[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5266-5267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01041]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2020-0153]


Updated Aging Management Criteria for Reactor Vessel Internal 
Components for Pressurized-Water Reactors

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Interim staff guidance; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing 
Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) SLR-ISG-2021-01-PWRVI, ``Updated Aging 
Management Criteria for Reactor Vessel Internal Components for 
Pressurized-Water Reactors.'' This ISG updates the aging management 
criteria for pressurized-water reactor (PWR) vessel internals 
components in the NRC's subsequent license renewal (SLR) guidance 
documents. Specifically, the ISG revises guidance contained in NUREG-
2191, ``Generic Aging Lessons Learned for Subsequent License Renewal 
(GALL-SLR) Report,'' and NUREG-2192, ``Standard Review Plan for Review 
of Subsequent License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants.'' 
This ISG is intended to facilitate preparation of SLR applications by 
clarifying existing guidance for aging management and adding new 
guidance, which also will facilitate the NRC staff's review of SLR 
applications.

DATES: This guidance is effective on February 18, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2020-0153 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-2020-0153. Address 
questions about 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]. For the convenience of the reader, 
instructions about obtaining materials referenced in this document are 
provided in the ``Availability of Documents'' section.
     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 or 
301-415-4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (EST), Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Mitchell, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-0833; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On August 3, 2020 (85 FR 46735), the staff requested public 
comments on draft SLR-ISG-PWRVI-2020-XX, ``Updated Aging Management 
Criteria for Reactor Vessel Internal Components for Pressurized-Water 
Reactors.'' The NRC received comments from the Electric Power Research 
Institute, Materials Reliability Program (EPRI MRP) by letter dated 
September 1, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20245E539), and from the 
Nuclear Energy Institute by letter dated September 2, 2020 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML20246G654). No other comments were submitted. The NRC 
staff considered those comments in developing the final version of the 
ISG. The staff's responses to the comments are provided in

[[Page 5267]]

Appendix H, ``Disposition of Public Comments,'' of the final ISG.
    This ISG updates NUREG-2191, ``Generic Aging Lessons Learned for 
Subsequent License Renewal (GALL-SLR) Report,'' and NUREG-2192, 
``Standard Review Plan for Review of Subsequent License Renewal 
Applications for Nuclear Power Plants.'' NUREG-2191 and NUREG-2192 were 
published in July 2017, and a full review and revision to these 
documents is not scheduled to be performed for several years. The staff 
has reviewed the first three subsequent license renewal applications 
(SLRAs) that were based on the above guidance documents. During these 
reviews, the staff and applicants identified improvements to the 
guidance that would assist in preparing and reviewing future SLRAs more 
effectively and efficiently. This ISG provides an interim update to 
NUREG-2191 and NUREG-2192 to implement these improvements.
    This ISG is not intended for standalone use. It provides revisions 
to NUREG-2191 and NUREG-2192 sections and tables that supersede the 
content in the NUREGs and is intended to be used within the context of 
the NUREGs. The revisions captured in this ISG include:
     Updates to GALL-SLR Report aging management program 
XI.M16A, ``PWR Vessel Internals'';
     changes to aging management review items in NUREG-2191 
tables and corresponding summary tables in NUREG-2192;
     new aging management review items in NUREG-2191 tables and 
corresponding summary tables in NUREG-2192;
     changes to NUREG-2192 ``further evaluation'' guidance 
sections;
     updates to references listed in affected NUREG-2191 
sections; and
     editorial corrections to relevant sections.

II. Availability of Documents

    The documents identified in the following table are available to 
interested persons in ADAMS, as indicated.

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                          Document                                           ADAMS accession No.
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NUREG-2191, ``Generic Aging Lessons Learned for Subsequent   ML16274A389 (Vol. 1)
 License Renewal (GALL-SLR) Report''.                        ML16274A399 (Vol. 2).
NUREG-2192, ``Standard Review Plan for Review of Subsequent  ML16274A402.
 License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants''.
Draft SLR-ISG-PWRVI-2020-XX, ``Updated Aging Management      ML20156A343.
 Criteria for Reactor Vessel Internal Components for
 Pressurized-Water Reactors''.
Final SLR-ISG-2021-01-PWRVI, ``Updated Aging Management      ML20217L203.
 Criteria for Reactor Vessel Internal Components for
 Pressurized-Water Reactors''.
March 28, 2019, Summary of Category 2 Public Meeting on      ML19112A206.
 Lessons Learned from the Review of the First Subsequent
 License Renewal Applications.
Summary of December 12, 2019, Category 2 Public Meeting on   ML20016A347.
 Lessons Learned from the Review of the First Subsequent
 License Renewal Applications.
February 20, 2020, Summary of Category 2 Public Meeting on   ML20076E074.
 Lessons Learned from the Review of the First Subsequent
 License Renewal Applications.
Summary of March 25, 2020 Meeting with Industry Related to   ML20107F702.
 Revisions to Subsequent License Renewal Guidance Documents.
Summary of April 3, 2020, Meeting with Industry Regarding    ML20107F733.
 Changes to Subsequent License Renewal Guidance Documents.
Summary of April 7, 2020, Meeting with Industry Regarding    ML20107F699.
 Revisions to the Subsequent License Renewal Guidance
 Documents.
Comment Letter (1) of Christopher Koehler and Brian Burgos,  ML20245E539.
 on behalf of the Electric Power Research Institute,
 Subject: ``Industry Comments to Draft Interim Staff
 Guidance (ISG)-SLR-ISG-PWRVI-2020-XX''.
Comment Letter (2) of Peter W. Kissinger, on behalf of       ML20246G654.
 Nuclear Energy Institute, Subject: ``Comments on the
 proposed changes to subsequent license renewal document
 SLR-ISG-PWRVI-2020-XX''.
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III. Backfit Discussion

    This ISG intends to revise guidance for the NRC staff reviewing 
SLRAs and for prospective applicants in preparing SLRAs. Issuance of 
this ISG does not constitute a backfit as defined in section 
50.109(a)(1) of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 
and is not otherwise inconsistent with the issue finality provisions in 
10 CFR part 52. As discussed in the ``Backfitting'' section of the 
final ISG, the ISG positions do not constitute backfitting inasmuch as 
the ISG is guidance directed to the NRC staff with respect to its 
regulatory responsibilities and to applicants who choose to follow the 
guidance. Applicants and potential applicants are not, with certain 
exceptions, the subject of either the backfit rule or any issue 
finality provisions under 10 CFR part 52. The NRC staff has no 
intention to impose the ISG positions on existing nuclear power plant 
licensees either now or in the future (absent a voluntary request for a 
change from the licensee).

IV. Congressional Review Act

    This ISG 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: January 13, 2021.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert Caldwell,
Deputy Director, Division of New and Renewed Licenses, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2021-01041 Filed 1-15-21; 8:45 am]
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