[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 153 (Thursday, August 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39022-39023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17021]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2016-0238]
Managing Aging Processes in Storage (MAPS) Report
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: NUREG; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing NUREG-
2214, ``Managing Aging Processes in Storage (MAPS) Report.'' The NUREG
provides guidance to the NRC technical review staff and establishes a
technical basis for the safety review of renewal applications for
specific licenses of independent spent fuel storage installations
(ISFSIs) and certificates of compliance of dry storage systems.
DATES: NUREG-2214 is available on August 8, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0238 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly-available information related to this action using
any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/ and search for Docket ID NRC-2016-0238. Address
questions about NRC docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges;
telephone: 301-287-9127; email: [email protected]. For technical
questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, 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, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Wise, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301-415-8085, email:
[email protected]; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Discussion
The NRC is issuing NUREG-2214 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19214A111) to
provide a technical basis for the staff's safety review of aging
degradation mechanisms and aging management programs in renewal
applications for specific ISFSI licenses and certificates of compliance
of spent fuel dry storage systems.
NUREG-2214 evaluates aging degradation mechanisms to determine if
they could affect the ability of dry storage system components to
fulfill their safety functions in the period of extended operation. The
guidance also provides examples of aging management programs that are
considered generically acceptable to address the credible aging
mechanisms to ensure that the design bases of dry storage systems will
be maintained.
II. Additional Information
The staff considered public comments received on the draft report
in preparing the final NUREG. The NRC published a notice of the
availability of the draft report for comment on October 24, 2017 (82 FR
49233). The public comment period closed on December 26, 2017. The
public comments and staff responses are available in ADAMS under
Accession No. ML19072A016.
III. Regulatory Analysis
The NRC has prepared a final regulatory analysis on this action.
The analysis examines the costs and benefits of the alternatives
considered by the NRC. The regulatory analysis is available in ADAMS
under Accession No. ML19130A192.
IV. Backfitting and Issue Finality Provisions
NUREG-2214 provides guidance to the NRC staff for the safety review
of aging degradation mechanisms and aging management programs in
renewal applications for specific ISFSI licenses and certificates of
compliance of spent fuel dry storage systems. The issuance of this
NUREG would not constitute backfitting as defined in the backfitting
provisions in section 72.62 of title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), which are applicable to specific ISFSI licensees.
Issuance of the NUREG would also not constitute backfitting under 10
CFR 50.109, or otherwise be inconsistent with the issue finality
provisions in 10 CFR part 52, which are applicable to general ISFSI
licensees using the certificates of compliance. The NRC's position is
based upon the following considerations.
1. The NUREG positions do not constitute backfitting, inasmuch as
the NUREG is internal guidance directed at the NRC staff with respect
to their regulatory responsibilities.
The NUREG provides guidance to the staff on how to review an
application for the NRC's regulatory approval in the form of licensing.
The issuance of internal staff guidance is not a matter for which ISFSI
applicants or general ISFSI licensees using certificates of
[[Page 39023]]
compliance are protected under the backfitting provisions in 10 CFR
72.62 and 10 CFR 50.109, or the issue finality provisions of 10 CFR
part 52.
2. The NRC staff has no intention to impose the NUREG positions on
existing licensees and regulatory approvals, either now or in the
future.
The staff does not intend to impose or apply the positions
described in the NUREG to existing (already issued) licenses and
regulatory approvals. Therefore, the issuance of this NUREG--even if
considered guidance which is within the purview of the issue finality
provisions in 10 CFR part 52--need not be evaluated as if it were a
backfit or as being inconsistent with issue finality provisions. If, in
the future, the staff seeks to impose a position in the NUREG on
holders of already issued licenses in a manner which 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 backfitting
provisions in 10 CFR 72.62 and 10 CFR 50.109, or address the criteria
for avoiding issue finality as described in the applicable issue
finality provision in 10 CFR part 52.
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 the backfitting provisions in 10 CFR 72.62 or
10 CFR 50.109, or any issue finality provisions under 10 CFR part 52.
This is because neither of the backfitting provisions in 10 CFR parts
72 and 50, nor the issue finality provisions under part 52--with
certain exclusions discussed below--were intended to apply to every NRC
action which substantially changes the expectations of current and
future applicants. The exceptions to the general principle are
applicable whenever an applicant references a 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. However,
the matters address in this NUREG are not subject matters or issues for
which issue finality protection is provided.
V. Congressional Review Act
This NUREG is a rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act (5
U.S.C. 801-808). However, the Office of Management and Budget has not
found it to be a major rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of August, 2019.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michael C. Layton,
Director, Division of Spent Fuel Management, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2019-17021 Filed 8-7-19; 8:45 am]
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