ML24277A286
| ML24277A286 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/03/2024 |
| From: | Hayes B NRC/NRR/DEX/EXHB |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24277A286 (1) | |
Text
External Hazard Review at the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Technical Meeting on the Protection of Nuclear Installations Against External Hazards 18th Plenary Meeting of the External Events Safety Section Extrabudgetary Programme 1
Table of Content Operating Reactor History Parts 50 versus 52 licensing NTTF & POANHI Design centered review approach Current review needs in light of the ADVANCE Act 2
Operating Reactor Snapshot (as of 2023) 3
Key for External Hazards Regulatory Guidance for Reactors 4
LAWS GUIDANCE LAWS REGULATIONS Atomic Energy Act of 1954 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 10 CFR Part 50 10 CFR Part 51 10 CFR Part 52 10 CFR Part 100 Policy Statements Standard Review Plans Regulatory Guides Interim Staff Guidance How we regulate
NRC Regulations Licensing of new and advanced reactors available under 10 CFR Parts 50, 52, and 53 (in development).
Key Regulation for External Hazards:
- 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion (GDC) 2, Design Bases for Protection Against Natural Phenomena, as it relates to consideration of the most severe of the natural phenomena that have been historically reported for the site and surrounding area, with sufficient margin for the limited accuracy, quantity, and period of time in which the historical data have been accumulated.
- 10 CFR 52.79(a)(iii) requires a COL applicant to identify the most severe of the natural phenomena that have been historically reported for the site and surrounding area and with sufficient margin for the limited accuracy, quantity, and time in which the historical data have been accumulated.
5
10 CFR Part 50 (CP & OL) 6
NUREG/BR-0298, Rev 2 "Nuclear Power Plant Licensing Process" 7
Additional New Reactor Licensing Early Site Permits (ESPs)
Standard Design Certification (SDCs)
Manufacturing License (MLs)
Standard Design Approval (SDAs)
Pre-application Engagement on Site Suitability Reviews White paper and topical report (for both Parts 50 &
- 52) 8
10 CFR Part 52 Regulatory Process COL (10CFR 52.79 & 52.80)
DC FSAR permissible site parameters COL FSAR site characteristics
+
information on departures from DC and associated exemptions
+
COL action items ESP and ESP SSAR permissible design parameters COL FSAR design characteristics
+
information on variances from ESP
+
relevant COL action items if the COL references a DC, e.g.
verification of site parameters 9
Post-Fukushima Near-Term Task Force (NTTF)
Recommendation Activities NTTF Recommendation (R) 2.1 and R2.3 efforts were focused on ensuring that operating reactors were safe via walkdowns and flooding and seismic re-evaluations.
R2.2 advised rulemaking requiring that nuclear power plant licensees confirm seismic and flooding hazards every 10 years. Staff proposed to meet the intent of R2.2 by enhancing existing processes to ensure that staff proactively and routinely aggregates and assesses new natural hazard information.
Staff issued Office Instruction LIC-208, Process for Ongoing Assessment of Natural Hazards Information, dated November 20, 2019, which provides the framework for implementing POANHI.
You can find more information on POANHI on USNRCs website at:
https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/ops-experience/poanhi.html.
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POANHI (po.aan.hee)
An efficient internal process that leverages existing programs and agreements with external organizations to:
Ensure more timely identification and assessment of new information (e.g., data, models, and methods)
Facilitate a methodical assessment of the cumulative effect of new data, models, and methods that accrue over time Update existing hazard models with new information found to be significant so they are readily available.
Framework:
Knowledge Base Activities Active Technical Engagement and Coordination Assessment Activities Scope: external flood-causing mechanisms; seismic hazards; high winds (tornado and hurricane);
snow/ice loads; extreme temperatures & humidity.
11
Current Siting Review Needs in line with the 2024 ADVANCE Act The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act Aims to accelerate nuclear reactor deployment in the U.S.
To achieve this, it's crucial to streamline the siting review process, especially considering external hazards.
Aligns with internal challenges and opportunities related to a recent increase of incoming applications with a wide variety of technologies and siting issues Act Requirements Related to External Hazards:
Sec. 206. Regulatory issues for nuclear facilities at brownfield sites.
Assessing the licensing review process for new nuclear facilities at former fossil-fuel power plant sites and brownfield sites.
Sec. 207. Combined license review procedure.
Establishing an expedited procedure for reviewing qualifying new reactor license applications (COLs) within 18 months.
Sec. 208. Regulatory requirements for micro-reactors.
Risk-informed performance-based strategies and guidance 12
Climate Change
- USNRCs commitment to Safety The NRC addresses climate related safety concerns through rigorous licensing and oversight processes by
- incorporating safety margins in designs,
- implementing measures to prevent radioactive releases in case of hazard-induced events beyond design limits, and
- ensuring the availability of backup equipment essential for safety functions.
The NRC applies principles of conservatism, safety margins, and defense-in-depth across all phases of nuclear facilities lifecycle from design and construction to operation and decommissioning.
13 Staying abreast of new climate change information For power plants, staff evaluates changing natural hazard information, including climate change to determine whether the NRC needs to revise the licensing basis throughout the plants lifetime.
Staff is currently reviewing the recently released Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) under POANHI to help to identify potential gaps in NRCs licensing and oversight processes with respect to climate change.