[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81439-81442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25818]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-611 and 50-612; NRC-2023-0138]
Kairos Power, LLC; Hermes 2
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Construction permit application; opportunity to request a
hearing and petition for leave to intervene; order imposing procedures.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing
notice that an uncontested hearing will be held on the Kairos Power,
LLC (Kairos) construction permit application that proposes the
construction of a test reactor facility, identified as `Hermes 2', in
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at a time and place to be set in the future by
the Commission or designated by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.
This notice provides the public an opportunity to request a hearing and
petition for leave to intervene (i.e., contested hearing) with respect
to that application. The NRC staff is currently conducting a detailed
technical review of the construction permit application. If the NRC
issues a construction permit, the applicant, Kairos, would be
authorized to construct its proposed test reactor facility in
accordance with the provisions of the construction permit. Because the
application contains Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information
(SUNSI), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to this type of
information for contention preparation.
DATES: A request for a hearing or petitions for leave to intervene must
be filed by January 22, 2024. Any potential party as defined in section
2.4 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) who
believes access to SUNSI is necessary to respond to this notice must
request document access by December 4, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2023-0138 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-2023-0138. 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, at 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.
NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 a.m. and 4
p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Orenak, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3229; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
On July 14, 2023, Kairos Power LLC (Kairos) submitted, pursuant to
10 CFR part 50, ``Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization
Facilities,'' an application (ADAMS Package Accession No. ML23195A121)
for a construction permit for the `Hermes 2' test reactor facility (a
``testing facility'' as defined in 10 CFR 50.2), that would consist of
two fluoride salt-cooled test
[[Page 81440]]
reactor units at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge,
Tennessee. A notice of receipt and availability was published in the
Federal Register on August 4, 2023 (88 FR 51876). The NRC staff
determined that Kairos submitted the application in accordance with 10
CFR 2.101(a)(5), and a notice of the acceptability of docketing of
Kairos's application was published in the Federal Register on September
15, 2023 (88 FR 63632). The docket numbers established for this
application are 50-611 and 50-612 for Units 1 and 2, respectively.
The NRC is considering issuance of a construction permit to Kairos
that would authorize construction of the proposed Hermes 2 test reactor
facility to be located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Hermes 2 facility
would contain two fluoride-salt cooled, high-temperature test reactors
using solid tri-structural isotropic fuel in pebble form. Each test
reactor would contain an intermediate heat transfer loop and share a
common power generation system.
II. Hearing
Pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 10 CFR part
2, ``Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure,'' and part 50, notice is
hereby given that an uncontested (i.e., mandatory) hearing will be
held, at a time and place to be set in the future by the Commission or
designated by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (Board).
The hearing on the application for a construction permit filed by
Kairos pursuant to 10 CFR part 50 will be conducted by a Board that
will be designated by the Chief Judge of the Atomic Safety and
Licensing Board Panel or will be conducted by the Commission. If the
hearing is conducted by a Board, notice as to the membership of the
Board will be published in the Federal Register at a later date. The
NRC staff will complete a detailed technical review of the application
and will document its findings in a safety evaluation. The Commission
will refer a copy of the application to the Advisory Committee on
Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) in accordance with 10 CFR 50.58, ``Hearings
and Report of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards,'' and the
ACRS will report on those portions of the application that concern
safety. The NRC staff will also complete an environmental review of the
application and will document its findings in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the
Commission's regulations in 10 CFR part 51, ``Environmental Protection
Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions.''
The staff will prepare an environmental assessment that will be used to
determine whether an environmental impact statement is necessary or a
finding of no significant impact is warranted to satisfy the NRC's NEPA
obligations.
III. Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave To
Intervene
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, any
person (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may
file a request for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene
(petition) with respect to the action. Petitions shall be filed in
accordance with the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and
Procedure'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult 10 CFR
2.309. If a petition is filed, the presiding officer will rule on the
petition and, if appropriate, a notice of a hearing will be issued.
Petitions must be filed no later than 60 days from the date of
publication of this notice in accordance with the filing instructions
in the ``Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)'' section of this document.
Petitions and motions for leave to file new or amended contentions that
are filed after the deadline will not be entertained absent a
determination by the presiding officer that the filing demonstrates
good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)
through (iii).
A State, local governmental body, Federally recognized Indian
Tribe, or designated agency thereof, may submit a petition to the
Commission to participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(h)(1) no later
than 60 days from the date of publication of this notice.
Alternatively, a State, local governmental body, Federally recognized
Indian Tribe, or agency thereof may participate as a non-party under 10
CFR 2.315(c).
For information about filing a petition and about participation by
a person not a party under 10 CFR 2.315(c), see ADAMS Accession No.
ML20340A053 (https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20340A053 Number=ML20340A053) and on the NRC website at
https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate.
IV. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including
documents filed by an interested State, local governmental body,
Federally recognized Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof that
requests to participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302. The E-Filing process requires
participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the
internet, or in some cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media,
unless an exemption permitting an alternative filing method, as further
discussed, is granted. Detailed guidance on electronic submissions is
located in the ``Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC''
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13031A056) and on the NRC's public website at
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the
Office of the Secretary by email at [email protected], or by
telephone at 301-415-1677, to (1) request a digital identification (ID)
certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or
representative) to digitally sign submissions and access the E-Filing
system for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition or
other adjudicatory document (even in instances in which the
participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-
issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the
Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the proceeding if the
Secretary has not already established an electronic docket.
Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is
available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html. After a digital ID certificate
is obtained and a docket created, the participant must submit
adjudicatory documents in Portable Document Format. Guidance on
submissions is available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A filing is
considered complete at the time the document is submitted through the
NRC's E-Filing system. To be timely, an electronic filing must be
submitted to the E-Filing system no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the due
date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps
the document and sends the submitter an email confirming receipt of the
document. The E-Filing system also distributes an email that provides
access to the document to the NRC's Office of the General Counsel and
any others who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish
to
[[Page 81441]]
participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the
document on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and
other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for
and receive a digital ID certificate before adjudicatory documents are
filed to obtain access to the documents via the E-Filing system.
A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC's Electronic
Filing Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC's
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by
email to [email protected], or by a toll-free call at 1-866-672-
7640. The NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9 a.m.
and 6 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Participants who believe that they have good cause for not
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper
format. Such filings must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR
2.302(b)-(d). Participants filing adjudicatory documents in this manner
are responsible for serving their documents on all other participants.
Participants granted an exemption under 10 CFR 2.302(g)(2) must still
meet the electronic formatting requirement in 10 CFR 2.302(g)(1),
unless the participant also seeks and is granted an exemption from 10
CFR 2.302(g)(1).
Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in the
NRC's electronic hearing docket, which is publicly available at https://adams.nrc.gov/ehd gov/ehd, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the
presiding officer. If you do not have an NRC-issued digital ID
certificate as previously described, click ``cancel'' when the link
requests certificates and you will be automatically directed to the
NRC's electronic hearing dockets where you will be able to access any
publicly available documents in a particular hearing docket.
Participants are requested not to include personal privacy information
such as social security numbers, home addresses, or personal phone
numbers in their filings unless an NRC regulation or other law requires
submission of such information. With respect to copyrighted works,
except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the adjudicatory
filings and would constitute a Fair Use application, participants
should not include copyrighted materials in their submission.
Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-
Safeguards Information for Contention Preparation
A. This Order contains instructions regarding how potential parties
to this proceeding may request access to documents containing Sensitive
Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI).
B. Within 10 days after publication of this notice of hearing or
opportunity for hearing, any potential party who believes access to
SUNSI is necessary to respond to this notice may request access to
SUNSI. A ``potential party'' is any person who intends to participate
as a party by demonstrating standing and filing an admissible
contention under 10 CFR 2.309. Requests for access to SUNSI submitted
later than 10 days after publication of this notice will not be
considered absent a showing of good cause for the late filing,
addressing why the request could not have been filed earlier.
C. The requestor shall submit a letter requesting permission to
access SUNSI to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff, and provide a copy to the Deputy General Counsel
for Licensing, Hearings, and Enforcement, Office of the General
Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
The expedited delivery or courier mail address for both offices is:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland 20852. The email addresses for the Office of the Secretary and
the Office of the General Counsel are [email protected] and
[email protected], respectively.\1\ The request must
include the following information:
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\1\ While a request for hearing or petition to intervene in this
proceeding must comply with the filing requirements of the NRC's
``E-Filing Rule,'' the initial request to access SUNSI under these
procedures should be submitted as described in this paragraph.
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(1) A description of the licensing action with a citation to this
Federal Register notice;
(2) The name and address of the potential party and a description
of the potential party's particularized interest that could be harmed
by the action identified in C.(1); and
(3) The identity of the individual or entity requesting access to
SUNSI and the requestor's basis for the need for the information in
order to meaningfully participate in this adjudicatory proceeding. In
particular, the request must explain why publicly available versions of
the information requested would not be sufficient to provide the basis
and specificity for a proffered contention.
D. Based on an evaluation of the information submitted under
paragraph C, the NRC staff will determine within 10 days of receipt of
the request whether:
(1) There is a reasonable basis to believe the petitioner is likely
to establish standing to participate in this NRC proceeding; and
(2) The requestor has established a legitimate need for access to
SUNSI.
E. If the NRC staff determines that the requestor satisfies both
D.(1) and D.(2), the NRC staff will notify the requestor in writing
that access to SUNSI has been granted. The written notification will
contain instructions on how the requestor may obtain copies of the
requested documents, and any other conditions that may apply to access
to those documents. These conditions may include, but are not limited
to, the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement or Affidavit, or
Protective Order \2\ setting forth terms and conditions to prevent the
unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure of SUNSI by each individual who
will be granted access to SUNSI.
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\2\ Any motion for Protective Order or draft Non-Disclosure
Affidavit or Agreement for SUNSI must be filed with the presiding
officer or the Chief Administrative Judge if the presiding officer
has not yet been designated, within 30 days of the deadline for the
receipt of the written access request.
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F. Filing of Contentions. Any contentions in these proceedings that
are based upon the information received as a result of the request made
for SUNSI must be filed by the requestor no later than 25 days after
receipt of (or access to) that information. However, if more than 25
days remain between the petitioner's receipt of (or access to) the
information and the deadline for filing all other contentions (as
established in the notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing), the
petitioner may file its SUNSI contentions by that later deadline.
G. Review of Denials of Access.
(1) If the request for access to SUNSI is denied by the NRC staff
after a determination on standing and requisite need, the NRC staff
shall immediately notify the requestor in writing, briefly stating the
reason or reasons for the denial.
(2) The requestor may challenge the NRC staff's adverse
determination by filing a challenge within 5 days of receipt of that
determination with: (a) the presiding officer designated in this
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proceeding; (b) if no presiding officer has been appointed, the Chief
Administrative Judge, or if this individual is unavailable, another
administrative judge, or an Administrative Law Judge with jurisdiction
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.318(a); or (c) if another officer has been
designated to rule on information access issues, with that officer.
(3) Further appeals of decisions under this paragraph must be made
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.311.
H. Review of Grants of Access. A party other than the requestor may
challenge an NRC staff determination granting access to SUNSI whose
release would harm that party's interest independent of the proceeding.
Such a challenge must be filed within 5 days of the notification by the
NRC staff of its grant of access and must be filed with: (a) the
presiding officer designated in this proceeding; (b) if no presiding
officer has been appointed, the Chief Administrative Judge, or if this
individual is unavailable, another administrative judge, or an
Administrative Law Judge with jurisdiction pursuant to 10 CFR 2.318(a);
or (c) if another officer has been designated to rule on information
access issues, with that officer.
If challenges to the NRC staff determinations are filed, these
procedures give way to the normal process for litigating disputes
concerning access to information. The availability of interlocutory
review by the Commission of orders ruling on such NRC staff
determinations (whether granting or denying access) is governed by 10
CFR 2.311.\3\
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\3\ Requestors should note that the filing requirements of the
NRC's E-Filing Rule (72 FR 49139; August 28, 2007, as amended at 77
FR 46562; August 3, 2012, 78 FR 34247, June 7, 2013) apply to
appeals of NRC staff determinations (because they must be served on
a presiding officer or the Commission, as applicable), but not to
the initial SUNSI request submitted to the NRC staff under these
procedures.
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I. The Commission expects that the NRC staff and presiding officers
(and any other reviewing officers) will consider and resolve requests
for access to SUNSI, and motions for protective orders, in a timely
fashion in order to minimize any unnecessary delays in identifying
those petitioners who have standing and who have propounded contentions
meeting the specificity and basis requirements in 10 CFR part 2. The
attachment to this Order summarizes the general target schedule for
processing and resolving requests under these procedures.
It is so ordered.
Dated: November 17, 2023.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carrie M. Safford,
Secretary of the Commission.
ATTACHMENT 1--General Target Schedule for Processing and Resolving
Requests for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards
Information in This Proceeding
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Day Event/Activity
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0............................ Publication of Federal Register notice of
hearing or opportunity for hearing,
including order with instructions for
access requests.
10........................... Deadline for submitting requests for
access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-
Safeguards Information (SUNSI) with
information: supporting the standing of
a potential party identified by name and
address; describing the need for the
information in order for the potential
party to participate meaningfully in an
adjudicatory proceeding.
60........................... Deadline for submitting petition for
intervention containing: (i)
demonstration of standing; and (ii) all
contentions whose formulation does not
require access to SUNSI (+25 Answers to
petition for intervention; +7 petitioner/
requestor reply).
20........................... U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
staff informs the requestor of the
staff's determination whether the
request for access provides a reasonable
basis to believe standing can be
established and shows need for SUNSI.
(NRC staff also informs any party to the
proceeding whose interest independent of
the proceeding would be harmed by the
release of the information.) If NRC
staff makes the finding of need for
SUNSI and likelihood of standing, NRC
staff begins document processing
(preparation of redactions or review of
redacted documents).
25........................... If NRC staff finds no ``need'' or no
likelihood of standing, the deadline for
petitioner/requestor to file a motion
seeking a ruling to reverse the NRC
staff's denial of access; NRC staff
files copy of access determination with
the presiding officer (or Chief
Administrative Judge or other designated
officer, as appropriate). If NRC staff
finds ``need'' for SUNSI, the deadline
for any party to the proceeding whose
interest independent of the proceeding
would be harmed by the release of the
information to file a motion seeking a
ruling to reverse the NRC staff's grant
of access.
30........................... Deadline for NRC staff reply to motions
to reverse NRC staff determination(s).
40........................... (Receipt +30) If NRC staff finds standing
and need for SUNSI, deadline for NRC
staff to complete information processing
and file motion for Protective Order and
draft Non-Disclosure Agreement or
Affidavit. Deadline for applicant/
licensee to file Non-Disclosure
Agreement or Affidavit for SUNSI.
A............................ If access granted: issuance of presiding
officer or other designated officer
decision on motion for protective order
for access to sensitive information
(including schedule for providing access
and submission of contentions) or
decision reversing a final adverse
determination by the NRC staff.
A + 3........................ Deadline for filing executed Non-
Disclosure Agreements or Affidavits.
Access provided to SUNSI consistent with
decision issuing the protective order.
A + 28....................... Deadline for submission of contentions
whose development depends upon access to
SUNSI. However, if more than 25 days
remain between the petitioner's receipt
of (or access to) the information and
the deadline for filing all other
contentions (as established in the
notice of hearing or notice of
opportunity for hearing), the petitioner
may file its SUNSI contentions by that
later deadline.
A + 53....................... (Contention receipt +25) Answers to
contentions whose development depends
upon access to SUNSI.
A + 60....................... (Answer receipt +7) Petitioner/Intervenor
reply to answers.
>A + 60...................... Decision on contention admission.
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[FR Doc. 2023-25818 Filed 11-21-23; 8:45 am]
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