[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 38 (Thursday, February 27, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10799-10801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-03146]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 38 / Thursday, February 27, 2025 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 10799]]
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Part 72
[NRC-2024-0200]
RIN 3150-AL23
List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC Multi-Purpose
Canister (NAC-MPC) System, Certificate of Compliance No. 1025,
Amendment No. 9, and Revision to Amendment Nos. 6, 7, and 8
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to
amend its spent fuel regulations by revising the NAC Multi-Purpose
Canister (NAC-MPC) System listing within the ``List of approved spent
fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 9 and revise Amendment
Nos. 6, 7, and 8 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1025. Amendment
No. 9 and the revisions to Amendment Nos. 6, 7, and 8 amend the
description of the vertical concrete cask (VCC) in the CoC and
technical specifications to make a distinction between the VCC body and
the VCC lid, in terms of applicability of the American Concrete
Institute (ACI) Specifications ACI 349 and ACI 318.
DATES: Submit comments by March 31, 2025. 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.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID NRC-2024-0200,
at https://www.regulations.gov. If your material cannot be submitted
using https://www.regulations.gov, call or email the individuals listed
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for
alternate instructions.
You can read a plain language description of this proposed rule at
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NRC-2024-0200. 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: Kristina Banovac, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards; telephone: 301-415-7116, email:
[email protected] or Amy McKenna, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards, email: [email protected]. Both are staff of
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
II. Rulemaking Procedure
III. Background
IV. Plain Writing
V. Availability of Documents
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
A. Obtaining Information
Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2024-0200 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-2024-0200. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Helen Chang, telephone: 301-415-3407,
email: [email protected]. For technical questions contact the
individuals 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]. For the convenience of the reader,
instructions about obtaining materials referenced in this document are
provided in the ``Availability of Documents'' section.
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, 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-2024-0200 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. Rulemaking Procedure
Because the NRC considers this action to be non-controversial, the
NRC is publishing this proposed rule concurrently with a direct final
rule in the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal
Register. The direct final rule will become effective on May 13, 2025.
However, if the NRC receives any significant adverse comment by March
31, 2025, then the NRC will publish a document that withdraws the
direct final rule. If the direct final rule is withdrawn, the NRC will
address the comments in a subsequent final rule. In general, absent
significant modifications to the proposed revisions requiring
republication, the NRC will not initiate a second comment period on
this action
[[Page 10800]]
in the event the direct final rule is withdrawn.
A significant adverse comment is a comment where the commenter
explains why the rule would be inappropriate, including challenges to
the rule's underlying premise or approach, or would be ineffective or
unacceptable without a change. A comment is adverse and significant if:
(1) The comment opposes the rule and provides a reason sufficient
to require a substantive response in a notice-and-comment process. For
example, a substantive response is required when:
(a) The comment causes the NRC to reevaluate (or reconsider) its
position or conduct additional analysis;
(b) The comment raises an issue serious enough to warrant a
substantive response to clarify or complete the record; or
(c) The comment raises a relevant issue that was not previously
addressed or considered by the NRC.
(2) The comment proposes a change or an addition to the rule, and
it is apparent that the rule would be ineffective or unacceptable
without incorporation of the change or addition.
(3) The comment causes the NRC to make a change (other than
editorial) to the rule.
For a more detailed discussion of the proposed rule changes and
associated analyses, see the direct final rule published in the Rules
and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register.
III. Background
Section 218(a) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended,
requires that ``[t]he Secretary [of the Department of Energy] shall
establish a demonstration program, in cooperation with the private
sector, for the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel at civilian nuclear
power reactor sites, with the objective of establishing one or more
technologies that the [Nuclear Regulatory] Commission may, by rule,
approve for use at the sites of civilian nuclear power reactors
without, to the maximum extent practicable, the need for additional
site-specific approvals by the Commission.'' Section 133 of the Nuclear
Waste Policy Act states, in part, that ``[t]he Commission shall, by
rule, establish procedures for the licensing of any technology approved
by the Commission under Section 219(a) [sic: 218(a)] for use at the
site of any civilian nuclear power reactor.''
To implement this mandate, the Commission approved dry storage of
spent nuclear fuel in NRC-approved casks under a general license by
publishing a final rule that added a new subpart K in part 72 of title
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) entitled ``General
License for Storage of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor Sites'' (55 FR
29181; July 18, 1990). This rule also established a new subpart L in 10
CFR part 72 entitled ``Approval of Spent Fuel Storage Casks,'' which
contains procedures and criteria for obtaining NRC approval of spent
fuel storage cask designs. The NRC subsequently issued a final rule on
March 9, 2000 (65 FR 12444) that approved the NAC-MPC system design and
added it to the list of NRC-approved cask designs in Sec. 72.214 as
CoC No. 1025.
IV. Plain Writing
The Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-274) requires Federal
agencies to write documents in a clear, concise, and well-organized
manner. The NRC has written this document to be consistent with the
Plain Writing Act as well as the Presidential Memorandum, ``Plain
Language in Government Writing,'' published June 10, 1998 (63 FR
31885). The NRC requests comment on the proposed rule with respect to
clarity and effectiveness of the language used.
V. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the following table are available to
interested persons as indicated.
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ADAMS accession No./web link/
Document Federal Register citation
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NAC-MPC System, Certificate of Compliance No. 1025, Amendment No. 9 and
Revision to Amendment Nos. 6, 7, and 8
Request Documents
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Submission of an Amendment Request ML23250A056
for the NAC International MPC Cask
System Amendment No. 9.
NAC International, Supplement to the ML24040A027
Submission of an Amendment Request
for the NAC International MPC
Amendment No. 9 (Package).
Submission of Responses to the NRC's ML24135A322
Request for Additional Information
(RAI) to the Amendment Request for
the NAC International MPC (Package).
Supplement to Application for NAC- ML24193A110
MPC, Certificate of Compliance No.
1025, Amendment No. 9 and Revisions
to Amendment Nos. 6, 7, and 8
(Package).
8-27-2024 Email--Supplement to ML24240A133
Application for NAC-MPC Certificate
of Compliance No. 1025, Amendment
No. 9 and Revisions to Amendment
Nos. 6, 7, and 8.
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Proposed Certificate of Compliance and Technical Specifications
Documents
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User Need Memo for Amendment No. 9, ML24242A047
and Revision to Amendment Nos. 6, 7,
and 8, of the Renewed Certificate of
Compliance No. 1025 for the NAC
Multi-Purpose Canister System.
Proposed Renewed CoC No. 1025, Amd 6, ML24242A048
Rev. 1.
Proposed Renewed CoC No. 1025 Amd 6, ML24242A049
Rev 1, Appendix A and Appendix B.
Proposed Renewed CoC No. 1025, Amd 7, ML24242A050
Rev 1.
Proposed Renewed CoC No. 1025, Amd 7, ML24242A051
Rev 1, Appendix A and Appendix B.
Proposed Renewed CoC No. 1025, Amd 8, ML24242A052
Rev 1.
Proposed Renewed CoC No. 1025, Amd 8, ML24242A053
Rev 1, Appendix A and Appendix B.
Proposed Renewed CoC No. 1025, Amd 9. ML24242A054
Proposed Renewed CoC No. 1025, Amd 9, ML24242A055
Appendix A and Appendix B.
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Preliminary Safety Evaluation Report
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Preliminary Safety Evaluation Report ML24242A056
for CoC No. 1025, Amd. 9 and
Revisions to Amds. 6, 7, and 8.
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Other Documents
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Final Rule, ``Storage of Spent Fuel 55 FR 29181
in NRC-Approved Storage Casks at
Power Reactor Sites,'' published
July 18, 1990.
[[Page 10801]]
Presidential Memorandum, ``Plain 63 FR 31885
Language in Government Writing,''
published June 10, 1998.
Revision to Policy Statement, 82 FR 48535
``Agreement State Program Policy
Statement; Correction,'' published
October 18, 2017.
Final Rule, ``List of Approved Spent 65 FR 12444
Fuel Storage Casks: NAC-MPC
Addition,'' published March 9, 2000.
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The NRC may post materials related to this document, including
public comments, on the Federal rulemaking website at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2024-0200. In addition, the
Federal rulemaking website allows members of the public to receive
alerts when changes or additions occur in a docket folder. To
subscribe: (1) navigate to the docket folder (NRC-2024-0200); (2) click
the ``Subscribe'' link; and (3) enter an email address and click on the
``Subscribe'' link.
Dated: February 12, 2025.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Mirela Gavrilas,
Executive Director for Operations.
[FR Doc. 2025-03146 Filed 2-26-25; 8:45 am]
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