ML092010534

Letter to Technical Specifications Task Force from Dyer Fee Exemption

ML092010534
Person / Time
Site:	Technical Specifications Task Force
Issue date:	07/20/2009
From:	Dyer J NRC/OCFO
To:	Technical Specifications Task Force
Hudson, Sharon M./OCFO
References
Download: ML092010534 (3)

Text

July 20, 2009 Technical Specifications Task Force (TSTF) 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 100 Rockville, Maryland 20852

Dear Members of the TSTF:

On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your March 26, 2009, letter requesting a fee exemption under 10 CFR 170.11(a)(1)(iii) for all fees associated with the NRCs review of Technical Specifications Task Force (TSTF)-510, Revision to Steam Generator Program Inspection Frequencies and Tube Sample Selection.

Your request meets the fee exemption criteria; therefore, I have granted your request, as explained below.

Your fee exemption request states that TSTF-510 is a means for exchanging information for the purpose of supporting the NRCs generic regulatory improvements or efforts in resolution of steam generator tube integrity requirements. As discussed in the following paragraphs, NRC staff has worked with industry for several years to address steam generator issues.

In the May 6, 2005, Federal Register, the NRC published a Notice of Availability for TSTF-449, Revision 4, Steam Generator Tube Integrity. TSTF-449 was developed in cooperation with the NRC, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), and the Electric Power Research Institute. It represented a significant improvement on licensee requirements related to steam generator tube inspections.

On January 20, 2006, the NRC issued Generic Letter (GL) 2006-01, Steam Generator Tube Integrity and Associated Technical Specifications. GL 2006-01 requested that licensees either submit a license amendment request to adopt TSTF-449 or provide a detailed description of their tube integrity program demonstrating that it provides protection equivalent to TSTF-449.

Issues with implementation of specifications requested by GL 2006-01 have been the subject of correspondence between NRC and NEI and have also been discussed in Regulatory Issue Summary 2009-04, Steam Generator Tube Inspection Requirements.

The NRC staff has reviewed your fee exemption request and concluded that TSTF-510 is part of its existing efforts to define steam generator tube inspection requirements in generic technical specifications. It also addresses issues which have arisen in the implementation of technical specification changes made in accordance with TSTF-449. These efforts demonstrate NRCs intent to put in place appropriate steam generator specifications and to resolve issues with previous specifications at the time TSTF-510 was submitted. Hence, I am able to grant you a fee exemption under the provisions of 10 CFR 170.11(a)(1)(iii).

Although a fee exemption is granted, it is important to reinforce that the NRC is required by law to recover 90% of its operating expenses through user fees. While the effort described in this letter is exempt from direct fee assessment, NRC resources expended to resolve these issues will be included in fees assessed in accordance with 10 CFR 171.

If you have any technical questions regarding this matter, please contact Michelle Honcharik at 301-415-1774. Please contact Glenda Somerville of my staff at 301-415-8139, for any fee-related questions.

Sincerely,

/RA/

J. E. Dyer Chief Financial Officer cc: K. Schrader, PWROG J. Messina, BWROG T. Raidy, PWROG R. Gambrell, PWROG

Although a fee exemption is granted, it is important to reinforce that the NRC is required by law to recover 90% of its operating expenses through user fees. While the effort described in this letter is exempt from direct fee assessment, NRC resources expended to resolve these issues will be included in fees assessed in accordance with 10 CFR 171.

If you have any technical questions regarding this matter, please contact Michelle Honcharik at 301-415-1774. Please contact Glenda Somerville of my staff at 301-415-8139, for any fee-related questions.

Sincerely,

/RA/

J. E. Dyer Chief Financial Officer cc: K. Schrader, PWROG J. Messina, BWROG T. Raidy, PWROG R. Gambrell, PWROG Distribution:

RElliott, NRR MHamm, NRR KBoucholtz, NRR R. Erickson, OCFO M. Moore, OCFO M. Williams, OCFO J. Williams, NRR/DPR/PSPB OCFO R/F OCFO/DOC R/F OCFO (2009-069 closes)

DFM (DFM-9-013 closes)

ADAMS Yes No Initials: _____ SUNSI Review by: ________________

Publicly Available Non-Publicly Available Sensitive Non-Sensitive DOCUMENT NAME: G:\DFM\Fee Policy Group\Fee Policy\FeeWaivers\TSTF-510 fee waiver 7.9.2009.doc

• =See previous concurrence, **=See Email concurrence To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box:

C = Copy without enclosure E = Copy with /enclosure N = No copy.

OFFICE OCFO/DOC/FM OCFO/DOC/FM NRR NAME GSomerville TGrancorvitz TMcGinty**

DATE 07/ /09 07/ /09 07/ 6 /09 OFFICE OCFO/DOC DCFO/ CFO/

NAME CRheaume MBrown JEDyer DATE 07/ /09 07/ 16/09 07/20/09 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY