New Procedures for Providing Public Notice Concerning Issuance of Amendments to Operating Licenses (Generic Letter 83-19)

                               UNITED STATES 
                       NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 
                          WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 

                                 May 2, 1983

TO ALL POWER REACTOR AND TESTING FACILITY LICENSEES 

SUBJECT:  NEW PROCEDURES FOR PROVIDING PUBLIC NOTICE CONCERNING ISSUANCE OF 
          AMENDMENTS TO OPERATING LICENSES (GENERIC LETTER 83-19 ) 

On April 6, 1983 the NRC issued interim final rules (48 FR 14864) that 
significantly impact the way in which the licensee and the NRC staff process
operating license amendments. The purpose of this letter is to highlight 
those requirements that directly affect licensees. 

The changes to 10 CFR Parts 2 and 50 provide for: 

o    Definitive criteria for determining whether an application for license 
     amendment involves a significant hazards consideration. A new 10 CFR 
     50.92 provides the standards for making a "no significant hazards 
     determination". 

o    A new 10 CFR 50.91 requires notice to the general public and to state 
     officials concerning applications for license amendments.  Of 
     particular interest is the provision for prior public notice of an 
     opportunity for hearing and a thirty (30) day comment period for 
     license amendments which involve "no significant hazards 
     considerations." Also of interest are standards for issuance of license 
     amendments involving "no significant hazards consideration" under 
     emergency or exigent situations. Changes have also been made to 10 CFR 
     50.58 and 10 CFR 2.105 to reflect the new requirements for providing 
     notice to the public and state officials. 

We request that all power reactor and testing facility licensees review the 
recent changes to 10 CFR Parts 2 and 50 concerning "significant hazards 
considerations" as these considerations impact prior notice to the general 
public and state officials. For your convenience, we have provided this 
material as Enclosure 1, herein. Enclosure 2 provides excerpts from the 
subject rule changes which represent requirements, on licensees, for 
submittals of applications for operating license amendments. Enclosure 3 
provides a list of designated state representatives who must be provided, by
licensees, with copies of license amendment applications and associated 
analyses concerning significant hazards considerations, pursuant to 10 CFR 
50.91 (b) (1). 



8305020455 
.

                                    - 2 - 

If you have any questions concerning this subject, please contact C. 
Trammell (301-492-7389). 

                              Sincerely, 


                              Darrell G. Eisenhut, Director 
                              Division Licensing 

Enclosures: 
As stated