[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22468-22470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08877]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-456, 50-457, 50-275, 50-323, 50-354, 50-272, 50-311, 
50-254, and 50-265; NRC-2020-0110]


Issuance of Multiple Exemptions in Response to COVID-19 Public 
Health Emergency

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Exemptions; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued five 
exemptions in response to requests from three licensees. The exemptions 
afford

[[Page 22469]]

these licensees temporary relief from certain requirements under NRC 
regulations. The exemptions are in response to the licensees' requests 
for relief due to the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) public health 
emergency (PHE). The NRC is issuing a single notice to announce the 
issuance of the exemptions.

DATES: During the period from March 1, 2021, to March 30, 2021, the NRC 
granted five exemptions in response to requests submitted by three 
licensees from February 4, 2021, to February 25, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2020-0110 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-2020-0110. 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].
     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. (ET), Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For the convenience of the reader, instructions about obtaining 
materials referenced in this document are provided in the 
``Availability of Documents'' section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Danna, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-7422, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    During the period from March 1, 2021, to March 30, 2021, the NRC 
granted five exemptions in response to requests submitted by three 
licensees from February 4, 2021, to February 25, 2021. These exemptions 
temporarily allow the licensees to deviate from certain requirements 
(as cited) of various parts of chapter I of title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR).
    The exemptions from certain requirements of 10 CFR part 26, 
``Fitness for Duty Programs,'' for Exelon Generation Company, LLC (for 
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2; and Quad Cities Nuclear Power 
Station, Units 1 and 2); and for PSEG Nuclear LLC (for Hope Creek 
Generating Station and Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 
and 2); afford these licensees temporary relief from the work-hour 
control requirements under 10 CFR 26.205(d)(1) through (d)(7). The 
exemptions from 10 CFR 26.205(d)(1) through (d)(7) ensure that the 
control of work hours and management of worker fatigue does not unduly 
limit licensee flexibility in using personnel resources to most 
effectively manage the impacts of the COVID-19 PHE on maintaining the 
safe operation of these facilities. Specifically, these licensees have 
stated that their staffing levels are affected or are expected to be 
affected by the COVID-19 PHE, and they can no longer meet or likely 
will not meet the work-hour controls of 10 CFR 26.205(d)(1) through 
(d)(7). These licensees have committed to effecting site-specific 
COVID-19 PHE fatigue-management controls for personnel specified in 10 
CFR 26.4(a).
    The exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR part 73, appendix 
B, ``General Criteria for Security Personnel,'' section VI, ``Nuclear 
Power Reactor Training and Qualification Plan for Personnel Performing 
Security Program Duties,'' for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (for 
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2) ensures that these 
regulatory requirements do not unduly limit licensee flexibility in 
using personnel resources to most effectively manage the impacts of the 
COVID-19 PHE on maintaining the safe and secure operation of this 
facility and the implementation of the licensee's NRC-approved security 
plans, protective strategy, and implementing procedures. The licensee 
has committed to certain security measures to ensure response readiness 
and for its security personnel to maintain performance capability.
    The NRC is providing compiled tables of exemptions using a single 
Federal Register notice for COVID-19 related exemptions instead of 
issuing individual Federal Register notices for each exemption. The 
compiled tables in this notice provide transparency regarding the 
number and type of exemptions the NRC has issued. Additionally, the NRC 
publishes tables of approved regulatory actions related to the COVID-19 
PHE on its public website at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/covid-19/reactors/licensing-actions.html.

II. Availability of Documents

    The tables in this notice provide the facility name, docket number, 
document description, and ADAMS accession number for each exemption 
issued. Additional details on each exemption issued, including the 
exemption request submitted by the respective licensee and the NRC's 
decision, are provided in each exemption approval listed in the tables 
in this notice. For additional directions on accessing information in 
ADAMS, see the ADDRESSES section of this document.

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            Document description                 ADAMS accession No.
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                    Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2
                      Docket Nos. 50-456 and 50-457
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Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2--COVID-19   ML21056A514.
 Related Request for Exemption from part 26
 Work Hours Requirements, dated February
 25, 2021.
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2--Exemption  ML21057A189.
 from Specific Requirements of 10 CFR part
 26 (EPID L-2021-LLE-0013 [COVID-19]),
 dated March 30, 2021.
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            Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2
                      Docket Nos. 50-275 and 50-323
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Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1   Non-public, withheld
 and 2--Request for a Temporary Exemption     pursuant to 10 CFR 2.390.
 from 10 CFR part 73, appendix B, section
 VI, subsection C.3.(I)(1) and subsection
 A.7, Regarding Annual Force-On-Force
 Exercises, due to Coronavirus Disease 2019
 Pandemic, dated February 4, 2021.
Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1   ML21047A255.
 and 2--Exemption from Annual Force-On-
 Force Exercise Requirement of 10 CFR part
 73, appendix B, ``General Criteria for
 Security Personnel,'' subsection A.7 (EPID
 L-2021-LLE-0008 [COVID-19]), dated March
 3, 2021.
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                      Hope Creek Generating Station
                            Docket No. 50-354
           Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2
                      Docket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311
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Hope Creek Generating Station and Salem      ML21056A442.
 Generating Station, Units 1 and 2--
 Subsequent Request for Exemption from
 Specific Requirements of 10 CFR part 26,
 ``Fitness for Duty Programs,'' dated
 February 25, 2021.
Hope Creek Generating Station and Salem      ML21056A542.
 Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1
 and 2--Exemption from Select Requirements
 of 10 CFR part 26 (EPID L-2021-LLE-0012
 [COVID-19]), dated March 3, 2021.
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            Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2
                      Docket Nos. 50-254 and 50-265
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Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station, Units 1   ML21049A051.
 and 2--COVID-19 Related Request for
 Exemption from part 26 Work Hours
 Requirements, dated February 17, 2021.
Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station, Units 1   ML21050A182.
 and 2--Exemption from Select Requirements
 of 10 CFR part 26 (EPID L-2021-LLE-0010
 [COVID-19]), dated March 1, 2021.
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    Dated: April 23, 2021.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James G. Danna,
Chief, Plant Licensing Branch I, Division of Operating Reactor 
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2021-08877 Filed 4-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P