[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 187 (Thursday, September 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54253-54254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21295]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2021-0166]


Acceptability of ASME Code Section XI, Division 2, Requirements 
for Reliability and Integrity Management (RIM) Programs for Nuclear 
Power Plants, for Non-Light Water Reactors

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Draft regulatory guide; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for 
public comment a draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1383, ``Acceptability 
of ASME Code Section XI, Division 2, `Requirements for Reliability and 
Integrity Management (RIM) Programs for Nuclear Power Plants,' for Non-
Light Water Reactors.'' This proposed DG describes an approach that is 
acceptable to the NRC staff for the development and implementation of a 
preservice inspection (PSI) and inservice inspection (ISI) program for 
non-light water reactors (non-LWRs). It endorses, with conditions, the 
2019 Edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) 
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code), Section XI, ``Rules for 
Inservice Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components,'' Division 2, 
for non-LWR applications. This RG also describes a method that 
applicants can use to incorporate PSI and ISI programs into a licensing 
basis.

DATES: Submit comments by November 15, 2021. 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. Although a time limit is given, comments and suggestions in 
connection with items for inclusion in guides currently being developed 
or improvements in all published guides are encouraged at any time.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods; 
however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal Rulemaking Website:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2021-0166. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document.
     Mail comments to: Office of Administration, Mail Stop: 
TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing 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: Timothy Lupold, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, telephone: 301-415-6448, email: 
[email protected]; Stephen Philpott, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation, telephone: 301-415-2365, email: [email protected]; 
and Robert Roche-Rivera, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, 
telephone: 301-415-8113, email: [email protected]. All are 
staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2021-0166 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-2021-0166.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the

[[Page 54254]]

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 or 
301-415-4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

B. Submitting Comments

    The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal Rulemaking Website (https://www.regulations.gov). Please 
include Docket ID NRC-2021-0166 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. Additional Information

    The NRC is issuing for public comment a DG in the NRC's 
``Regulatory Guide'' series. This series was developed to describe 
methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific 
parts of the agency's regulations, to explain techniques that the staff 
uses in evaluating specific issues or postulated events, and to 
describe information that the staff needs in its review of applications 
for permits and licenses.
    The DG, entitled, ``Acceptability of ASME Code Section XI, Division 
2, `Requirements for Reliability and Integrity Management (RIM) 
Programs for Nuclear Power Plants,' for Non-Light Water Reactors,'' is 
a proposed new Regulatory Guide 1.246 and is temporarily identified by 
its task number, DG-1383 (ADAMS Accession No. ML21120A185). The staff 
is also issuing for public comment a draft regulatory analysis (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML21120A192).
    This DG endorses, with conditions, the 2019 edition of ASME BPV 
Code, Section XI, Division 2. It also describes a method that 
applicants can use to incorporate PSI and ISI programs into a licensing 
basis. ASME BPV Code, Section XI, Division 2 provides a process for 
developing a RIM program similar to a traditional PSI and ISI program 
under ASME Code, Section XI, Division 1, ``Rules for Inspection and 
Testing of Components of Light-Water-Cooled Plants,'' for all types of 
nuclear power plants. Because ASME Code, Section XI, Division 1, 
provides requirements for a PSI and ISI program for an LWR, the scope 
of this DG focuses on non-LWRs. The RIM program contains provisions 
beyond a traditional program, such as significant use of probabilistic 
risk assessment (PRA) to develop reliability targets for structures, 
systems, and components (SSCs) within the scope of the program. It also 
relies on establishing such practices as monitoring, nondestructive 
examination and repair and replacement to maintain the reliability of 
components based on the degradation mechanisms that may exist 
throughout the life of the plant.
    ASME Code, Section XI, Division 2, also provides a process for the 
identification of the scope, degradation mechanisms, and reliability 
targets for the in-scope SSCs; identification and evaluation of RIM 
strategies and uncertainties; program implementation; performance 
monitoring; and program updates to be applied for passive components to 
give assurance that the reliability will meet preestablished targets 
(developed from the PRA information for the facility). ASME Code, 
Section XI, Division 2, does not stipulate any specific strategies to 
be employed but calls for these to be developed by expert panels, 
considering types of examinations currently used for ASME Code, Section 
XI, Division 1, and known or potential degradation mechanisms for 
typical materials used in the construction of nuclear facilities.

III. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality

    DG-1383, if finalized, would 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 
(MD) 8.4, ``Management of Backfitting, Forward Fitting, Issue Finality, 
and Information Requests'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML18093B087); 
constitute forward fitting as that term is defined and described in MD 
8.4; or affect the issue finality of any approval issued under 10 CFR 
part 52, ``Licenses, Certificates, and Approvals for Nuclear Power 
Plants.'' As explained in DG-1383, applicants and licensees are not 
required to comply with the positions set forth in DG-1383.

    Dated: September 27, 2021.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Meraj Rahimi,
Chief, Regulatory Guide and Programs Management Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2021-21295 Filed 9-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P