[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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