[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85682-85683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28632]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2012-0110]


Acceptability of Probabilistic Risk Assessment Results for Risk-
Informed Activities

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Regulatory guide; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing 
Revision 3 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.200, ``Acceptability of 
Probabilistic Risk Assessment Results for Risk-Informed Activities.'' 
Revision 3 describes one acceptable approach for determining whether a 
base probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), in total or the portions that 
are used to support an application, is acceptable to provide confidence 
in the results, such that the PRA can be used in regulatory 
decisionmaking for light-water reactors (LWRs). When used in support of 
an application, the use of this RG will obviate the need for an in-
depth review of the base PRA by NRC reviewers, allowing them to focus 
their review on key assumptions and areas identified by peer reviewers.

DATES: Revision 3 to RG 1.200 is available on December 29, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2012-0110 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0110. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges; 
telephone: 301-287-9127; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individuals 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 (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first 
time that it is mentioned in this document.
     Attention: The 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.
    Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, and NRC approval is not 
required to reproduce them.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anders Gilbertson, telephone: 301-415-
1541, email: [email protected], and Harriet Karagiannis, 
telephone: 301-415-2493, email: [email protected]. Both are 
staff of the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Discussion

    The NRC is issuing a revision to an existing guide in the NRC's 
``Regulatory Guide'' series. This series was developed to describe and 
make available to the public information regarding methods that are 
acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the 
agency's regulations, techniques that the NRC staff uses in evaluating 
specific issues or postulated events, and data that the NRC staff needs 
in its review of applications for permits and licenses. Regulatory 
guides are not NRC regulations and compliance with them is not 
required. Methods and solutions that differ from those set forth in RGs 
are acceptable if supported by a basis for the issuance or continuance 
of a permit or license by the Commission.
    Revision 3 to RG 1.200 was issued with a temporary identification 
of Draft Regulatory Guide, DG-1362 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19308B636). 
RG 1.200 (Revision 3) describes one acceptable approach for determining 
whether the base PRA, in total or the portions that are used to support 
an application, is

[[Page 85683]]

sufficient to provide confidence in the results, such that the PRA can 
be used in regulatory decisionmaking for LWRs. Also, it addresses new 
industry guidance and enhancements identified since the last revision 
was issued in March 2009. Specifically, this revision endorses, with 
staff clarifications and exceptions, the American Society of Mechanical 
Engineers (ASME) and American Nuclear Society (ANS) Standard ASME/ANS 
RA-Sa-2009, ``Standard for Level 1/Large Early Release Frequency 
Probabilistic Risk Assessment for Nuclear Power Plant Applications''; 
the ASME/ANS standard ASME/ANS RA-S Case 1 for seismic PRA, ``Case for 
ASME/ANS RA-Sb-2013 Standard for Level 1/Large Early Release Frequency 
Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Nuclear Power Plant Applications''; 
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 17-07, Revision 2, ``Performance of PRA 
Peer Reviews Using the ASME/ANS PRA Standard'' (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML19241A615); and Pressurized Water Reactor Owners Group (PWROG) report 
PWROG-19027-NP, Revision 2, ``Newly Developed Method Requirements and 
Peer Review'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML20213C660). This revision of the 
RG further provides for a peer review of newly developed methods, 
clarifies the process for determining how to classify changes to a PRA, 
provides definitions related to newly developed methods and other PRA 
terms, and enhances guidance related to key assumptions and sources of 
uncertainty.

II. Additional Information

    The NRC published a notice of the availability of DG-1362 in the 
Federal Register on July 1, 2020 (85 FR 39599) for a 30-day public 
comment period. The public comment period closed on July 31, 2020. 
Public comments on DG-1362 and the staff responses to the public 
comments are available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML20238B873. 
Revision 3 to RG 1.200 may be found in ADAMS under Accession No. 
ML20238B871.

III. Congressional Review Act

    This RG 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.

IV. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality

    This RG provides one acceptable approach for determining whether 
the base PRA, in total or the portions that are used to support an 
application, is sufficient to provide confidence in the results, such 
that the PRA can be used in regulatory decisionmaking for LWRs. 
Issuance of this RG does not constitute backfitting as defined in 
section 50.109 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), 
``Backfitting,'' and as described in NRC Management Directive 8.4, 
``Management of Backfitting, Forward Fitting, Issue Finality, and 
Information Requests'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML18093B087); does not 
constitute forward fitting as that term is defined and described in 
Management Directive 8.4; and does not affect the issue finality of any 
approval issued under 10 CFR part 52, ``Licenses, Certificates, and 
Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.'' As explained in this RG, 
applicants and licensees are not required to comply with the positions 
set forth in this RG.

    Dated: December 21, 2020.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert G. Roche-Rivera,
Acting Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division 
of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2020-28632 Filed 12-28-20; 8:45 am]
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