[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63988-63989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17312]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2023-0113]
NUREG: Environmental Evaluation of Accident Tolerant Fuels With
Increased Enrichment and Higher Burnup Levels
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Final report; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing NUREG-
2266, ``Environmental Evaluation of Accident Tolerant Fuels with
Increased Enrichment and Higher Burnup Levels.'' This study evaluates
the reasonably foreseeable impacts of near-term accident tolerant fuel
(ATF) technologies with increased enrichment and higher burnup levels
for light-water reactors (LWRs) (i.e., a bounding analysis). The final
NUREG was revised based on public comments to reflect a bounding
analysis of up to 10 wt% U-235 enrichment for the uranium fuel cycle
and decommissioning to, among other things, add transportation impacts
for half-batch reloads, and to provide clarification on the use of
NUREG-2266 if exceeding 10 wt% U-235 for uranium fuel cycle and
decommissioning, exceeding 8 wt% U-235 enrichment for the
transportation of fuel and waste, or exceeding assembly averaged burnup
levels of 80 GWd/MTU.
DATES: NUREG-2266 is available on August 6, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2023-0113 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-2023-0113. Address
questions about Docket IDs 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]. NUREG-2266, ``Environmental
Evaluation of Accident Tolerant Fuels with Increased Enrichment and
Higher Burnup Levels'' is available in ADAMS under Accession No.
ML24207A210.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald Palmrose, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3803; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Discussion
To support efficient and effective licensing reviews of new ATFs
and to reduce the need for a complex site-specific environmental review
for each ATF license amendment request, this study evaluated the likely
impacts of near-term ATF technologies with increased enrichment and
higher burnup levels on the uranium fuel cycle, transportation of fuel
and waste, and decommissioning for LWRs (i.e., a bounding analysis).
Near-term first-generation ATF technologies are coated cladding and
doped pellets; a second-generation ATF technology is iron-chrome-
aluminum (FeCrAl) cladding. Long-term ATF technologies are not a part
of this study. The NRC staff evaluated the impact of increased
enrichment and higher burnup levels by assessing and applying NRC-
sponsored ATF technology reports, prior environmental reviews,
transportation studies, and new or updated data sources to determine
the bounding (generic) environmental impacts of deploying ATF
technologies with increased enrichment and higher burnup levels in
LWRs.
Based on findings in this study, the NRC staff concludes, with
regard to near-term first- or second-generation ATF technologies (i.e.,
coated cladding, doping, and FeCrAl cladding), the environmental
effects associated with deploying and using ATF would be bounded by the
NRC staff's prior analyses. With regard to the uranium fuel cycle and
decommissioning, Table S-3, paragraph 51.51(b) of title 10 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), NUREG-2157, ``Generic Environmental
Impact Statement for Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel,'' and
NUREG-0586, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning
of Nuclear Facilities, Supplement 1'' bound enrichments up to 10 wt% U-
235 enrichment and assembly averaged burnup up to 80 GWd/MTU. For the
transportation of ATF with increased enrichment and higher burnup
levels, environmental impacts of Table S-4 of 10 CFR 51.52(c) are
bounding for environmental impacts up to 8 wt% U-235 and assembly
averaged burnup up to 80 GWd/MTU. Additionally, if in a future
licensing action where the enrichment and burnup levels are greater
than the previously mentioned values, an applicant can apply the
methodology and guidance of NUREG-2266 for completing the needed
revised analysis for the higher enrichment and burnup levels.
The NRC staff continues to prepare to review license applications
related to ATF technologies and fuel with increased enrichment and
higher burnup levels. Once such licensing applications are submitted
after the final publication of NUREG-2266, the NRC staff will, as
appropriate, evaluate new industry developments and other subsequent
ATF activities using this NUREG as the environmental baseline for
considering further refinements of the ATF environmental evaluation
that those licensing actions may require.
II. Additional Information
The NRC published a notice in the Federal Register on September 1,
2023, (88 FR 60507) requesting public comment on draft NUREG-2266,
``Environmental Evaluation of Accident Tolerant Fuels with Increased
Enrichment and Higher Burnup Levels.''
[[Page 63989]]
The comment period closed on October 31, 2023. Two members of the
public and two organizations provided comments on the draft NUREG-2266.
Appendix F of the final NUREG-2266 presents the comments received on
the draft NUREG-2266, with responses to the comments and indicates
whether and where the final NUREG-2266 was revised as a result of a
comment. Other text revisions were made for additional clarity. All
changes based on public comments are noted with an associated margin
mark.
III. Congressional Review Act
This NUREG-2266, ``Environmental Evaluation of Accident Tolerant
Fuels with Increased Enrichment and Higher Burnup Levels,'' 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.
IV. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality
The NRC's issuance and use of this report does not constitute
backfitting as that term is defined in 10 CFR 50.109, 70.76, and 72.62,
``Backfitting,'' and as described in NRC Management Directive (MD) 8.4,
``Management of Backfitting, Forward Fitting, Issue Finality, and
Information Requests''; does not affect the issue finality of an
approval under 10 CFR part 52, ``Licenses, Certifications, and
Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants'' and does not constitute forward
fitting as that term is defined and described in MD 8.4.
Dated: July 31, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Christopher M. Regan,
Director, Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety, and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2024-17312 Filed 8-5-24; 8:45 am]
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