[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 36 (Thursday, February 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11564-11566]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03917]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2020-0160]


Changes to Subsequent License Renewal Guidance Documents

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Interim staff guidance; issuance.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing three 
Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) documents that update aging management 
criteria for mechanical, structural, and electrical structures and 
components in the NRC's subsequent license renewal (SLR) guidance 
documents. Specifically, the ISGs revise 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.'' 
These ISGs are 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 March 29, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2020-0160 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-2020-0160. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; 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 July 2, 2020 (85 FR 39938) and August 3, 2020, (85 FR 46735), 
the staff requested public comments on the following draft ISGs:
     Draft SLR-ISG-MECHANICAL-2020-XX; Updated Aging Management 
Criteria for Mechanical Portions of Subsequent License Renewal Guidance
     Draft SLR-ISG-STRUCTURES-2020-XX; Updated Aging Management 
Criteria for Structures Portions of Subsequent License Renewal Guidance
     Draft SLR-ISG-ELECTRICAL-2020-XX; Updated Aging Management 
Criteria for Electrical Portions of Subsequent License Renewal Guidance

[[Page 11565]]

     Errata for Draft SLR-ISG-MECHANICAL-2020-XX; Updated Aging 
Management Criteria for Mechanical Portions of Subsequent License 
Renewal Guidance

    The NRC received comments from the Nuclear Energy Institute by 
letter dated August 10, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20224A465). No 
other comments were submitted. The NRC staff considered those comments 
in developing the final versions of the ISGs. The staff's responses to 
the comments are provided in each of the final ISGs in appendices 
titled ``Disposition of Public Comments.''
    These ISGs update 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 previously noted 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. These ISGs provide interim 
updates to NUREG-2191 and NUREG-2192 to implement these improvements.
    These ISGs are not intended for standalone use. They provide 
revisions to NUREG-2191 and NUREG-2192 sections and tables that 
supersede the content in the NUREGs and are intended to be used within 
the context of the NUREGs. The revisions captured in these ISGs 
include:
     Updates to recommended aging management programs;
     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 ``further evaluation'' guidance sections in 
NUREG-2192;
     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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Document                        ADAMS Accession No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NUREG-2191, ``Generic Aging         ML16274A389 (Vol. 1); ML16274A399
 Lessons Learned for Subsequent      (Vol. 2).
 License Renewal (GALL-SLR)
 Report''.
NUREG-2192, ``Standard Review Plan  ML16274A402.
 for Review of Subsequent License
 Renewal Applications for Nuclear
 Power Plants, Final Report''.
Draft SLR-ISG-MECHANICAL-2020-XX;   ML20156A330.
 Updated Aging Management Criteria
 for Mechanical Portions of
 Subsequent License Renewal
 Guidance.
Draft SLR-ISG-STRUCTURES-2020-XX;   ML20156A338.
 Updated Aging Management Criteria
 for Structures Portions of
 Subsequent License Renewal
 Guidance.
Draft SLR-ISG-ELECTRICAL-2020-XX;   ML20156A324.
 Updated Aging Management Criteria
 for Electrical Portions of
 Subsequent License Renewal
 Guidance.
Errata for Draft SLR-ISG-           ML20198M382.
 MECHANICAL-2020-XX; Updated Aging
 Management Criteria for
 Mechanical Portions of Subsequent
 License Renewal Guidance.
March 28, 2019, Summary of          ML19112A206.
 Category 2 Public Meeting on
 Lessons Learned from the Review
 of the First Subsequent License
 Renewal Applications.
Summary of December 12, 2019,       ML20016A347.
 Category 2 Public Meeting on
 Lessons Learned from the Review
 of the First Subsequent License
 Renewal Applications.
February 20, 2020, Summary of       ML20076E074.
 Category 2 Public Meeting on
 Lessons Learned from the Review
 of the First Subsequent License
 Renewal Applications.
Summary of March 25, 2020, Meeting  ML20107F702.
 with Industry Related to
 Revisions to Subsequent License
 Renewal Guidance Documents.
Summary of April 3, 2020, Meeting   ML20107F733.
 with Industry Regarding Changes
 to Subsequent License Renewal
 Guidance Documents.
Summary of April 7, 2020 Meeting    ML20107F699.
 with Industry Regarding Revisions
 to the Subsequent License Renewal
 Guidance Documents.
Comment (1) of Allison Borst &      ML20224A465.
 Peter W. Kissinger, on Behalf of
 Nuclear Energy Institute, on
 Changes to Subsequent License
 Renewal Guidance Documents.
Final SLR-ISG-2021-02-MECHANICAL;   ML20181A434.
 Updated Aging Management Criteria
 for Mechanical Portions of
 Subsequent License Renewal
 Guidance.
Final SLR-ISG-2021-03-STRUCTURES;   ML20181A381.
 Updated Aging Management Criteria
 for Structures Portions of
 Subsequent License Renewal
 Guidance.
Final SLR-ISG-2021-04-ELECTRICAL;   ML20181A395.
 Updated Aging Management Criteria
 for Electrical Portions of
 Subsequent License Renewal
 Guidance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality

    These ISGs intend to revise guidance for the NRC staff reviewing 
SLRAs and for prospective applicants in preparing SLRAs. Issuance of 
these ISGs 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'' sections of the 
final ISGs, the ISG positions do not constitute backfitting inasmuch as 
the ISGs are 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).

[[Page 11566]]

IV. Congressional Review Act

    These ISGs are rules as defined in the Congressional Review Act (5 
U.S.C. 801-808). However, the Office of Management and Budget has not 
found them to be major rules as defined in the Congressional Review 
Act.

    Dated: February 22, 2021.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert Caldwell,
Deputy Director, Division of New and Renewed Licenses, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2021-03917 Filed 2-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P