 6, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 6, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 6, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 7 Effective Date: March 2, 2004, superseded by 
Amendment Number 7, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 7, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 7, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 7, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 8 Effective Date: December 5, 2005, superseded by 
Amendment Number 8, Revision 1 on April 25, 2017, superseded by Renewed 
Amendment Number 8, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 8, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 8, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017. Amendment Number 9 Effective Date: April 17, 2007, superseded 
by Amendment Number 9, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 9, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 9, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 9, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 10 Effective Date: August 24, 2009, superseded by 
Amendment Number 10, Revision 1, on

[[Page 44974]]

April 25, 2017, superseded by Renewed Amendment Number 10, Revision 1, 
on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 10, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 10, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 11 Effective Date: January 7, 2014, superseded by 
Amendment Number 11, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 11, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 11, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 11, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 12 Effective Date: Amendment not issued by the 
NRC.
    Amendment Number 13 Effective Date: May 24, 2014, superseded by 
Amendment Number 13, Revision 1, on April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 13, Revision 1, on December 11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 13, Revision 1, Effective Date: April 25, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 13, Revision 1, Effective Date: December 
11, 2017.
    Amendment Number 14 Effective Date: April 25, 2017, superseded by 
Renewed Amendment Number 14, on December 11, 2017.
    Renewed Amendment Number 14 Effective Date: December 11, 2017.
    SAR Submitted by: Transnuclear, Inc.
    SAR Title: Final Safety Analysis Report for the Standardized 
NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular Storage System for Irradiated Nuclear 
Fuel.
    Docket Number: 72-1004.
    Certificate Expiration Date: January 23, 2015.
    Renewed Certificate Expiration Date: January 23, 2055.
    Model Number: NUHOMS[supreg]-24P, -24PHB, -24PTH, -32PT, -32PTH1, -
37PTH, -52B, -61BT, -61BTH, and -69BTH.
* * * * *

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day of September, 2017.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Frederick D. Brown,
Acting Executive Director of Operations.
[FR Doc. 2017-20709 Filed 9-26-17; 8:45 am]
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