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New Reactors Rulemakings

The final rule to update 10 CFR Part 52, "Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants," was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2007, (72 FR 49351). The updated rule revises the provisions applicable to the licensing and approval processes for nuclear power plants (i.e., early site permit, standard design approval, standard design certification, combined license, and manufacturing license). These revisions clarify the applicability of various requirements to each of the licensing processes by making necessary conforming changes throughout the NRC’s regulations to enhance the NRC’s regulatory effectiveness and efficiency in implementing its licensing and approval processes. This revision also incorporates lessons learned from reviews of the first design certification and early site permit applications.

The NRC also published a final rule on Limited Work Authorizations (LWAs) which supplements the final rule on 10 CFR Part 52. This final rule, "Limited Work Authorizations for Nuclear Power Plants," was published in the Federal Register on October 9, 2007 (72 FR 57415). This rule revises the NRC’s regulations applicable to LWAs, which allow certain construction activities on production and utilization facilities to commence before a construction permit or combined license is issued. This final rule modifies the scope of activities that are considered construction for which a construction permit, combined license, or LWA is necessary, specifies the scope of construction activities that may be performed under an LWA, and changes the review and approval process for LWA requests. The NRC is adopting these changes to enhance the efficiency of its licensing and approval process for production and utilization facilities, including new nuclear power reactors.

The NRC also issued a proposed rule for comment, "Consideration of Aircraft Impacts for New Nuclear Power Reactor Designs," which was published in the Federal Register on October 3, 2007 (72 FR 56287). In this rule, the NRC is proposing to revise its regulations to require applicants for new nuclear power reactor designs to assess the effects of the impact of a large, commercial aircraft on the nuclear power plant. Based on the insights gained from this assessment, the applicant would be required to describe and evaluate design features, functional capabilities, and strategies to avoid or mitigate the effects of the aircraft impact. The objective of this rule is to require nuclear power plant designers to perform a rigorous assessment of design features that could provide additional inherent protection to avoid or mitigate, to the extent practicable, the effects of an aircraft impact, with reduced reliance on operator actions.

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Monday, February 11, 2008