ML25057A385
| ML25057A385 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 99902095 |
| Issue date: | 03/19/2025 |
| From: | Jeremy Bowen NRC/NRR/DANU |
| To: | Moore R Oklo Inc |
| Williams D | |
| References | |
| Download: ML25057A385 (1) | |
Text
March 19, 2025 Mr. Ross Moore Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs Oklo, Inc.
3190 Coronado Dr.
Santa Clara, CA 95054
SUBJECT:
PLAN FOR LIMITED SCOPE PREAPPLICATION READINESS ASSESSMENT (I.E.
PHASE ONE) OF A COMBINED LICENSE APPLICATION FOR OKLO, INC.
Dear Mr. Moore:
By letter dated February 21, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML25052A168), Oklo Inc. (Oklo) submitted a response to Regulatory Issue Summary 2020-02, Process for Scheduling and Allocating Resources for Fiscal Years 2023-2025 for the Review of New Licensing Applications for Light-Water and non-Light-Water Reactors, which indicated that a readiness assessment was requested for the first phase of its combined license application to begin the last week of March 2025. The readiness assessment will provide the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff with an opportunity to become familiar with the information anticipated to be submitted in the first phase of the expected application. The readiness assessment also allows the NRC staff to potentially identify policy or technical issues and information gaps between the areas of the draft application within the scope of the assessment and applicable regulatory requirements that could impact the technical review or docketing of the application. The NRC staff notes that a readiness assessment is not part of the NRC staff official acceptance review process and the observations from the readiness assessments do not predetermine whether the application will be docketed.
If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Donna Williams, at (301) 415-1322 or via email at Donna.Williams@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Jeremy Bowen, Director Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Project No.: 99902095
Enclosure:
as stated cc: Oklo Powerhouse via GovDelivery
- ML25057A385 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UAL1:PM NRR/DANU/UAL1:LA NRR/DANU/UAL1:BC NRR/DANU/UTB1/BC NAME DWilliams DGreene JBorromeo CdeMessieres DATE 3/ 3/2025 3/4/2025 3/ 18 /2025 3/7/2025 OFFICE NMSS/REFS/BC NRR/DANU/DD NAME DBarnhurst JBowen DATE 3/17/2025 3/ 19 /2025
Enclosure PLAN FOR LIMITED SCOPE PREAPPLICATION READINESS ASSESSMENT (I.E. PHASE ONE) OF COMBINED LICENSE APPLICATION FOR OKLO, INC.
PURPOSE Performing a limited scope (i.e. phase 1) readiness assessment of Oklos forthcoming COL application will allow the NRC staff to:
Refine resources needed to complete the first phase of the COL application review; Identify major technical or policy issues within the scope of the assessment that could adversely impact the acceptance and docketing of the COL application for detailed technical review; Become familiar with the draft COL application aspects included within the scope of the assessment, particularly in areas where Oklo is proposing new concepts; and Identify information gaps between portions of the draft COL application within the scope of the assessment and the regulatory requirements relevant to the forthcoming COL application.
BACKGROUND READINESS ASSESSMENT SCOPE AND SCHEDULE In its February 21, 2025, letter (ML25052A168), Oklo requested that the NRC staff begin the limited scope readiness assessment in the last week of March 2025, and conduct it in accordance with the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation office instruction LIC-116, Preapplication Readiness Assessment, (ML20104B698). Oklos letter indicated that the COL application will be submitted in two phases in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) section 2.101(a)(5) and that readiness assessments will be held for each phase. Oklos licensing project plan update dated December 20, 2024 (ML24356A001) stated that the scope of the first phase of the COL application would include the environmental report (ER), Part I Company information and financial requirements, of the COL application, final safety analysis report (FSAR) chapter 1 Site envelope and boundary, portions of FSAR chapter 5 Transient analysis, and portions of Part V Applicability of regulations of the COL application. Based on discussions with Oklo, the NRC staff understands that the draft ER, and other selected draft portions of the COL application will be made available to the NRC staff in support of this readiness assessment of phase 1 of the application.
The limited scope readiness assessment is expected to last approximately 2 weeks. In accordance with the proposed schedule, Oklo has indicated that it will provide a presentation during the entrance meeting (planned for March 31, 2025) to describe the relevant material that will be assessed by the NRC staff. Oklo will upload the relevant information for the readiness assessment to its online reference portal by March 31.
A subsequent readiness assessment plan for the remaining aspects of the application will be issued once Oklo identifies a requested date for the second phase of its application.
Enclosure LOCATION The readiness assessment will be conducted at Oklo offices in Rockville, MD, NRC offices in Rockville, MD, or virtually using an online reference portal, and Microsoft Teams.
READINESS ASSESSMENT TEAM The following table identifies the NRC staff assigned to each readiness assessment area:
Application Review Area NRC Reviewers*
Part I: Company information and financial requirement Alex Siwy and Walt Williams, NRR/DANU/UTB2 Shawn Harwell, NMSS/REFS/FAB FSAR chapter 1, Site Envelope and Boundary Laura Willingham, NMSS/REFS/EPMB3 Anthony Torres, Hosung Ahn, Jenise Thompson, Kevin Quinlan, Rosalyn Wang, NRR/DEX/EXHB FSAR chapter 5, Postulated fission product release Alex Siwy, Walt Williams and Michelle Hart, NRR/DANU/UTB2 Part V: applicability of regulations Alex Siwy, NRR/DANU/UTB2 Walt Williams, NRR/DANU/UTB2 Part III: Environmental Report ER chapter 1, Introduction ER chapter 2, Description of Aurora Site ER chapter 3, Projected Impacts ER chapter 4, Environmental Impacts of Alternatives ER chapter 5, Summary of Impacts ER chapter 6, Bibliography Laura Willingham, NMSS/REFS/EPMB3 Mary Richmond, NMSS/REFS/EPMB3 Donald Palmrose, NMSS/REFS/EPMB3 PNNL contractors
- Organizational abbreviations: DANU (Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities), NRR (Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation), UTB (Advanced Reactor Technical Branch ), NMSS (Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards), REFS(Division of Rulemaking, Environmental and Financial Support),
EPMB (Environmental Project Management Branch ), FAB (Financial Assessment Branch
Enclosure LOGISTICS The NRC staff plans to conduct the limited scope readiness assessment leveraging the Oklo online reference portal. An entrance meeting to start the readiness assessment is scheduled for March 31, 2025. Following this entrance meeting, the NRC staff will schedule debriefs with Oklo to discuss the NRC staffs observations. The NRC staff will conduct an exit meeting at the completion of the readiness assessment.
CONDUCT OF THE READINESS ASSESSMENT The limited scope readiness assessment will be conducted by NRC reviewers or contractors who are technical experts in their assigned review areas. The NRC readiness assessment team will conduct an assessment that includes the following attributes:
The NRC staff will control the attendance and will specify time charge codes for technical reviewers; The NRC staff will conduct the limited scope readiness assessment in a manner that is consistent with LIC-116 and by consulting relevant technical guidance; The NRC staff will implement real-time problem or issue identification; and The NRC staff will facilitate discussions on the assessments progress, and debriefs between NRC and Oklo management, as necessary.
COMMUNICATING READINESS ASSESSMENT OBSERVATIONS The NRC staff will share any technical concerns or major information gaps with Oklo as soon as practicable. Additionally, within 45 calendar days after the completion of the limited scope readiness assessment, the NRC staff will issue a publicly available report that summarizes the NRC staffs observations and feedback for phase 1.
If it is necessary to include proprietary information in the readiness assessment report, the NRC staff will issue proprietary and non-proprietary versions. The NRC staff will take into consideration the results of the limited scope readiness assessment (along with the results of the phase 2 readiness assessment) and how Oklo addressed the NRC staffs feedback when developing the resource and schedule estimates for the review of the COL application.