[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 192 (Friday, October 2, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62234-62239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21506]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 192 / Friday, October 2, 2020 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 62234]]
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Part 50
[NRC-2017-0151]
RIN 3150-AK07
Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to
amend the reactor vessel material surveillance program requirements for
commercial light-water power reactors. This action would amend the
requirements associated with the testing of specimens contained within
surveillance capsules and reporting the surveillance test results. This
action would also clarify the requirements for the design of
surveillance programs and the capsule withdrawal schedules for
surveillance capsules in reactor vessels purchased after 1982. These
changes would reduce regulatory burden, with no effect on public health
and safety.
DATES: Submit comments by November 2, 2020. Comments received after
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC
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 website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0151. 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.
Mail comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff.
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: Stewart Schneider, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, 301-415-4123, email:
[email protected], or On Yee, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation, telephone: 301-415-1905, 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. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
VI. Voluntary Consensus Standards
VII. Availability of Documents
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
A. Obtaining Information
Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2017-0151 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 website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0151.
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 ``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, at 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.
Attention: The Public Document Room (PDR), where you may
examine and order copies of public documents is currently closed. You
may submit your request to the PDR via email at [email protected] or
call 1-800-397-4209 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (EST), Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
B. Submitting Comments
Please include Docket ID NRC-2017-0151 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
https://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 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
Because the NRC anticipates that this action will be non-
controversial, 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. The direct final rule will become
effective on February 1, 2021. However, if the NRC receives significant
adverse comments on this proposed rule by November 2, 2020, 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.
[[Page 62235]]
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 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.
(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 to make a change (other than
editorial) to the rule.
For 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
A. Description of a Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program
The reactor vessel and its internal components support and align
the fuel assemblies that make up the reactor core and provide a flow
path to ensure adequate heat removal from the fuel assemblies. The
reactor vessel also provides containment and a floodable volume to
maintain core cooling in the event of an accident causing loss of the
primary coolant. It is a cylindrical shell with a welded hemispherical
bottom head and a removable hemispherical upper head. Some vessel
shells were fabricated from curved plates that were joined by
longitudinal and circumferential welds. Others were manufactured using
forged rings and, therefore, only have circumferential welds that join
the rings. These plate and forging materials are referred to as base
metals. Maintenance of the structural integrity of the reactor vessel
is essential in ensuring plant safety, because there is no redundant
system to maintain core cooling in the event of a vessel failure.
One characteristic of reactor vessel steels is that their material
properties change as a function of temperature and neutron irradiation.
The primary material property of interest for the purposes of reactor
vessel integrity is the fracture toughness of the reactor vessel
material. Extensive experimental work determined that Charpy impact
energy tests, which measure the amount of energy required to fail a
small material specimen, can be correlated to changes in fracture
toughness of a material. Thus, the Charpy impact specimens \1\ from the
beltline \2\ materials (i.e., base metal, weld metal, and heat-affected
zone) became the standard to assess the change in fracture toughness in
ferritic steels.
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\1\ A Charpy impact specimen is a bar of metal, or other
material, having a V-groove notch machined across the 10 mm
thickness dimension.
\2\ A definition of the beltline or beltline region is provided
in appendix G to 10 CFR part 50.
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The fracture toughness of reactor vessel materials decreases with
decreasing temperature and with increasing irradiation from the
reactor. The decrease in fracture toughness due to neutron irradiation
is referred to as ``neutron embrittlement.'' The fracture toughness of
reactor vessel materials is determined by using fracture toughness
curves in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code,
which are indexed to the reference temperature for nil-ductility
transition (RTNDT), as specified in ASME Boiler and Pressure
Vessel Code, Section II, ``Materials.'' To account for the effects of
neutron irradiation, the increase in RTNDT is equated to the
increase in the 30 ft-lb index temperature from tests of Charpy-V notch
impact specimens irradiated in capsules as a part of the surveillance
program. The surveillance program includes Charpy impact specimens of
the base and weld metals for the reactor vessel in each surveillance
capsule. These surveillance capsules are exposed to the same operating
conditions as the reactor vessel, and because the capsules are located
closer to the reactor core than the reactor vessel inner diameter, the
surveillance specimens are generally exposed to higher neutron
irradiation levels than those experienced by the reactor vessel at any
given time.
As a result of the surveillance capsule's location within the
reactor vessel, the test specimens generally reflect changes in
fracture toughness due to neutron embrittlement in advance of what the
reactor vessel experiences and provide insight to the future condition
of the reactor vessel. Therefore, the NRC instituted reactor vessel
material surveillance programs as a requirement of appendix H,
``Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program Requirements'' (appendix
H), to part 50 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR),
``Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities,'' so
that the placement and testing of Charpy impact specimens in capsules
between the inner diameter vessel wall and the core can provide data
for assessing and projecting the change in fracture toughness of the
reactor vessel.
The purpose for requiring a reactor vessel material surveillance
program is to monitor changes in the fracture toughness properties in
the beltline region \3\ of the reactor vessel and to use this
information to analyze the reactor vessel integrity. Surveillance
programs are designed not only to examine the current status of reactor
vessel material properties but also to predict the changes in these
properties resulting from the cumulative effects of neutron
irradiation.
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\3\ NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2014-11, ``Information on
Licensing Applications for Fracture Toughness Requirements for
Ferric Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Components,'' includes a
definition of reactor vessel beltline.
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The determination as to whether a commercial nuclear power reactor
vessel requires a material surveillance program under appendix H to 10
CFR part 50 is made at the time of plant licensing under 10 CFR part 50
or 10 CFR part 52, ``Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for
Nuclear Power Plants.'' If this surveillance program is required, it is
designed and implemented at that time using the existing requirements.
Certain aspects of the program, such as the specific materials to be
monitored, the number of required surveillance capsules to be inserted
in the reactor vessel, and the initial capsule withdrawal schedule were
designed for the original licensed period of operation (i.e., 40
years). The editions of the ASTM International (ASTM) E 185 which are
incorporated by reference in appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 recommend
three, four, or five surveillance capsules to be included in the design
of the reactor vessel material surveillance programs for the original
licensed period of operation, based on the irradiation sensitivity of
the material used to fabricate the reactor vessel.\4\
[[Page 62236]]
Most plants have included several additional surveillance capsules
beyond the number recommended by ASTM E 185. These capsules are
referred to as ``standby capsules.'' The surveillance program for each
reactor vessel provides assurance that the plant's operating limits
(e.g., the pressure-temperature limits) continue to meet the provisions
in Appendix G of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI,
``Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components,''
as required by appendix G, ``Fracture Toughness Requirements,'' to 10
CFR part 50. The program also provides assurance that the reactor
vessel material upper shelf energy meets the requirements of appendix G
to 10 CFR part 50. These assessments are used to ensure the integrity
of the reactor vessel.
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\4\ The requirements in appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 are based,
in part, on the information contained within ASTM E 185-73,
``Standard Recommended Practice for Surveillance Tests for Nuclear
Reactor Vessels;'' ASTM E 185-79, ``Standard Practice for Conducting
Surveillance Tests for Light-Water Cooled Nuclear Power Reactor
Vessels;'' and ASTM E 185-82, ``Standard Practice for Conducting
Surveillance Tests for Light-Water Cooled Nuclear Power Reactor
Vessels,'' which are incorporated by reference.
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In addition to the Charpy impact specimens for determining the
embrittlement in the reactor vessel, the surveillance capsules
typically contain neutron dosimeters, thermal monitors, and tension
specimens.\5\ Surveillance capsules may also contain correlation
monitor material, which is a material with composition, properties, and
response to radiation that have been well-characterized. The overall
accuracy of neutron fluence measurements is dependent upon knowledge of
the neutron spectrum. Therefore, a variety of neutron detector
materials (dosimetry wires) are included in each surveillance capsule
and used in the determination of neutron fluence for the vessel. The
thermal monitors that are placed in the capsules (e.g., low melting
point elements or eutectic alloys) are used to identify the irradiated
specimen's maximum exposure temperature.
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\5\ Tension specimens have a standardized sample cross-section,
with two shoulders and a gage (section) in between.
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B. Current Requirements Under Appendix H to 10 CFR part 50
Appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 requires light-water nuclear power
reactor licensees to have a reactor vessel material surveillance
program to monitor changes in the fracture toughness properties of the
reactor vessel materials adjacent to the reactor core in the beltline
region. Unless it can be shown that the end of design life neutron
fluence is below certain criteria, the NRC requires licensees to
implement a materials surveillance program that tests irradiated
material specimens that are located in surveillance test capsules in
the reactor vessels. The program evaluates changes in material fracture
toughness and thereby assesses the integrity of the reactor vessel. For
each capsule withdrawal, the test procedures and reporting requirements
must meet the requirements of ASTM E 185-82, ``Standard Practice for
Conducting Surveillance Tests for Light-Water Cooled Reactor Vessels,''
to the extent practicable for the configuration of the specimens in the
capsule.
The design of the surveillance program and the withdrawal schedule
must meet the requirements of the edition of ASTM E 185 that is current
on the issue date of the ASME Code to which the reactor vessel was
purchased. Later editions of ASTM E 185, up to and including those
editions through 1982, may be used. Appendix H to 10 CFR part 50
specifically incorporates by reference ASTM E 185-73, ``Standard
Recommended Practice for Surveillance Tests for Nuclear Reactor
Vessels;'' ASTM E 185-79, ``Standard Practice for Conducting
Surveillance Tests for Light-Water Cooled Nuclear Power Reactor
Vessels,'' and ASTM E 185-82. In sum, the surveillance program must
comply with ASTM E 185, as modified by appendix H to 10 CFR part 50.
The number, design, and location of these surveillance capsules within
the reactor vessel are established during the design of the program,
before initial plant operation.
Appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 also specifies that each capsule
withdrawal and subsequent test results must be the subject of a summary
technical report to be submitted to the NRC within one year of the date
of capsule withdrawal, unless an extension is granted by the Director,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. The NRC uses the results from the
surveillance program to assess licensee submittals related to pressure-
temperature limits under appendix G to 10 CFR part 50 and to assess
pressurized water reactor licensee's compliance with either Sec.
50.61, ``Fracture toughness requirements for protection against
pressurized thermal shock events,'' or Sec. 50.61a, ``Alternate
fracture toughness requirements for protection against pressurized
thermal shock events.''
C. The Need for Rulemaking
When appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 was established as a requirement
(38 FR 19012; July 17, 1973), limited information and data were
available on the subject of reactor vessel embrittlement. Thus,
appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 required the inclusion of a comprehensive
collection of specimen types representing the reactor vessel beltline
materials in each surveillance capsule. Since 1973, a significant
number of surveillance capsules have been withdrawn and tested.
Analyses of these results support reconsidering the specimen types
required for testing, and the required time for reporting the results
from surveillance capsule testing. One outcome of this effort was that
some specimen types were found to contribute to the characterization of
reactor vessel embrittlement, while others did not. Therefore, the NRC
determined that these latter types were unnecessary to meet the
objectives of appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 and should no longer be
required. Revising appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 to address this
situation would reduce the regulatory burden on licensees for data
collection, with no effect on public health and safety.
In 1983, appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 was revised to require
licensees to submit test results to the NRC within one year of the date
of capsule withdrawal, unless an extension is granted by the Director,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (48 FR 24008; May 27, 1983). As
stated in the 1983 rulemaking, the reason for the requirement was the
need for timely reporting of test results and notification of any
problems. At that time, there was a limited amount of data from
irradiated materials from which to estimate embrittlement trends of
reactor vessels at nuclear power plants, making it important to receive
timely reporting of test results.
Licensees that participate in an integrated surveillance program
have found it challenging to meet this one-year requirement. This is
related to the fact that an integrated surveillance program requires
coordination among the multiple licensees participating in the
program.\6\ A significant number of test specimens have been analyzed
since 1983, the results of which support a reduced need for prompt
reporting of the test results. Therefore, there is a reduced need for
prompt reporting of the test results. Based on this, the NRC has
determined that the reporting requirement in appendix H to 10 CFR part
50 should be revised. Extending the reporting period allows for more
time for licensee coordination and should eliminate the need for
licensees to prepare and submit extension requests and for the NRC to
review such
[[Page 62237]]
requests. This revision would have no effect on public health and
safety.
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\6\ Appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 permits the use of an
integrated surveillance program (ISP) as an alternative to a plant-
specific surveillance program. In an ISP, the representative
materials chosen for surveillance of a reactor vessel are irradiated
in one or more other reactor vessel vessels that have similar design
and operating features. The data obtained from these test specimens
may then be used in the analysis of other plants participating in
the program.
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D. Regulatory Basis To Support Rulemaking
In January 2019, the Commission issued Staff Requirements
Memorandum (SRM)-COMSECY-18-0016, ``Request Commission Approval to Use
the Direct Final Rule Process to Revise the Testing and Reporting
Requirements in 10 CFR part 50, Appendix H, Reactor Vessel Material
Surveillance Program Requirements (RIN 3150-AK07),'' approving
publication of the supporting regulatory basis and use of the direct
final rule process. On April 3, 2019, the NRC issued the regulatory
basis which provides an in-depth discussion on the technical merits of
this rulemaking (84 FR 12876).\7\ The regulatory basis includes
additional information on the regulatory framework, types of reactor
vessel material surveillance programs, regulatory topics that initiated
this rulemaking effort, and options to address these topics. The
regulatory basis shows that there is sufficient justification to
proceed with rulemaking to amend appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 to
eliminate and reduce certain test specimens and extend the period to
submit surveillance capsule reports to the NRC. In addition, in SRM-
COMSECY-18-0016, the Commission directed the staff to clarify the
requirements for the design of surveillance programs and the withdrawal
schedules for reactor vessels purchased after 1982. These revisions
would not establish any additional requirements for the current fleet
of operating reactors.
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\7\ A subsequent notification was published on April 12, 2019
(84 FR 14845), to correct the ADAMS accession number for the
regulatory basis.
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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. Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule contains new or amended information collection
requirements that are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq). This proposed rule has been submitted to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval of the
information collection requirements
Type of submission, new or revision: Revision.
The title of the information collection: Reactor Vessel Material
Surveillance Program.
The form number if applicable: NA.
How often the collection is required or requested: On occasion.
Who will be required or asked to respond: Holders of an operating
license for commercial light-water power reactors.
An estimate of the number of annual responses: A reduction of 1
response.
The estimated number of annual respondents: A reduction of 1
respondent.
An estimate of the total number of hours needed annually to comply
with the information collection requirement or request: An annual
reduction of 78 hours of reporting burden.
Abstract: The requirements for a reactor vessel material
surveillance program are specified under appendix H to 10 CFR part 50.
The NRC requires light-water nuclear power reactor licensees to
implement this program when it cannot be shown that the end of design
life neutron fluence for the reactor vessel is below certain criteria.
This program monitors changes in the fracture toughness properties of
the reactor vessel materials adjacent to the reactor core. It involves
the testing of irradiated material specimens that are located in
surveillance capsules in the reactor vessel. The surveillance test
results are used to evaluate the changes in material fracture toughness
and thereby assesses the integrity of the reactor vessel.
Appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 requires that within one year of the
date of the surveillance capsule withdrawal, a summary technical report
be submitted to the NRC that contains the data required by ASTM E 185,
and the results of all fracture toughness tests conducted on the
beltline materials in the irradiated and unirradiated conditions,
unless an extension is granted by the Director, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation. At the time this requirement became effective (48
FR 24008; July 26, 1983), there was a limited amount of data from
irradiated materials from which to estimate embrittlement trends of
reactor vessels at nuclear power plants, making it important to receive
timely reporting of test results.
Licensees that participate in an integrated surveillance program
have found it challenging to meet this one-year requirement, due to the
time needed for coordination among the multiple licensees participating
in the program. A significant number of test specimens have been
analyzed since 1983, the results of which support the reduced need for
prompt reporting of the test results. Based on this finding, the NRC
determined that the reporting requirement in appendix H to 10 CFR part
50 should be revised. The NRC is proposing to extend the reporting
period from 1 year to 18 months, with the objectives of eliminating the
need for licensees to prepare and submit extension requests and for the
NRC to review such requests. This revision would have no effect on
public health and safety.
Licensees must maintain records and prepare reports to demonstrate
their fulfillment of the regulatory requirements related to a reactor
vessel material surveillance program. The information collection
requirements under this program include:
Maintenance of records of the test results from this
program throughout the life of the reactor vessel.
Reports of the information specified in ASTM E 185-82.
The NRC published a Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment
period on this information collection on January 13, 2020, 85 FR
1825.\8\ No comments were received.
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\8\ A subsequent notice was published on January 21, 2020 (85 FR
3432), to correct the Docket ID listed in the body of the notice
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The NRC is providing the public a second opportunity to comment on
the potential impact of the information collections contained in this
proposed rule and on the following issues:
1. Is the proposed information collection necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the NRC, including whether the
information will have practical utility?
2. Is the estimate of burden accurate?
3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected?
4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized,
including the use of automated collection techniques?
A copy of the OMB clearance package and proposed rule is available
in ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML20041B864 and ML19184A621,
respectively, or may be viewed free of charge at the NRC's PDR, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O1-F21, Rockville, MD
20852. You may
[[Page 62238]]
obtain information and comment submissions related to the OMB clearance
package by searching on https://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID
NRC-2017-0151.
Send comments on any aspect of these proposed information
collections, including suggestions for reducing the burden and on the
above previously stated issues, by November 2, 2020 to the Information
Services Branch (T6-A10M), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by email to [email protected]
and to the OMB reviewer at: OMB Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs (3150-0011), Attn: Desk Officer for the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503; email:
[email protected]. Comments received after this date will be
considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration
cannot be given to comments received after this date.
Public Protection Notification
The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information unless the document requesting
or requiring the collection displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
VI. Voluntary Consensus Standards
The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104-113) requires that Federal agencies use technical standards that
are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies unless
using such a standard is inconsistent with applicable law or otherwise
impractical. In this proposed rule, the NRC would amend the reactor
vessel materials surveillance program requirements to reduce the
regulatory burden for non-safety-significant issues associated with the
testing of surveillance capsule specimens and reporting the
surveillance test results. It would also clarify the requirements for
the design of surveillance programs and the withdrawal schedules for
reactor vessels purchased after 1982. Specifically, this proposed rule
allows licensees to reduce the testing of some specimens and eliminates
the testing of other specimens that were found not to provide
meaningful information to assess the integrity of the reactor vessel.
It would also extend by 6 months the period for licensees to submit the
report of test results to the NRC. The increase in neutron fluence over
6 months is very small, and therefore the projected increase in
embrittlement over this period would also be very small. This small
impact, in conjunction with the margin of safety which is inherent in
the pressure-temperature limit curves, minimizes any impact due to the
6 month increase. This action would not constitute the establishment of
new conditions on the ASTM standards that are currently incorporated by
reference in appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 nor a standard that contains
generally applicable requirements. This action would maintain the use
of the ASTM standards that are currently incorporated by reference in
appendix H to 10 CFR part 50 but would make optional certain aspects of
the ASTM standards that have been determined not to be necessary for
safe operation of nuclear power plants.
VII. 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.
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Document Adams Accession No./Web Link/Federal Register Citaton
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section II, https://www.asme.org.
``Materials''.
NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2014-11, ``Information on ML14149A165.
Licensing Applications for Fracture Toughness
Requirements for Ferric Reactor Coolant Pressure
Boundary Components,'' October 14, 2014.
ASTM E 185[dash]73, ``Standard Recommended Practice for https://www.astm.org.
Surveillance Tests for Nuclear Reactor Vessels''.
ASTM 185[dash]79, ``Standard Practice for Conducting https://www.astm.org.
Surveillance Tests for Light-Water Cooled Nuclear
Power Reactor Vessels''.
ASTM E 185[dash]82, ``Standard Practice for Conducting https://www.astm.org.
Surveillance Tests for Light[dash]Water Cooled Nuclear
Power Reactor Vessels''.
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI, https://www.asme.org.
Appendix G, ``Rules for Inservice Inspection of
Nuclear Power Plant Components''.
Federal Register notification--``Part 50 Final Rule- 38 FR 19012.
Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities;
Fracture Toughness and Surveillance Program
Requirements,'' July 17, 1973.
Federal Register notification--``10 CFR Part 50 Final 48 FR 24008.
Rule, Fracture Toughness Requirements for Light-Water
Nuclear Power Reactors,'' May 27, 1983.
Rulemaking for Appendix H to 10 CFR Part 50, ``Reactor ML19038A477.
Vessel Material Surveillance Program Requirements--
Regulatory Basis,'' April 2019.
Federal Register notification--``10 CFR Part 50, 84 FR 12876.
Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program:
Regulatory Basis; Availability,'' April 3, 2019.
Federal Register notification--``10 CFR Part 50, 84 FR 14845.
Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program:
Regulatory Basis; Availability; Correction,'' April
12, 2019.
Staff Requirements Memorandum ML19009A517.
(SRM)[dash]COMSECY[dash]18[dash]0016, ``Request
Commission Approval to Use the Direct Final Rule
Process to Revise the Testing and Reporting
Requirements in 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix H, Reactor
Vessel Material Surveillance Program Requirements (RIN
3150[dash]AK07),'' January 9, 2019.
Federal Register notice--``Information Collection: 85 FR 1825.
Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization
Facilities; Revision of Existing Information
Collection; Request for Comment,'' January 13, 2020.
Federal Register notice--``Information Collection: 85 FR 3432.
Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization
Facilities; Correction; Revision of Existing
Information Collection; Request for Comment;
Correction,'' January 21, 2020.
OMB Supporting Statement for Information Collections ML20041B864.
Contained in the Appendix H to 10 CFR Part 50,
``Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program
Requirements, Proposed Rule''.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The NRC may post materials related to this document, including
public comments, on the Federal Rulemaking website at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2017-0151. The Federal
Rulemaking website allows you to receive alerts when changes or
additions occur in a docket folder. To subscribe: (1) Navigate to the
docket
[[Page 62239]]
folder (NRC-2017-0151); (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 50
Administrative practice and procedure, Antitrust, Backfitting,
Classified information, Criminal penalties, Education, Fire prevention,
Fire protection, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental
relations, Nuclear power plants and reactors, Penalties, Radiation
protection, Reactor siting criteria, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Whistleblowing.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of September, 2020.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Annette Vietti-Cook,
Secretary for the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2020-21506 Filed 10-1-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P