ML21078A152
| ML21078A152 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/19/2021 |
| From: | O'Banion M Division of Operating Reactor Licensing |
| To: | |
| O'Banion M | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML21078A154 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML21078A152 (6) | |
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Frequently Asked Questions Page Web-based Relief Request (WRR) Portal General Questions Why did the NRC create a WRR portal for licensees to submit requests for alternatives under 10 CFR 50.55a(z)?
The WRR portal is part of the NRCs transformation to becoming a modern risk-informed regulator. The licensee portal is just one piece of a comprehensive strategy to expand the reactor safety programs information technology (IT) capabilities and transparency for internal and external stakeholders. Additional applications in the Mission Analytics Portal project will ultimately link to internal NRC applications, further enhancing processing efficiency and transparency.
Which NRC licensees are eligible to use the WRR Portal?
At this time, commercial U.S. nuclear power plant licensees may choose to use this online submission form to request relief, in the form of alternatives, under 10 CFR 50.55a(z).
Will licensees be able to submit less information in the request for alternative as a result of this web-based system? Will NRC be looking at less information to make a safety decision?
No. This online submission form does not reduce or relax any of the regulatory requirements for the licensee to submit certain information to the NRC. The WRR portal provides an alternative way for licensees to submit requests for alternatives.
How do licensees request access to the WRR portal?
Licensees who wish to use the portal can enroll for NRC credentials here. After completing identity verification, enrollees can log in to WRR using their established username, password, and one-time password code.
Link to the Enrollment Guide that provides detailed instructions for users:
https://pki.nrc.gov/ecs/docs/EnrollmentGuideLevelGold.pdf Who do licensees contact for assistance with accessing the WRR portal or submitting a request?
For assistance with accessing the portal or submitting a request for alternative through the portal, please send an email to Web-BasedReliefRequests.Resource@nrc.gov.
Can a licensee submit more than one request for alternative at a time or fleet-wide requests for alternatives using the WRR Portal?
Yes, the portal can support plant-specific, and multiple or fleet-wide requests. The online submission form has a question where the user can select multiple units and plants.
What kind of requests can be submitted through the WRR Portal?
At this time, only proposed alternatives under 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1) and (z)(2) can be submitted through the WRR Portal.
Is the WRR Portal the only way to submit a Proposed Alternative?
No. The WRR Portal is an additional way to submit a proposed alternative under 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1) and (z)(2). Licensees have the option to submit proposed alternatives via the traditional methods (i.e., mail or EIE) in accordance with 10 CFR 50.4.
If a licensee chooses to submit via the WRR portal, is it a formal submittal?
Yes, any submission made through the WRR portal will be considered a formal submittal, just like submitting via EIE or mail. The submittal will be uploaded to ADAMS as an official agency record and assigned an ADAMS accession number.
Do licensees need to use a specific browser to access the WRR Portal?
No. The WRR Portal works on all desktop and mobile browsers.
Why does access to this WRR portal require more authentication proof than use of EIE?
All NRC applications are subject to federal authentication requirements based on information types, technology, and other considerations. EIE's authentication requirements will likely be modernized to be identical to the identity proofing steps used for the WRR portal.
What are the signatory requirements and expectations for submissions via the WRR portal (e.g., oath and affirmation, electronic signature, etc.)?
WRR proposed alternatives do not need to be submitted under oath or affirmation unless explicitly requested by the Commission. Please refer to NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2001-18, Requirements for Oath or Affirmation, dated August 22, 2001, (ADAMS Accession No. ML010990211), for additional information.
Can the WRR portal support proprietary information? Can licensees put sensitive or proprietary information into the online submission form itself?
Licensees can submit proprietary information via Attachments in the WRR portal and request that the document(s), or portions thereof, be withheld from public disclosure under 10 CFR 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding. At this time, licensees cannot include sensitive or proprietary information in the online submission form itself.
Please ensure the Attachments are appropriately marked per 10 CFR 2.390 and an Affidavit is attached. Please note that it is common practice for licensees to submit a proprietary and non-proprietary versions of the same Attachments.
What are the different roles and permissions associated with the WRR portal? Why is it necessary to assign an Administrator?
Please refer to the WRR Portal User Guide (ADAMS Accession No. ML21078A153) for detailed information about roles and permissions.
Is there an OMB information collection clearance associated with the online submission form in the WRR portal?
OMB No. 3150-0244, Expiration Date: 01/31/2022 Questions about WRR Portal Process Can licensees see a copy of the draft submission before submitting via the WRR portal?
Yes, there is a PDF preview option. Licensees can use the PDF preview option to send a copy to their email for review before submitting. At this time, the PDF preview will only include the online submission form and not the Attachments.
Can licensees use the WRR portal to track internal comments and/or approvals on the draft proposed alternative prior to submittal?
At this time, the WRR portal does not support internal comments and/or approvals being documented on the proposed alternative prior to submission.
What happens if the licensee submits a request for alternative via the WRR Portal and makes an error? How is that corrected?
Licensees will follow the existing process for correcting errors in their submittals by submitting a supplement via the Document Control Desk (DCD). Please refer to the guidelines contained in NRC's electronic submission final rule (and its associated guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC, Revision 8) which can be accessed at the following:
https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1303/ML13031A056.pdf What happens after the licensee submits a request via the WRR Portal?
After licensees submit a request, it will be processed by the NRC Document Processing Center.
Submission forms will be profiled and submitted documents added to ADAMS directly.
What criteria do the Attachments need to satisfy to be processed in WRR? What happens if the Attachments do not satisfy the criteria for submission?
Attachments must be in PDF format and in compliance with Section 2, Parameters for Electronic Files Submitted to the NRC, of NRCs Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC (ADAMS Accession No. ML13031A056).
If the Attachments contain proprietary information, and the submitter intends to request that the Commission withhold the information, please ensure the Attachments are appropriately marked per 10 CFR 2.390 and a supporting Affidavit is attached.
Any Attachment that fails to meet the NRCs submission criteria will not be processed in ADAMS. Licensees will be notified of any rejections and asked to correct and re-submit in accordance with NRCs Guidance for Electronic Submissions. In this case, licensees will need to include, in the comment field, that this is a re-submittal and identify their WRR ID from the submission confirmation email.
What type of communications will licensees receive from the WRR Portal?
Licensees will receive confirmation via email when your proposed alternative has been submitted and when its been approved. Status of submitted or in-development alternatives will also be available on the portal dashboard.
How will licensees know if my Proposed Alternative submission was accepted for review?
The process for acceptance reviews has not changed. Once submitted and entered into ADAMS, the NRC Operating Reactor Licensing Project Manager for your plant will conduct the normal acceptance review. Youll continue to receive separate correspondence from the Project Manager, as your normally do when submitting via the traditional methods (i.e., mail or EIE).
Can licensees edit a submission after it has been submitted?
No. Once submitted, you can only view a Proposed Alternative that has been submitted in the WRR Portal. Once submitted, please contact your assigned Operating Reactor Licensing Project Manager to discuss options for editing or supplementing the existing proposed alternative.
Can we submit supplements via the WRR portal (e.g., supplements to the initial submission, responses to requests for additional information, etc.)?
At this time, licensees can only use the WRR portal to submit the application itself and not supplements.
Will NRC staff be able to view applications in progress or will applications in progress be limited to the licensee?
The WRR portal is set up for licensee staff only. The NRC staff will not be able to view applications in progress.
Can a licensee delete a proposed alternative in the WRR system that has not been submitted?
At this time, if a licensee wants to delete a proposed alternative that has not been submitted, please send a request to Web-BasedReliefRequests.Resource@nrc.gov.
Question about the Online Submission Form Is there a blank copy of the online form for submitting proposed alternatives?
Yes, a blank copy of the online form for proposed alternatives under 10 CFR 50.55a(z) is located at ADAMS Accession No. ML21091A144.
Can licensees submit Attachments via the WRR Portal?
Yes, licensees can submit Attachments as part of the online submission form. For more information, please refer to the WRR Portal User Guide.
Can licensees submit tables, figures, diagrams, etc. via the WRR Portal?
Licensees can submit tables, figures, diagrams, etc., as part of the online submission form.
Several of the questions in the form contain rich text editor capability to allow licensees to include tables in their responses, along with other formatting features. In addition, licensees will have the opportunity to submit Attachments in the form of PDF, that can contain tables, figures, diagrams, etc.
Is there a character limit in question fields? Is there a file limitation on the Attachments?
Majority of the online form questions have a size limit of 4,000 characters for the plain text questions and 100,000 characters for the rich text editor questions. The total file size of a single Attachment should not exceed 100 MB.
Should the WRR portal be used for a short-notice request for alternatives due to an emergent plant condition?
Licensees may use the WRR portal for short-notice requests requiring expedited review.
Licensees also have the option to submit these requests using the traditional methods (i.e., mail or EIE).
Can licensees save a Proposed Alternative in draft mode and finish it later?
Yes. At the bottom of the submissions page, licensees can click on the Save and Preview button. The draft will be saved, and licensees can return to it via the Proposed Alternative List page. At this time, submission drafts are saved indefinitely.
Can multiple licensee personnel access draft submittals and make edits to the online submission form, or are access rights limited to the person who created the specific online submission form?
Multiple licensee personnel can access and collaboratively work on draft submittals.
Can licensees copy a Proposed Alternative submission and use it to create a new submission?
At this time, the option to duplicate an existing submission as template for a new submission is not available.
Can licensees attach a complete proposed alternative request in lieu of filling out the WRR online submission form?
In order to submit a proposed alternative request though the alternative WRR Portal, the licensee must accurately and completely fill in all required fields in the online WRR form. If a licensee prefers to use as an attachment a complete proposed alternative request instead of filling in the WRR form, the licensee should use a traditional submittal method.
Questions about WRR Portal Profile Can licensees update their profiles?
Users do not have direct access to modify profile information. Users will need to contact their Administrator for any changes to their permissions or plants assigned to them in the WRR Portal.
How do licensees find their Parent Company and/or Licensee Administrator?
Licensees can find their Parent Company and/or Licensee Administrators on their profile page.
Additional information can be found in the WRR Portal User Guide.
Who do licensees contact if they need to add other plants to their profile or if there is an error in their profile?
Please contact your Parent Company Administrator and/or your Licensee Administrator if you believe your profile has an error.
Questions about WRR Portal Troubleshooting Who do licensees contact if they have trouble using the WRR Portal?
Please submit an email to Web-BasedReliefRequests.Resource@nrc.gov.