80 FR 69702 - Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 217 (November 10, 2015)
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 217 (November 10, 2015)
| Page Range | 69702-69705 | |
| FR Document | 2015-28593 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 217 (Tuesday, November 10, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 69702-69705] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-28593] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0068] Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Draft interim staff guidance; request for comment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting public comment on its draft Japan Lessons-Learned Division Interim Staff Guidance (JLD-ISG), JLD-ISG-2012-01, Draft Revision 1, ``Compliance with Order EA-12-049, Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Requirements for Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events.'' This draft JLD-ISG revision provides guidance and clarification to assist nuclear power reactors applicants and licensees with the identification of measures needed to comply with requirements to mitigate challenges to key safety functions. DATES: Submit comments by December 10, 2015. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments received before this date. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods (unless this document describes a different method for submitting comments on a specific subject):Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0068. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415- 3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: OWFN-12-H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. [[Page 69703]] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Bowman, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555- 0001; telephone: 301-415-2963; email: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2012-0068 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 Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0068. NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and then 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 documents identified in the following table are available to interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as indicated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Document title Abbreviated title ADAMS Accession No. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ JLD-ISG-2012-01, ``Compliance JLD-ISG-2012-01, ML15294A078 with Order EA-12-049, Order Draft Revision 1. Modifying Licenses with Regard to Requirements for Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events,'' Draft Revision 1. See Previous Entry............ JLD-ISG-2012-01, ML12229A174 for JLD-ISG-2012-01........... Revision 0. Order EA-12-049, ``Order Order EA-12-049.. ML12054A736 Modifying Licenses with Regard to Requirements for Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events''. V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, n/a.............. ML14100A092 Unit 2 License, License No. NPF-93. V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, n/a.............. ML14100A101 Unit 3 License, License No. NPF-94. Enrico Fermi Nuclear Plant, n/a.............. ML15084A170 Unit 3 License, License No. NPF--95. SECY-11-0093, ``Near-Term SECY-11-0093..... ML11186A950 Report and Recommendations for Agency Actions Following the Events in Japan''. SECY-11-0124, ``Recommended SECY-11-0124..... ML11245A158 Actions to be Taken without Delay from the Near-Term Task Force Report''. SECY-11-0137, ``Prioritization SECY-11-0137..... ML11272A111 of Recommended Actions to be Taken in Response to Fukushima Lessons Learned''. Commission's staff SRM-SECY-11-0093. ML112310021 requirements memorandum (SRM) for SECY[dash]11[dash]0093. SRM for SECY-11-0124 (see SRM-SECY-110124.. ML112911571 entry to SECY-11-0124 for full title). SRM for SECY-11-0137 (see SRM-SECY-11-0137. ML113490055 entry to SECY-11-0124 for full title). Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) n/a.............. ML11353A008 Letter Titled, ``An Integrated, Safety-Focused Approach to Expediting Implementation of Fukushima Daiichi Lessons Learned''. SECY-12-0025, ``Proposed SECY-12-0025..... ML12039A103 Orders and Requests for Information in Response to Lessons Learned from Japan's March 11, 2011, Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami''. SRM for SECY-12-0025 (see SRM-SECY-12-0025. ML120690347 entry for SECY-12-0025 for full title). Request for Information 50.54(f) Letter.. ML12053A340 Pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.54(f) Regarding Recommendations 2.1, 2.3, and 9.3, of the Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident. NEI 12-06, ``Diverse and NEI 12-06, ML12144A419 Flexible Coping Strategies Revision B. (FLEX) Implementation Guide,'' Revision B. NEI 12-06, Revision B1 (See NEI 12-06, ML12143A232 Previous Entry for NEI 12-06). Revision B1. ``NRC Response to Public n/a.............. ML12229A253 Comments, JLD-ISG-2012-01 (Docket ID NRC-2012-0068)''. NEI 12-06, Revision C (See NEI 12-06, ML121910390 Previous Entry for NEI 12-06). Revision C. NEI 12-06, Draft Revision 0 NEI 12-06, Draft ML12221A204 (See Previous Entry for NEI Revision 0. 12-06). See Previous Entry for JLD-ISG- JLD-ISG-2012-01, ML12146A014 2012-01. Draft Revision 0. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power n/a.............. ML13064A300 Station's Overall Integrate Plan. COMSECY-14-0037, ``Integration COMSECY-14-0037.. ML14238A616 of Mitigating Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events and the Reevaluation (sic) of Flooding Hazards''. SRM-COMSECY-14-0037........... SRM-COMSECY-14-00 ML15089A236 37. NEI 12-06, Revision 1 (See NEI 12-06, ML15244B006 Previous Entry for NEI 12-06). Revision 1. NEI 12-06, Revision 1A (See NEI 12-06, ML15279A425 Previous Entry for NEI 12-06). Revision 1A. NUREG-2161, ``Consequence NUREG-2161....... ML14255A365 Study of a Beyond-Design- Basis Earthquake Affecting the Spent Fuel Pool for a U.S. Mark I Boiling Water Reactor''. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The NRC may post materials related to this document, including public comments, on the Federal rulemaking Web site at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2012-0068. The Federal rulemaking Web site allows you to receive alerts when changes or additions occur in a docket folder. To subscribe: 1) Navigate to the docket folder (NRC-2012-0068 ); 2) click the ``Sign up for Email Alerts'' link; and 3) enter your email address and select how frequently you would like to receive emails (daily, weekly, or monthly). NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. B. Submitting Comments Please include Docket ID NRC-2012-0068 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 posts all comment submissions at http://www.regulations.gov as well as entering [[Page 69704]] 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 submissions into ADAMS. II. Background The NRC staff issued JLD-ISG-2012-01 Revision 0 on August 29, 2012. The NRC staff developed JLD-ISG-2012-01 Draft Revision 1 to provide further guidance and clarification to assist nuclear power reactor applicants and licensees with the identification of measures needed to comply with requirements to mitigate challenges to key safety functions. These requirements are contained in Order EA-12-049. In addition, these requirements are included in the following license conditions: Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 2 License (V.C. Summer), License No. NPF-93, Condition 2.D.(13), V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 3 License, License No. NPF-94, Condition 2.D.(13), and Enrico Fermi Nuclear Plant, Unit 3 License, License No. NPF-95, Condition 2.D.(12)(g). The draft ISG is not a substitute for the requirements in Order EA-12-049, and compliance with the ISG is not required. This ISG revision is being issued in draft form for public comment to involve the public in development of the implementation guidance. Following the events at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant on March 11, 2011, the NRC established a senior-level agency task force referred to as the Near-Term Task Force (NTTF). The NTTF was tasked with conducting a systematic and methodical review of the NRC regulations and processes, and determining if the agency should make additional improvements to these programs in light of the events at Fukushima Dai-ichi. As a result of this review, the NTTF developed a comprehensive set of recommendations, documented in SECY-11-0093, dated July 12, 2011. These recommendations were enhanced by the NRC staff following interactions with stakeholders. Documentation of the staff's efforts is contained in SECY-11-0124, dated September 9, 2011, and SECY-11-0137, dated October 3, 2011. As directed by the Commission's SRM for SECY-11-0093, the NRC staff reviewed the NTTF recommendations within the context of the NRC's existing regulatory framework and considered the various regulatory vehicles available to the NRC to implement the recommendations. SECY- 11-0124 and SECY-11-0137 established the staff's prioritization of the recommendations. After receiving the Commission's direction in SRM-SECY-11-0124 and SRM-SECY-11-0137, the NRC staff conducted public meetings to discuss enhanced mitigation strategies intended to maintain or restore core cooling, containment, and spent fuel pool (SFP) cooling capabilities following beyond-design-basis external events. At these meetings, the industry described its proposal for a Diverse and Flexible Mitigation Capability (FLEX), as documented in NEI's letter, dated December 16, 2011. FLEX is proposed as a strategy to fulfill the key safety functions of core cooling, containment integrity, and spent fuel cooling. Stakeholder input influenced the staff to pursue a more performance-based approach to improve the safety of operating power reactors than was originally envisioned in NTTF Recommendation 4.2, SECY-11-0124, and SECY-11-0137. On February 17, 2012, the NRC staff provided SECY-12-0025 to the Commission, including the proposed order to implement the enhanced mitigation strategies. As directed by SRM-SECY-12-0025, the NRC staff issued Order EA-12-049 and, in parallel, issued as a Request for Information under 10 CFR 50.54(f) for a reevaluation of licensees' flooding and seismic hazards. Guidance and strategies required by the order would be available if the loss of power, motive force and normal access to the ultimate heat sink to prevent fuel damage in the reactor, and SFP affected all units at a site simultaneously. The order requires a three-phase approach for mitigating beyond-design-basis external events. The initial phase requires the use of installed equipment and resources to maintain or restore core cooling, containment, and SFP cooling. The transition phase requires providing sufficient, portable, onsite equipment and consumables to maintain or restore these functions until they can be accomplished with resources brought from off site. The final phase requires obtaining sufficient offsite resources to sustain those functions indefinitely. On May 4, 2012, NEI submitted document 12-06, Revision B, and on May 13, 2012, Revision B1, to provide specifications for an industry- developed methodology for the development, implementation, and maintenance of guidance and strategies in response to the mitigating strategies order. The strategies and guidance described in NEI 12-06 expand on the strategies the industry developed and implemented to address the limited set of beyond-design-basis external events that involve the loss of a large area of the plant due to explosions and fire required pursuant to paragraph (hh)(2) of 10 CFR 50.54(f), ``Conditions of licenses.'' On May 31, 2012, the NRC staff issued a draft version of JLD-ISG- 2012-01, Revision 0, and published a notice of its availability for public comment in the Federal Register (FR) (77 FR 33779; June 7, 2012), with the comment period running through July 7, 2012, 30 days from its publication. The staff received seven comments during this time, addressing the comments, as documented in ``NRC Response to Public Comments, JLD-ISG-2012-01 (Docket ID NRC-2012-0068).'' On July 3, 2012, NEI submitted Revision C to NEI 12-06, incorporating many of the exceptions and clarifications included in the draft version of this ISG. On August 3, 2012, NEI submitted Draft Revision 0 to NEI 12-06, incorporating many of the remaining exceptions and clarifications. On August 21, 2012, NEI submitted Revision 0 to NEI 12-06, making various editorial corrections. The NRC reviewed the August 21, 2012, submittal of Revision 0 of NEI 12-06 and endorsed it as a process the NRC considers acceptable for meeting the regulatory requirements with noted clarifications in revision 0 of JLD-ISG-2012- 01. By February 2013, licensees of operating power reactors submitted their overall integrated plans (OIPs) under the Mitigating Strategies order describing the guidance and strategies to be developed and implemented. Because this development and implementation was to be accomplished in parallel with the reevaluation of the seismic and flooding hazards under the 10 CFR 50.54(f) letter issued subsequent to SECY-12-0025, these included in their key assumptions a statement that typically read, ``[f]lood and seismic re-evaluations pursuant to the 10 CFR 50.54(f) letter of March 12, 2012, are not completed and therefore not assumed in this submittal. As the reevaluations are completed, appropriate issues will be entered into the corrective action system and addressed on a schedule commensurate with other licensing [[Page 69705]] bases changes.'' (See, e.g., Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station's OIP) In order to clarify the relationship between the Mitigating Strategies order and the hazard reevaluation, the NRC staff provided COMSECY-14-0037 to the Commission on November 21, 2014, requesting that the Commission affirm that ``[l]icensees for operating nuclear power plants need to address the reevaluated flooding hazards within their mitigating strategies for beyond-design-basis external events (Order EA-12-049 and related [Mitigation of Beyond-Design-Basis Events] MBDBE rulemaking).'' COMSECY-14-0037 further requested affirmation that ``[l]icensees for operating nuclear power plants may need to address some specific flooding scenarios that could significantly damage the power plant site by developing targeted or scenario-specific mitigating strategies, possibly including unconventional measures, to prevent fuel damage in reactor cores or spent fuel pools.'' In SRM-COMSECY-14-0037, the Commission affirmed these two items and noted that ``it is within the staff's authority, and is the staff's responsibility, to determine, on a plant-specific basis, whether targeted or scenario-specific mitigating strategies, possibly including unconventional measures, are acceptable.'' On August 25, 2015, NEI submitted Revision 1 to NEI 12-06, incorporating lessons learned in the implementation of Order EA-12-049 and alternative approaches taken by licensees for compliance to that order. Following a public webinar discussion of potential exceptions and clarifications that took place on September 21, 2015, NEI submitted Revision 1A to NEI 12-06 on October 5, 2015. III. Specific Request for Comment The NRC is seeking advice and recommendations from the public on the revision to this interim staff guidance document. We are particularly interested in comments and supporting rationale from the public on the following: Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) Spray strategy: Order EA-12-049 was issued in parallel with the March 12, 2012, request for information under 10 CFR 50.54(f) for reevaluation of seismic and flooding hazards. The order and the guidance developed to support the development and implementation of the mitigating strategies were intended to address the uncertainties associated with beyond-design-basis external events. Since March 12, 2012, the NRC has completed NUREG-2161, ``Consequence Study of a Beyond-Design-Basis Earthquake Affecting the Spent Fuel Pool for a U.S. Mark I Boiling Water Reactor,'' which predicted an SFP liner failure likelihood of about two times in a million years and a possibility of release of radioactive materials only if that liner failure occurs during 8 percent of the operating cycle of the reference plant considered in the study. The results of the study showed that the risk of individual latent cancer fatality within 10 miles of the reference plant due to the effects of a beyond-design-basis earthquake on the SFP is several orders of magnitude below the quantitative health objectives established in the Commission's safety goal policy, ``Safety Goals for the Operations of Nuclear Power Plants,'' 51 FR 28044, August 4, 1986, as corrected and republished at 51 FR 30028, August 21, 1986. These results did not quantitatively credit the existing SFP spray strategy under 10 CFR 50.54(hh)(2), which would be necessary for conformance with the guidance contained in this revision to JLD-ISG- 2012-01 through its endorsement of NEI 12-06, Revision 1A, at Tables C- 3 and D-3 for boiling-water reactors and pressurized-water reactors, respectively. The NRC seeks comment on whether continuing to require the SFP spray strategy under Order EA-12-049 is warranted in light of the analyses performed for NUREG-2161, or whether the need for this strategy should be limited or removed. Proposed Action By this action, the NRC is requesting public comments on JLD-ISG- 2012-01 Draft Revision 1. This draft JLD-ISG proposes guidance related to requirements contained in Order EA-12-049, Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events. The NRC staff will make a final determination regarding issuance of the JLD-ISG after it considers any public comments received in response to this request. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of November, 2015. For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Stewart N. Bailey, Acting Director, Japan Lessons-Learned Division, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 2015-28593 Filed 11-9-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
![69702 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 217 / Tuesday, November 10, 2015 / Notices
FY 2014–2018 Strategic Plan may be data collected under this collection will Respondents: Individuals or
found at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/ serve as baseline data for separate households, not-for-profit institutions,
2014/nsf14043/nsf14043.pdf. research and evaluation studies. business or other for profit, and Federal,
Since this collection will primarily be NSF-funded contract or grantee State, local or tribal government.
used for accountability and evaluation researchers and internal or external
Number of Respondents: 8,184.
purposes, including responding to evaluators in part may identify control,
queries from COVs and other scientific comparison, or treatment groups for Burden on the Public: NSF estimates
experts, a census rather than sampling NSF’s E&T portfolio using some of the that a total reporting and recordkeeping
design typically is necessary. At the descriptive data gathered through this burden of 58,449 hours will result from
individual project level funding can be collection to conduct well-designed, activities to monitor EHR STEM
adjusted based on individual project’s rigorous research and portfolio education programs. The calculation is
responses to some of the surveys. Some evaluation studies. shown in table 1.
TABLE 1—ANTICIPATED PROGRAMS THAT WILL COLLECT DATA ON PROJECT PROGRESS AND OUTCOMES ALONG WITH
THE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS AND BURDEN HOURS PER COLLECTION PER YEAR
Number of Number of Annual hour
Collection title respondents responses burden
Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) Monitoring System ................................................... 155 155 .............. 1,921
Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) and Historically Black 40 40 ................ 1,810
Colleges and Universities Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (HBCU–
RISE) Monitoring System.
Graduate STEM Fellows in K–12 Education (GK–12) Monitoring System ................................... 1,267 1,267 ........... 3,529
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT) Monitoring Sys- 3,307 3,307 ........... 12,282
tem.
Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Monitoring System ............................ 563 563 .............. 12,949
Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Bridge to the Doctorate (LSAMP–BD) Moni- 55 55 ................ 2,090
toring System.
Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce) Monitoring System ................................... 422 422 .............. 5,908
Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) Monitoring System ...................................................... 12 12 ................ 1,368
Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S–STEM) Monitoring 500 1,000 (500 6,000
System. respond-
ents × 2
responses/
yr.).
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) Moni- 277 277 .............. 6,648
toring System.
Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathe- 686 686 .............. 2,744
matics (TUES) Monitoring System.
Additional Collections not Specified ............................................................................................... 900 900 .............. 1,200
Total ........................................................................................................................................ 8,184 8,684 ........... 58,449
The total estimate for this collection ACTION: Draft interim staff guidance; ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
is 58,449 annual burden hours. The request for comment. by any of the following methods (unless
average annual reporting burden is this document describes a different
between 1.7 and 114 hours per SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory method for submitting comments on a
‘‘respondent,’’ depending on whether a Commission (NRC) is soliciting public specific subject):
respondent is a direct participant who is comment on its draft Japan Lessons- • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to
self-reporting or representing a project Learned Division Interim Staff Guidance http://www.regulations.gov and search
and reporting on behalf of many project (JLD–ISG), JLD–ISG–2012–01, Draft for Docket ID NRC–2012–0068. Address
participants. Revision 1, ‘‘Compliance with Order questions about NRC dockets to Carol
Dated: November 5, 2015. EA–12–049, Order Modifying Licenses Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463;
Suzanne H. Plimpton, with Regard to Requirements for email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design- technical questions, contact the
Foundation. Basis External Events.’’ This draft JLD– individual listed in the FOR FURTHER
ISG revision provides guidance and INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
[FR Doc. 2015–28576 Filed 11–9–15; 8:45 am]
clarification to assist nuclear power document.
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
reactors applicants and licensees with • Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey,
the identification of measures needed to Office of Administration, Mail Stop:
OWFN–12–H08, U.S. Nuclear
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY comply with requirements to mitigate
COMMISSION challenges to key safety functions. Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555–0001.
[NRC–2012–0068] DATES: Submit comments by December For additional direction on obtaining
10, 2015. Comments received after this information and submitting comments,
Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-
date will be considered if it is practical see ‘‘Obtaining Information and
Design-Basis External Events
to do so, but the Commission is able to Submitting Comments’’ in the
AGENCY:Nuclear Regulatory ensure consideration only for comments SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
Commission. received before this date. this document.
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![69704 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 217 / Tuesday, November 10, 2015 / Notices
the comment submissions into ADAMS. 0124, dated September 9, 2011, and On May 4, 2012, NEI submitted
The NRC does not routinely edit SECY–11–0137, dated October 3, 2011. document 12–06, Revision B, and on
comment submissions to remove As directed by the Commission’s SRM May 13, 2012, Revision B1, to provide
identifying or contact information. for SECY–11–0093, the NRC staff specifications for an industry-developed
If you are requesting or aggregating reviewed the NTTF recommendations methodology for the development,
comments from other persons for within the context of the NRC’s existing implementation, and maintenance of
submission to the NRC, then you should regulatory framework and considered guidance and strategies in response to
inform those persons not to include the various regulatory vehicles available the mitigating strategies order. The
identifying or contact information that to the NRC to implement the strategies and guidance described in NEI
they do not want to be publicly recommendations. SECY–11–0124 and 12–06 expand on the strategies the
disclosed in their comment submission. SECY–11–0137 established the staff’s industry developed and implemented to
Your request should state that the NRC prioritization of the recommendations. address the limited set of beyond-
does not routinely edit comment After receiving the Commission’s design-basis external events that involve
submissions to remove such information direction in SRM–SECY–11–0124 and the loss of a large area of the plant due
before making the comment SRM–SECY–11–0137, the NRC staff to explosions and fire required pursuant
submissions available to the public or conducted public meetings to discuss to paragraph (hh)(2) of 10 CFR 50.54(f),
entering the comment submissions into enhanced mitigation strategies intended ‘‘Conditions of licenses.’’
ADAMS. to maintain or restore core cooling, On May 31, 2012, the NRC staff issued
containment, and spent fuel pool (SFP) a draft version of JLD–ISG–2012–01,
II. Background
cooling capabilities following beyond- Revision 0, and published a notice of its
The NRC staff issued JLD–ISG–2012– availability for public comment in the
design-basis external events. At these
01 Revision 0 on August 29, 2012. The Federal Register (FR) (77 FR 33779;
NRC staff developed JLD–ISG–2012–01 meetings, the industry described its
proposal for a Diverse and Flexible June 7, 2012), with the comment period
Draft Revision 1 to provide further running through July 7, 2012, 30 days
guidance and clarification to assist Mitigation Capability (FLEX), as
documented in NEI’s letter, dated from its publication. The staff received
nuclear power reactor applicants and seven comments during this time,
licensees with the identification of December 16, 2011. FLEX is proposed as
a strategy to fulfill the key safety addressing the comments, as
measures needed to comply with documented in ‘‘NRC Response to
requirements to mitigate challenges to functions of core cooling, containment
Public Comments, JLD–ISG–2012–01
key safety functions. These integrity, and spent fuel cooling.
(Docket ID NRC–2012–0068).’’
requirements are contained in Order Stakeholder input influenced the staff to
On July 3, 2012, NEI submitted
EA–12–049. In addition, these pursue a more performance-based Revision C to NEI 12–06, incorporating
requirements are included in the approach to improve the safety of many of the exceptions and
following license conditions: Virgil C. operating power reactors than was clarifications included in the draft
Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 2 License originally envisioned in NTTF version of this ISG. On August 3, 2012,
(V.C. Summer), License No. NPF–93, Recommendation 4.2, SECY–11–0124, NEI submitted Draft Revision 0 to NEI
Condition 2.D.(13), V.C. Summer and SECY–11–0137. 12–06, incorporating many of the
Nuclear Station, Unit 3 License, License On February 17, 2012, the NRC staff remaining exceptions and clarifications.
No. NPF–94, Condition 2.D.(13), and provided SECY–12–0025 to the On August 21, 2012, NEI submitted
Enrico Fermi Nuclear Plant, Unit 3 Commission, including the proposed Revision 0 to NEI 12–06, making various
License, License No. NPF–95, Condition order to implement the enhanced editorial corrections. The NRC reviewed
2.D.(12)(g). The draft ISG is not a mitigation strategies. As directed by the August 21, 2012, submittal of
substitute for the requirements in Order SRM–SECY–12–0025, the NRC staff Revision 0 of NEI 12–06 and endorsed
EA–12–049, and compliance with the issued Order EA–12–049 and, in it as a process the NRC considers
ISG is not required. This ISG revision is parallel, issued as a Request for acceptable for meeting the regulatory
being issued in draft form for public Information under 10 CFR 50.54(f) for a requirements with noted clarifications
comment to involve the public in reevaluation of licensees’ flooding and in revision 0 of JLD–ISG–2012–01.
development of the implementation seismic hazards. By February 2013, licensees of
guidance. Guidance and strategies required by operating power reactors submitted
Following the events at the the order would be available if the loss their overall integrated plans (OIPs)
Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant of power, motive force and normal under the Mitigating Strategies order
on March 11, 2011, the NRC established access to the ultimate heat sink to describing the guidance and strategies to
a senior-level agency task force referred prevent fuel damage in the reactor, and be developed and implemented.
to as the Near-Term Task Force (NTTF). SFP affected all units at a site Because this development and
The NTTF was tasked with conducting simultaneously. The order requires a implementation was to be accomplished
a systematic and methodical review of three-phase approach for mitigating in parallel with the reevaluation of the
the NRC regulations and processes, and beyond-design-basis external events. seismic and flooding hazards under the
determining if the agency should make The initial phase requires the use of 10 CFR 50.54(f) letter issued subsequent
additional improvements to these installed equipment and resources to to SECY–12–0025, these included in
programs in light of the events at maintain or restore core cooling, their key assumptions a statement that
Fukushima Dai-ichi. As a result of this containment, and SFP cooling. The typically read, ‘‘[f]lood and seismic re-
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
review, the NTTF developed a transition phase requires providing evaluations pursuant to the 10 CFR
comprehensive set of recommendations, sufficient, portable, onsite equipment 50.54(f) letter of March 12, 2012, are not
documented in SECY–11–0093, dated and consumables to maintain or restore completed and therefore not assumed in
July 12, 2011. These recommendations these functions until they can be this submittal. As the reevaluations are
were enhanced by the NRC staff accomplished with resources brought completed, appropriate issues will be
following interactions with from off site. The final phase requires entered into the corrective action system
stakeholders. Documentation of the obtaining sufficient offsite resources to and addressed on a schedule
staff’s efforts is contained in SECY–11– sustain those functions indefinitely. commensurate with other licensing
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![Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 217 / Tuesday, November 10, 2015 / Notices 69705
bases changes.’’ (See, e.g., Vermont Mark I Boiling Water Reactor,’’ which NUCLEAR REGULATORY
Yankee Nuclear Power Station’s OIP) predicted an SFP liner failure likelihood COMMISSION
In order to clarify the relationship of about two times in a million years
between the Mitigating Strategies order [Docket Nos. 50–361, 50–362, and 72–41;
and a possibility of release of NRC–2015–0023]
and the hazard reevaluation, the NRC radioactive materials only if that liner
staff provided COMSECY–14–0037 to failure occurs during 8 percent of the Southern California Edison Company,
the Commission on November 21, 2014, operating cycle of the reference plant San Onofre Nuclear Generating
requesting that the Commission affirm considered in the study. The results of Station, Units 2 and 3
that ‘‘[l]icensees for operating nuclear
the study showed that the risk of AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory
power plants need to address the
individual latent cancer fatality within Commission.
reevaluated flooding hazards within
their mitigating strategies for beyond- 10 miles of the reference plant due to ACTION: Draft environmental assessment
design-basis external events (Order EA– the effects of a beyond-design-basis and finding of no significant impact;
12–049 and related [Mitigation of earthquake on the SFP is several orders request for comment.
Beyond-Design-Basis Events] MBDBE of magnitude below the quantitative
rulemaking).’’ COMSECY–14–0037 health objectives established in the SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
further requested affirmation that Commission’s safety goal policy, ‘‘Safety Commission (NRC) is issuing for public
‘‘[l]icensees for operating nuclear power Goals for the Operations of Nuclear comment a draft environmental
plants may need to address some Power Plants,’’ 51 FR 28044, August 4, assessment (EA) and finding of no
specific flooding scenarios that could 1986, as corrected and republished at 51 significant impact (FONSI) related to a
significantly damage the power plant FR 30028, August 21, 1986. These request to amend Facility Operating
site by developing targeted or scenario- License Nos. NPF–10 and NPF–15 and
results did not quantitatively credit the
specific mitigating strategies, possibly Docket No. 72–41, issued to the
existing SFP spray strategy under 10
including unconventional measures, to Southern California Edison Company
CFR 50.54(hh)(2), which would be (SCE or ‘‘the licensee’’), for operation of
prevent fuel damage in reactor cores or necessary for conformance with the
spent fuel pools.’’ In SRM–COMSECY– the San Onofre Nuclear Generating
guidance contained in this revision to Station, Units 2 and 3 (hereinafter
14–0037, the Commission affirmed JLD–ISG–2012–01 through its
these two items and noted that ‘‘it is ‘‘SONGS’’ or ‘‘the facility’’), including
endorsement of NEI 12–06, Revision 1A, the general-license Independent Spent
within the staff’s authority, and is the at Tables C–3 and D–3 for boiling-water
staff’s responsibility, to determine, on a Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), located
reactors and pressurized-water reactors, in San Diego County, California. The
plant-specific basis, whether targeted or
respectively. The NRC seeks comment requested amendment would permit
scenario-specific mitigating strategies,
possibly including unconventional on whether continuing to require the licensee security personnel to use
measures, are acceptable.’’ SFP spray strategy under Order EA–12– certain firearms and ammunition
On August 25, 2015, NEI submitted 049 is warranted in light of the analyses feeding devices not previously
Revision 1 to NEI 12–06, incorporating performed for NUREG–2161, or whether permitted, notwithstanding State, local
lessons learned in the implementation the need for this strategy should be and certain Federal firearms laws or
of Order EA–12–049 and alternative limited or removed. regulations that otherwise prohibit such
approaches taken by licensees for actions.
Proposed Action DATES: Submit comments by December
compliance to that order. Following a
public webinar discussion of potential By this action, the NRC is requesting 10, 2015. Comments received after this
exceptions and clarifications that took date will be considered if it is practical
public comments on JLD–ISG–2012–01
place on September 21, 2015, NEI to do so, but the Commission is able to
Draft Revision 1. This draft JLD–ISG
submitted Revision 1A to NEI 12–06 on ensure consideration only for comments
proposes guidance related to received before this date. Any potential
October 5, 2015. requirements contained in Order EA– party as defined in § 2.4 of title 10 of the
III. Specific Request for Comment 12–049, Mitigation Strategies for Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR),
The NRC is seeking advice and Beyond-Design-Basis External Events. who believes access to sensitive
recommendations from the public on The NRC staff will make a final unclassified non-safeguards information
the revision to this interim staff determination regarding issuance of the (SUNSI) is necessary to respond to this
guidance document. We are particularly JLD–ISG after it considers any public notice must request document access by
interested in comments and supporting comments received in response to this November 20, 2015.
rationale from the public on the request. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
following: Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day by any of the following methods (unless
Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) Spray strategy: of November, 2015. this document describes a different
Order EA–12–049 was issued in parallel method for submitting comments on a
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
with the March 12, 2012, request for specific subject):
Stewart N. Bailey,
information under 10 CFR 50.54(f) for • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to
reevaluation of seismic and flooding Acting Director, Japan Lessons-Learned http://www.regulations.gov and search
hazards. The order and the guidance Division, Office of Nuclear Reactor for Docket ID NRC–2015–0023. Address
developed to support the development Regulation. questions about NRC dockets to Carol
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
and implementation of the mitigating [FR Doc. 2015–28593 Filed 11–9–15; 8:45 am] Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463;
strategies were intended to address the BILLING CODE 7590–01–P email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For
uncertainties associated with beyond- technical questions, contact the
design-basis external events. Since individual in the FOR FURTHER
March 12, 2012, the NRC has completed INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
NUREG–2161, ‘‘Consequence Study of a document.
Beyond-Design-Basis Earthquake • Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey,
Affecting the Spent Fuel Pool for a U.S. Office of Administration, Mail Stop:
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Document Created: 2018-03-01 11:25:20
Document Modified: 2018-03-01 11:25:20
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Draft interim staff guidance; request for comment. | |
| Dates | Submit comments by December 10, 2015. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments received before this date. | |
| Contact | Eric Bowman, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555- 0001; telephone: 301-415-2963; email: [email protected] | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 69702 |
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