81 FR 30571 - Disposition of Information Related to the Time Period That Safety-Related Structures, Systems, or Components Are Installed

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 95 (May 17, 2016)

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public comment on a draft regulatory issue summary (RIS) to inform nuclear power reactor licensees of existing requirements related to dispositioning information pertaining to the capability of safety- related structures, systems, and components (SSCs) to perform their safety-related functions in nuclear power plants. The draft RIS addresses instances where a licensee becomes aware of credible information pertaining to the time period that a safety-related structure, system, or component is installed that may negatively impact its ability to perform its safety-related function or functions. Licensees must address this information consistent with their licensing basis and applicable NRC requirements.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 95 (Tuesday, May 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30571-30572]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11598]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2016-0098]


 Disposition of Information Related to the Time Period That 
Safety-Related Structures, Systems, or Components Are Installed

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Draft regulatory issue summary; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public 
comment on a draft regulatory issue summary (RIS) to inform nuclear 
power reactor licensees of existing requirements related to 
dispositioning information pertaining to the capability of safety-
related structures, systems, and components (SSCs) to perform their 
safety-related functions in nuclear power plants. The draft RIS 
addresses instances where a licensee becomes aware of credible 
information pertaining to the time period that a safety-related 
structure, system, or component is installed that may negatively impact 
its ability to perform its safety-related function or functions. 
Licensees must address this information consistent with their licensing 
basis and applicable NRC requirements.

[[Page 30572]]


DATES: Submit comments by July 18, 2016. 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-2016-0098. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individuals 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Thompson, telephone: 301-415-
1011, email: [email protected]; and Eric Thomas, telephone: 301-
415-6772, email: [email protected]. Both are staff members of the 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0098 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-2016-0098.
     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 
draft RIS, ``Disposition of Information Related to the Time Period that 
Safety-Related Structures, Systems, or Components are Installed,'' is 
available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML16111B121.
     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-2016-0098 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 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 has developed draft RIS 2016-xx, ``Disposition of 
Information Related to the Time Period that Safety-Related Structures, 
Systems, or Components are Installed,'' to clarify NRC requirements and 
programs that provide quality assurance and ensure the operability of 
safety-related SSCs. When a licensee either becomes aware that a 
safety-related SSC has been installed for longer that the amount of 
time described in the licensing basis, or becomes aware of credible 
information that challenges the presumption that a safety-related SSC 
can continue to perform its safety function(s), the licensee must 
assess the information consistent with their licensing basis and 
applicable NRC requirements. These instances must be addressed in 
accordance with a licensee's NRC-approved quality assurance program, 
operability/functionality determination process, and corrective action 
program.
    The NRC issues RISs to communicate with stakeholders on a broad 
range of matters. This may include clarification of existing 
requirements and regulations.

Proposed Action

    The NRC is requesting public comment on the draft RIS. The NRC 
plans to hold a public meeting to discuss this draft RIS. All comments 
that are to receive consideration in the final RIS must still be 
submitted electronically or in writing as indicated in the ADDRESSES 
section of this document. Additional details regarding the meeting will 
be posted at least 10 days prior to the public meeting on the NRC's 
Public Meeting Schedule Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm. The NRC staff will make a final 
determination regarding issuance of the RIS after it considers any 
public comments received in response to this request.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of May 2016.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Eric M. Thomas,
Operating Experience Branch, Division of Inspection and Regional 
Support, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2016-11598 Filed 5-16-16; 8:45 am]
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