ML24101A288
| ML24101A288 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/14/2024 |
| From: | Christopher Hanson NRC/Chairman |
| To: | Carper T, Carter B, Duncan J, Fleischmann C, Markey E, Murray P, Rodgers C US HR (House of Representatives), US SEN (Senate) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML24101A283 | List: |
| References | |
| 200300066, CORR-24-0038, SRM-OGC981013 | |
| Download: ML24101A288 (1) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, O.C. 20555-0001 CHAIR The Honorable Edward J. Markey Chairman, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Markey:
May 14, 2024 On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am submitting the "Semiannual Status Report on the Licensing Activities and Regulatory Duties of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission." The enclosed report covers NRC activities from October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, and includes a list of rulemaking activities, their priority and schedule, and actions taken to adhere to the backfit rule, as directed in House Report 117-394 accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
During this reporting period, the NRC completed work associated with a number of major regulatory milestones and prepared for significant new license applications. In December 2023, the NRC issued the construction permit for the Kairos Hermes test reactor to be built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (ML23338A258). In March 2024, the Commission approved, in part, the proposed rule amending NRC regulations to establish a voluntary risk-informed, performance based, and technology-inclusive regulatory framework for commercial nuclear plants, known as 10 CFR Part 53 (ML24064A047). This rulemaking is on track to be completed ahead of the 2027 deadline established in the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization (NEIMA). Also in March 2024, the NRC published guidance for non-light water reactor (LWR) licensing related to the Technology-Inclusive Content of Applications Project and Advanced Reactors Content of Applications Project. Collectively, this guidance will provide assistance to applicants with filing applications for advanced reactors that use non-LWR technology under the existing regulations in 10 CFR Parts 50 and 52.
Other Noteworthy Activities in the Past 6 Months In October 2023, the NRC led a follow-up Integrated Regulatory Review Session (IRRS) to Germany. The Executive Director for Operations led the multinational review team in support of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) mission. In addition, in February 2024, the NRC led a follow-up IRRS mission to the United Kingdom. The Deputy Office Director for the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation led the multinational review team in support of the IAEA's mission.
On November 10, 2023, Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) and NuScale Power jointly submitted a request to NRC to withdraw the Limited Work Authorization Application, Topical Reports, and Exemption Request associated with the CFPP Combined License Application (ML23317A110) following the November 8, 2023, announcement by Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems and NuScale Power that the CFPP project had been terminated. However, the NRC staff is still reviewing the Standard Design Approval application for the revised NuScale design.
On November 16, 2023, the NRC staff published the final rule on "Emergency Preparedness for Small Modular Reactors and Other New Technologies" (ML23226A019) that introduced an alternative emergency preparedness regulatory framework for small modular reactors and other new nuclear technologies.
In February 2024, the staff submitted the License Renewal Generic Environmental Impact Statement draft final rulemaking to the Commission for its consideration. This rulemaking would update the environmental impact findings of renewing the operating licenses to include subsequent license renewal of a nuclear power plant and making other necessary updates to reflect recent information and experience from site-specific license renewal reviews. This would allow NRC staff and applicants to focus resources on impacts that must be resolved during the license renewal process on a site-specific basis for a given facility. The Commission has an affirmation session for the final rule scheduled for May 16, 2024.
In March 2024, the NRC held its 36th Annual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC) in a hybrid format. The RIC is the agency's most notable public meeting, bringing together participants from different countries and international organizations, representing interested stakeholders from other government agencies, industry, international organizations, and the public. For RIC 2024, there were over 3,000 registrants, including participants from 53 countries and international organizations.
In March 2024, the NRC issued annual assessment letters for all 94 currently operating commercial nuclear plants in the United States. The NRC's assessments informed the licensees for 88 reactors that their performance was within the highest performance category of the NRC's Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix. The NRC also informed licensees for six reactors that their performance was within the second highest performance column of the NRC's ROP Action Matrix. At this time, there are no reactors in the third or fourth performance categories. The NRC's Action Matrix can be found here:
https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/actionmatrix-summary.html.
From October 2023 through March 2024, the NRC held 351 public meetings to address a wide range of NRG-related topics. Also, during this time, the NRC received 143 new Freedom of Information Act requests and closed 145 such requests.
With regard to workforce, the NRC continues to make progress on its strategic goal to attract, develop, and maintain a high-performing, diverse, engaged, and flexible workforce with the skills needed to carry out the NRC's mission now and in the future. Through expansion of recruitment and targeted outreach efforts to address current and anticipated vacancies, 107 new external hires have been onboarded to date in Fiscal Year 2024. Additionally, based on the success of last year's first in-person Career Expo, the NRC held its Second Annual Career Expo on May 9, 2024 to further support the NRC's hiring goals.
Lastly, during this reporting period, the NRC staff conducted 63 security inspections across the current fleet of commercial nuclear power plants and Category I fuel cycle facilities.
As detailed in the enclosed report, this included a total of five full scope force-on-force inspections involving simulated attacks on the selected facility to test the effectiveness of the licensee's physical security program.
Please feel free to contact me or have your staff contact Eugene Dacus, Director of the Office of Congressional Affairs, at 301-415-1776, if you have any questions or need additional information.
Sincerely,
I.
Christopher T. Hanson
Enclosures:
As stated cc: Senator Pete Ricketts
Identical letter sent to:
The Honorable Edward J. Markey Chairman, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 cc: Senator Pete Ricketts The Honorable Thomas R. Carper Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 cc: Senator Shelley Moore Capito The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers Chair, Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 cc: Representative Frank J. Pallone, Jr.
The Honorable Jeff Duncan Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 cc: Representative Diana DeGette The Honorable Buddy Carter Chairman, Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 cc: Representative Paul Tonko The Honorable Chuck Fleischmann Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 cc: Representative Marcy Kaptur The Honorable Patty Murray Chair, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Committee on Appropriations United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 cc: Senator John Kennedy