ML20059N764

Forwards Paper Entitled, Licensing Process for Future Applications of Advanced-Designed Nuclear Reactors

ML20059N764
Person / Time
Issue date:	10/05/1990
From:	Chris Miller Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Olaso J SPAIN, GOVT. OF
References
NUDOCS 9010170261
Download: ML20059N764 (8)

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i Octsber 5, 1990 l

Mr.' J. 01aso Centrales Nucleares del Norte. S.A.

Hernan Cortes, 26 - Apartado 146 39080 - Santander, Spain 1

Dear Mr. 01aso:

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Enclosed is a copy of my paper entitled " Licensing Process for future Applications of Advanced-Design Nuclear Reactors" that you requested per your-

'l August 20, 1990 letter.

Sincerely, OriginalSigned By:-

l Charles L. Miller, Director, Standardization Project Directorate Division of Reactor Projects - III, IV, V and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i

Enclosure:

As stated

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October 5, 1990 i

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Mr. J. 01aso Centrales hacleares del Norte, S.A.

l Hernan Cortes, 26 - Apartado 146 39080 - Santander, Spain c

Dear.Mr. 01aso:

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Enclosed is a copy of g paper entitlett " Licensing Process for Future l

Applications of Advanced-Design Nuclear Reactors" that you requested per your-August 20, 1990 letter.

Sincerely.

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& h. WO.AAn-Charles L. Miller, Director-Standardization Project Directorate Division of Reactor Projects - III, IV, V and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i

Enclosure:

As stated i

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i Licensino Process for Future Applications of Advanced Design Nuclear Reactors The existing 10 CFR Part 50 two-step licensing process can continue to be a i

viable licensing vehicle for future applications, at least for the near future.

NRC Commissioners and staff, the public, and the utilities (along with

- l supportingarchitectengineersandNSSSvendors)haveavastbodyofexperience and knowledge of the existing Part 50 licensing process. All these I

participants are familiar with their respective roles in this process, and history shows this prordss to de a workable licensing vehicle.

Nevertheless, the use of 10 CFR Part 52 should be encouraged for future appli-cations. This proposed new rules is intended to achieve the early resolution of licensing issues, to reduce the complexity and uncertainty of the licensing i

process, and enhance the sr.rety and reliability of nuclear power plants. Part 52's ov,erall purpose *. to improve reactor safety and streamline the licensing process by encouraging the use of standard reactor designs and by aliowing the early resolution of site environmental and reactor safety issues. Tre public 1

should be afforded an earlier entry into the licensing process as a result of design certification rulemaking process and combined CP/0L hearings.

It is expected that most applications for future plants would use the Part 52 process.

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The Licensing Process under 10 CFR Part 52 Part 52 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations has three subparts.

l These are:

(a) Early Site Permits, (b) Standard Design Certifications, and j

(c)CombinedConstructionPermit/ConditionalOperatingLicenses.

l 1.

Earl.y Site Permits 4

Under 10 CFR Part 52, applications for an early site permit would be j

required to include information on such things as the boundaries of the site; the number, type and thermal power level of the facilities for which

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the site may be used; the type of cooling systems to be utilized; the anticipated maximum levels of radiological and thermal effluents; existing and future population profiles; the location and description of nearby industrial, military, or transportation facilities and routes; emergency l

preparedness and a complete environmental report similar to that required for a traditional construction permit application. Applicants need not discuss the need for power, but are required to perform an evaluation of alternative sites.

If the applicant wishes to perform activities equivalent to those permitted by an Limited Work Authorization (LWA-1),

i then a plan for site redress must also be included.

4 ll As part of the NRC review of an early site permit application, the NRC wouldberequiredtoprepareanenvironmentalimpactstatement(EIS),and make a finding with regard to site emergency preparedness planning.

Part 52 provides for options for satisfying early site energency 5

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preparedness-(EP)requirementsuptoandincludingsubmittingcomplete emergency plans for review and approval by the NRC and the Federal Emergency 4

Management Agency, in accord with the applicable provisions of 10 CFR 50.47.

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In addition, the application for site approval must be referred to the.

Advisory Consnittee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), and the ACRS must report "on those parts of the application which concern safety."

-P An early site permit is deemed to be a partial construction permit; l

therefore, a mandatory public hearing must be held on the permit application.

Publication of notice of the hearirg, the procedures for intervention, and the conduct of the hearing woulc be the same as for a traditional construction pemit application. However, depending upon which EP option is selected, the hearing complexity may vary.

2.

Design Certification Under Part 52, an application for design certification must contain the technical information which is required of applicants for construction permits and operating licenses by 10 CFR parts 20, 50 and its Appendices 73 and 100, and which is technically relevant to the design and not site specific.

In addition, the application must demonstrate compliance with-any technically relevant portions of TMI requirements set forth in 10 CFR 50.34(f). Also required are proposed resolutions of medium and high-t i

priority USIs and GSIs, the submission of a PRA, and the proposed tests, t

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analyses, inspections, and acceptance criteria that are necessary and i

i sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that a plant which references :

the design has been built and will be operated in accordance with the l

certification.

For nuclear power plant designs with only evolutionary changes from current LWRs, the proposed Part 52 requires presentation and l

certification of essentially complete designs.'

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Review of the application involves an ACRS report on safety issues and, as a minimu:n, an " informal hearing" before an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board. A formal hearing is also possible. Design certification-would l

essentially constitute Commission pre-approval of the adequacy of the l

design for referencing in future applications.

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3.

Combined Construction Permit / Conditional Operational License Subpart C of Part 52 authorizes the issuance of combined construction permits and conditional operating licenses (combined ifcenses).

Appilcations for a combined license must not only include the information l

required for a construction permit, (including' anti-trust information),

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but must also include the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR).

Applications referencing an early site permit must demonstrate that the l

design of the facility, as well as environmental issues not considered in e

any previous proceeding on the site or design, fall within the parameters.

l specified in the early site permit.

If an early site pennit is not i

referenced, then the information required for an environmental review of a new application as required by 10 CFR 51.

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t must be included.

If a design certification is referenced, the j

application must include those portions of the design specific to the site, as well as compliance with the interface requirements. inaddition,.

I emergency plans must be submitted, and if possible, certifications by applicable local and State government agencies that the plans are practicable and that they are committed to participating in developing and t

implementing the plans.

The review process for a combined license application would be similar in l

many respects to the review of a conventional construction pemit. The safety review, however, would consider the final plant design rather than a preliminary design. ACRS review of the application is required. -An l

antitrust review by the Attorney General is also required. An environ-mental review of the application and hearing are required, including preparation of an EIS.

However, if the application references an early i

si.te permit, the environmental review would focus only on'the suitability of the site for the particular design and any other significant environ-mental issues not previously considered in either the permit or certification proceeding.

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To provide assurance that the plant can be built and operated in l

accordance with requirements, part 52 would require that applicants to i

submit the proposed tests, analyses, inspections, and acceptance criteria as part of the application for a design certification. These proposed tests, analyses, inspections, and acceptance criteria will be reviewed and approved as part of the review.

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Before the licensee may operate the facility, a pre-operational antitrust l

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review must be performed to determine if there have been any significant

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a r. i changes in the licensee's activities or proposed activities since the grant of the combined license. An-interested member of the public also itn has the opportunity to request a hearing on the basis that one or more of>r the acceptance criteria of the combined license has not been met..

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