ML25149A131
| ML25149A131 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/29/2025 |
| From: | Harvey J NRC/NRR/DANU |
| To: | Southern Company Services |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-NFG-0006 | |
| Download: ML25149A131 (1) | |
Text
SOUTHERN COMPANY - PLAN FOR AN AUDIT OF TOPICAL REPORT GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING SEISMIC BASE ISOLATION IN ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTORS (EPID NO: L-2025-NFG-0006)
Applicant:
Southern Company Services, Inc.
Applicant Address:
600 18th St N, Birmingham, AL, 35203
Background:
By letter dated January 28, 2025, Southern Company submitted Topical Report (TR) SC-SND8932-001, Rev 0, Guidelines for Implementing Seismic Base Isolation in Advanced Nuclear Reactors (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Package Accession No. (ML25042A470), with Revision 0a submitted on April 15, 2025 (ML25106A277). This TR is intended to describe a means for an applicant to develop, document, and qualify a seismic isolation system for an advanced reactor. Southern Company provided this TR to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for formal review and issuance of a safety evaluation report (SER). This audit is in support of NRC staffs safety review of the TR submitted by Southern Company.
A draft of this TR (Rev A) was submitted for preliminary review by the NRC staff on May 13, 2024 (ML24134A173). In response to the draft, NRC staff presented an initial set of comments at the July 24, 2024, Periodic Advanced Reactor Stakeholder Public Meeting (ML24205A018).
Purpose:
The purpose of this audit is for the NRC staff to seek clarification, gain understanding, and verify information related to the subject TR that is expected to be referenced in future licensing applications. The audit will also identify if additional information is required to be submitted to support the NRC staffs safety evaluation of the subject TR. Therefore, the NRC staff is requesting access to Southern Companys documents associated with the topics discussed in the TR.
Regulatory Audit Basis:
The regulatory basis for this audit includes the following regulatory requirements: Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.34(a)(4) and (b)(4) apply to applicants for construction permits and operating licenses, respectively. In part, these sections require an analysis and evaluation of the design and performance of structures, systems, and components (SSCs) of the facility with the objective of assessing the risk to public health and safety resulting from operation of the facility and including determination of the margins of safety during normal operations and transient conditions anticipated during the life of the facility, and the adequacy of SSCs provided for the prevention of accidents and the mitigation of the consequences of accidents. Similar regulatory requirements exist for design certification applications, combined
license applications, standard design approvals, and manufacturing licenses (10 CFR 52.47(a)(4), 10 CFR 52.79(a)(5), 10 CFR 52.137(a)(4), and 10 CFR 52.157(f)(1) respectively).
Regulatory Audit Scope:
The audit will follow the guidance in NRR Office Instruction LIC-111 (ML24309A281),
Regulatory Audits. The audit team will examine supporting documentation provided by Southern Company in the on-line portal and hold discussions during virtual meetings. Specific topics to be discussed will be identified in subsequent correspondence, such as an email, and dates will be proposed for discussion of the information.
Information and Other Material Necessary for the Regulatory Audit:
The NRC staff will identify and share with Southern Company the needed information, questions, and other material needed during the audit in a timely manner. Additional documents may be requested as needed.
Team Assignments:
Thomas Weaver Senior Seismologist Robert Roche-Rivera Senior Civil Engineer Jackie Harvey Senior Project Manager Kristin McElwee Project Manager Members of the audit team may change during the audit. Contract personnel of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will also participate in the audit and the specific names will be identified and shared with Southern Company.
Logistics:
Entrance Meeting:
June 4, 2025 Exit Meeting:
Approximately 2 months later Audit meetings will take place in a virtual format, using Microsoft Teams or another similar platform. Audit meetings will be scheduled as needed after the entrance meeting. An online reference portal (e.g., Certrec), established by Southern Company, will allow the NRC staff access to technical information. Southern Company will verify that NRC staff has read-only access (i.e., prevent NRC staff from saving, copying, downloading, or printing) to the documents provided in the electronic reading room. The NRC audit project managers will provide Southern Company with the names of the members of the NRC staff and contractor audit team that will require access to the Electronic Reading Room (ERR). The conditions associated with the ERR must be maintained throughout the audit process.
The audit will begin on June 4, 2025, and continue as necessary, with activities occurring intermittently during the audit period. The audit period may be reduced or extended, depending on the progress made by the NRC staff and Southern Company in addressing audit questions.
The conditions associated with the ERR must be maintained throughout the audit process.
Special Requests:
The NRC staff requests that Southern Company ensure that their technical staff are available to answer questions during the audit. The NRC staff also request that Southern Company provides access to supporting documents via the ERR.
Deliverables:
At the completion of the audit, the audit team will issue an audit summary within 90 days after the exit meeting. The audit summary will be declared and entered as an official agency record in ADAMS and be made available for public viewing.
References:
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations NRR Office Instruction LIC-111, Regulatory Audits (ML24309A281)
NRR Office Instruction LIC-500, Topical Report Process (ML20247G279)
Please contact Jackie Harvey at 301-415-7534 or by via email at jacquelyn.harvey@nrc.gov or Kristin McElwee at 301-415-3703 or by via email at kristin.mcelwee@nrc.gov with any questions related to the conduct of the audit.
Date: May 29, 2025 Jackie Harvey, Senior Project Manager Advanced Reactor Policy Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: Southern Company via GovDelivery bmchisho@southernco.com awhittak@buffalo.edu JACQUELYN HARVEY Digitally signed by JACQUELYN HARVEY Date: 2025.05.29 13:11:37
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ML25149A131 NRR106 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UARP:PM NRR/DANU/UARP:PM RES/DE/SGSEB:BC NRR/DANU/UARP:BC NAME JHarvey KMcElwee LBauer MWentzel DATE 5/29/2025 5/29/2025 5/29/2025 5/29/2025 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UARP:PM NAME JHarvey DATE 5/29/2025