ML18116A551

Status Report on the Licensing Activities and Regulatory Duties of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (for the Reporting Period Through March 2018)

ML18116A551
Person / Time
Issue date:	05/08/2018
From:	NRC/Chairman
To:	US Congress
R. Rihm, EDO
Shared Package
ML18085A056	List: ML18115A434 ML18115A435 ML18116A551
References
CORR-18-0038, SRM-LTR-17-0416
Download: ML18116A551 (106)

Text

STATUS REPORT ON THE LICENSING ACTIVITIES AND REGULATORY DUTIES OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION For the Reporting Period through March 2018 Enclosure

Table of Contents RESOURCES

1. Status of Project Aim and additional activities 1

2. Incorporation of five-year workload planning into policies and procedures 2

3. Staffing 3

4. Actions taken or planned to reduce corporate support costs, including efforts to reduce office space 17

5. Status of efforts to provide greater transparency, timeliness, and itemization in invoices to applicants and licensees, including any progress toward electronic invoicing and payment 18

6. Research activities initiated during the reporting period 20 URANIUM RECOVERY

7. Information regarding major uranium recovery licensing application reviews 20

8. Status of major uranium recovery licensing actions 22

9. Status of minor uranium recovery licensing actions 24

10. Status of Wyoming Agreement State application 25

11. Specific actions planned to improve the efficiency of reviews conducted for compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act 26

12. Progress of the pilot project on flat fees for uranium recovery licensees 27 LICENSING

13. Information regarding license amendment reviews for operating reactors, new reactors, and uranium recovery licensees 29

14. Information regarding decommissioning transition reviews 40

15. List of Technical Specifications Task Force travelers under review 40

16. Actions planned and/or taken to ensure that the Technical Specifications Task Force traveler process achieves the regulatory efficiencies that were initially projected 41

17. Information regarding license renewal review applications 42

18. Status of ongoing license renewal reviews 46 i

19. Status of NRCs readiness to review applications for subsequent license renewal 48

20. Status of subsequent license renewal reviews 49

21. Information regarding power uprate application reviews 49

22. Status of power uprate application reviews 49

23. Information regarding requests for additional information (RAIs) issued by various offices/programs 49

24. Status of specific actions taken or planned to ensure greater discipline, management oversight, and transparency in the RAI process 56

25. Actions taken to enhance the integration of risk information across the agencys activities to improve the technical basis for regulatory activities, to increase efficiency, and to improve effectiveness 59

26. Status of power reactor transition from analog to digital instrumentation 63

27. Actions taken and planned to prepare to review industry requests to use accident tolerant fuel in existing reactors 65

28. Actions taken and planned to improve the quality of cost benefit analyses conducted in association with new requirements, backfit analyses, or rulemaking 66

29. Status of the revised guidance to clarify the use of qualitative factors 67

30. List of all final generic regulatory actions issued in the last three years 69

31. List and brief description of all facility-specific backfits issued during the reporting period 77

32. Twelve-month and three-year rolling averages for CRGR formal and informal reviews 78

33. Status of the application of the backfit rule in licensing and inspection programs across the agency 78

34. Actions taken and planned to address recommendations made by the CRGR in its report U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Implementation of Backfitting and Issue Finality Requirements 80 REACTOR INSPECTION

35. Reactor Oversight Process findings for year-to-date and three-year rolling metrics 82 ii

36. Percentage of Final Significance Determinations made within 90 days for all potentially greater-than-green findings, monthly for one-year rolling metrics and annually for the past 10 years 83

37. Instances where Inspection Manual Chapter 609, Appendix M, Significance Determination Process Using Qualitative Criteria, has been applied in the Reactor Oversight Process Significance Determination Process 83

38. Status of potential changes to the Reactor Oversight Process and identification of any changes that may require Commission approval prior to implementation 84

39. Progress toward utilizing an industry consensus document as a means of accomplishing predictability and consistency in operability determinations 84

40. Information regarding Design Basis Assurance Inspections completed in the last three years 84

41. Status of the holistic review of engineering inspection procedures and any actions taken and/or planned because of the review 88 NEW REACTORS

42. Funds budgeted, resources spent, and total Part 170 fees billed each year for the past ten years for the Office of New Reactors 89

43. Information regarding each design certification, combined license, and early site permit application reviewed since 2007 89

44. Summary of the status of ongoing design certification, combined license, and early site permit application reviews 96

45. Information on ITAAC reviews for reactors under construction 99

46. License amendments for reactors under construction 102

47. Budgeted resources and actual expenditures each month for the past 24 months for reactors under construction 102

48. Summary of the status of licensing and inspection for Vogtle Units 3 and 4 103

49. Actions taken in the past three years or planned to improve the efficiency of new plant reviews 104

50. Unresolved policy issues regarding the licensing of small modular light-water reactors 105

51. Unresolved policy issues regarding the licensing of advanced non-light water reactors 110

52. Status of preparations to review non-light water reactor applications 110 iii

RESOURCES

1. Will Project Aim 2020 conclude in early 2018, or will it continue pursuing additional improvements? If Project Aim will continue, please describe any new or additional actions taken or planned, including milestones for completion of such actions.

In June 2015, the Commission approved 19 discrete Project Aim tasks intended to improve NRCs efficiency and agility, as well as right size the agencys workforce to its workload, while retaining employees with the skills necessary to accomplish its safety and security mission and streamline processes. In 2017, the NRC completed the major deliverables for each of the 19 Project Aim tasks. The deliverables for some of the tasks entailed full implementation of the task, while others included detailed proposals and implementation plans for activities to be implemented in the future. The NRC staff is completing follow-on actions to implement recommendations, which will continue to affect and shape NRCs line organizations going forward. The NRC staff continues to provide a quarterly Project Aim status report to the Commission (attached as Appendix A), which will be transmitted with this report each quarter.

The NRC Chairmans June 29, 2017, and October 25, 2017, letters to Senators Cochran and Leahy, on the progress of certain licensing actions and right-sizing commitments indicated that one of the 19 completed tasks implemented a re-baselining effort, which identified 150 activities to be shed, deferred, or performed with fewer resources.

The NRC continues to institutionalize the actions related to Project Aim and pursue additional activities. The table below describes two such activities that continue the objectives of Project Aim and demonstrate the NRCs continued commitment to effectiveness and efficiency. These and other Project Aim initiatives are now integrated with other agency efforts.

Initiative Milestones Notes Develop an agency-level Project initiation: April 20, 2017 Idea Greenhouse program and Innovation Forum to January 26, 2018: Develop Draft Completed capture and refine staff Communication Strategy recommendations to improve NRC operations February 2, 2018: Launch Completed SharePoint site for idea submittals for evaluation and tracking the status of the ideas February 23, 2018: Implement Completed Communications Strategy on Agency-wide Implementation of Innovation Programs March 30, 2018: Operation of Competed Office/Region-Level Innovation Program March 30, 2018: Finalize Processes for Agency Innovation Completed 1

Initiative Milestones Notes Forum to evaluate ideas and present recommendations to Senior Leadership Implement an enhanced Project initiation 07/29/2017 Piloting the process with strategic workforce planning three offices to test a (SWP) process that will variety of guidance, improve workforce templates, and tools, and management by focusing on to refine the process strategic human capital before launching management and longer- agencywide.

term planning Train supervisors in SWP concepts and process 10/11/17 Completed Pilot offices deliver workload forecast (execution year+1 and execution year+5) 12/12/17 Completed Deliverable: Workforce Demand Completed Analysis 01/31/18 Deliverable: Workforce Supply Completed Analysis 03/09/18 Deliverable: Prioritized list of On track gaps and surpluses 04/26/18 (revised from 05/07/18)

Deliverable: Strategies to On track address gaps and surpluses 05/11/18 (revised from 06/22/18)

Pilot Report to the Executive Final report will include a Director for Operations (EDO) determination of 06/08/18 strengths, challenges, and scalability of the process.

2. Consistent with the workload forecast done under Project Aim 2020, to what extent has the NRC incorporated five-year workload planning into its policies and procedures, e.g.,

strategic planning and budget formulation? Please describe the actions taken or planned.

On July 5, 2017, the NRCs EDO initiated a three-office pilot of an enhanced SWP process that better integrates workload projection, skills identification, human capital management, individual development, and workforce management activities (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML17178A284). The pilot implements the process described in an April 19, 2017, memo, Proposed Enhancements to NRCS Strategic Workforce Planning (ADAMS Accession No. ML17109A319). As currently envisioned, the enhanced SWP has an annual cycle that ensures the insights from both one-year and five-year workload forecasts are considered in NRC strategic planning, human capital management, and budget formulation activities. The actions taken and planned for the SWP pilot are outlined in 2

the table in the response to Question 1, above. Depending on the results of the pilot, the agency expects to adopt the enhanced strategic workforce planning process agencywide in 2018, which will fully incorporate five-year workload planning into other established processes.

3. Please provide the total number of staff and corporate support staff (FTE), budgeted vs actual, for the agency and in each of the following offices: Nuclear Reactor Regulation, New Reactors, Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Nuclear Security and Incident Response, Nuclear Regulatory Research, Uranium Recovery, Decommissioning, and each regional office. Please provide this information for the current month, each of the previous eleven months, and projections for each of the twelve months going forward. Please do not divide by twelve.

• NOTE: the March 2018 report includes updated FY 2018 FTE allocations based on the enacted budget.

3

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Agency Level FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 250.3 1772.1 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 247.9 2020.0 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 245.6 2265.6 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 245.1 2510.7 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 244.2 2754.9 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 243.2 2998.1 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 242.8 3240.9 3405 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 241.3 241.3 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 240.8 482.1 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 240.4 722.5 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 238.2 960.7 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 237.7 1198.4 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 236.8 1435.2 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 235.9 1671.1 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 235.3 1906.4 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 235.3 2141.7 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 235.4 2377.1 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 235.0 2612.1 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 235.0 2847.1 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 235.1 3082.2 3195 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 235.3 235.3 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 235.3 470.6 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 235.3 705.9 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 235.4 941.3 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 235.4 1176.7 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 235.4 1412.1 3255 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes staff in the Office of the Inspector General.

5 Includes reimbursable FTE for work performed for other Federal agencies and non-Federal organizations.

6 FY 2019 Agency Level FTE includes FTE associated with the High-Level Waste Program (HLW) activities.

The Office Level tables, however, do not include the annual budgeted FTE for the HLW program; FTE will be allocated at the Office Level in future reports, if funds are enacted.

4

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for Budget FTE the Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 37.5 266.1 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 37.2 303.3 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 36.6 339.9 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 36.5 376.4 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 36.4 412.8 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 36.4 449.2 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 36.1 485.3 488 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 35.9 35.9 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 34.7 70.6 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 34.5 105.1 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 34.5 139.6 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 34.3 173.9 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 34.4 208.3 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 34.5 242.8 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 34.5 277.3 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 34.5 311.8 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 34.5 346.3 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 34.4 380.7 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 34.4 415.1 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 34.4 449.5 451 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 34.4 34.4 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 34.3 68.7 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 34.3 103.0 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 34.3 137.3 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 34.3 171.6 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 34.3 205.9 451 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in NRR.

5 Includes reimbursable FTE for work performed for other Federal agencies and non-Federal organizations.

5

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of New Reactors FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 22.7 162.1 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 22.4 184.5 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 22.3 206.8 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 22.4 229.2 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 22.2 251.4 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 22.1 273.5 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 22.0 295.5 313 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 22.0 22.0 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 21.9 43.9 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 21.6 65.5 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 20.8 86.3 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 20.9 107.2 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 20.6 127.8 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 20.6 148.4 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 20.5 168.9 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 20.5 189.4 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 20.6 210.0 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 20.5 230.5 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 20.5 251.0 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 20.5 271.5 275 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 20.6 20.6 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 20.7 41.3 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 20.7 62.0 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 20.7 82.7 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 20.7 103.4 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 20.7 124.1 263 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in NRO.

5 Includes reimbursable FTE for work performed for other Federal agencies and non-Federal organizations.

6

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 22.1 156.8 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 21.9 178.7 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 21.7 200.4 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 22.0 222.4 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 21.9 244.3 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 21.9 266.2 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 21.9 288.1 297 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 21.5 21.5 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 23.1 44.6 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 23.2 67.8 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 23.3 91.1 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 23.4 114.5 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 23.3 137.8 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 23.2 161.0 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 23.1 184.1 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 23.0 207.1 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 23.0 230.1 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 23.0 253.1 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 23.0 276.1 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 23.0 299.1 312 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 23.0 23.0 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 23.0 46.0 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 23.0 69.0 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 23.0 92.0 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 23.0 115.0 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 23.0 138.0 292 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Provides all staff in NMSS, including FTE for Uranium Recovery and Reactor Decommissioning.

5 Includes reimbursable FTE for work performed for other Federal agencies and non-Federal organizations.

7

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 15.6 112.0 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 15.4 127.4 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 15.3 142.7 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 15.3 158.0 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 15.3 173.3 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 15.3 188.6 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 15.1 203.7 197 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 15.0 15.0 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 14.9 29.9 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 15.1 45.0 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 15.3 60.3 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 15.2 75.5 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 15.3 90.8 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 15.3 106.1 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 15.4 121.5 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 15.4 136.9 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 15.4 152.3 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 15.4 167.7 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 15.4 183.1 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 15.4 198.5 201 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 15.3 15.3 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 15.3 30.6 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 15.3 45.9 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 15.3 61.2 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 15.3 76.5 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 15.3 91.8 208 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in RES.

5 Includes reimbursable FTE for work performed for other Federal agencies and non-Federal organizations.

8

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 13.6 95.6 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 13.4 109.0 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 13.3 122.3 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 13.0 135.3 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 12.9 148.2 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 12.9 161.1 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 12.9 174.0 182 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 13.0 13.0 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 13.1 26.1 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 13.2 39.3 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 13.1 52.4 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 13.0 65.4 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 12.9 78.3 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 12.8 91.1 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 12.7 103.8 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 12.7 116.5 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 12.8 129.3 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 12.8 142.1 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 12.8 154.9 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 12.8 167.7 176 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 12.8 12.8 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 12.8 25.6 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 12.8 38.4 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 12.8 51.2 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 12.8 64.0 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 12.8 76.8 168 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in NSIR.

5 Includes reimbursable FTE for work performed for other Federal agencies and non-Federal organizations.

9

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Uranium Recovery FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 1.7 11.9 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 1.7 13.6 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 1.7 15.3 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 1.7 17.0 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 1.7 18.7 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 1.7 20.4 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 1.6 22.0 31 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 1.6 1.6 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 1.6 3.2 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 1.6 4.8 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 1.5 6.3 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 1.5 7.8 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 1.5 9.3 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 1.4 10.7 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 1.4 12.1 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 1.4 13.5 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 1.5 15.0 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 1.5 16.5 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 1.5 18.0 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 1.5 19.5 30 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 1.5 1.5 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 1.5 3.0 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 1.5 4.5 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 1.5 6.0 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 1.5 7.5 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 1.5 9.0 15 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in the Uranium Recovery Branch of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS), and relevant staff in the following:

Environmental Review Branch, NMSS; Division of Materials Safety, State, Tribal, and Rulemaking Programs, NMSS; Fuel Cycle and Decommissioning Branch, Region IV; Office of General Counsel (OGC); and Atomic Safety Licensing Board Panel (ASLB).

10

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Decommissioning FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 3.3 23.2 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 3.3 26.5 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 3.4 29.9 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 3.4 33.3 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 3.5 36.8 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 3.5 40.3 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 3.5 43.8 37 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 3.5 3.5 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 3.5 7.0 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 3.5 10.5 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 3.4 13.9 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 3.4 17.3 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 3.4 20.7 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 3.3 24.0 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 3.2 27.2 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 3.2 30.4 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 3.2 33.6 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 3.3 36.9 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 3.3 40.2 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 3.3 43.5 37 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 3.3 3.3 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 3.3 6.6 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 3.3 9.9 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 3.3 13.2 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 3.3 16.5 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 3.3 19.8 35 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in the Reactor and Materials Decommissioning Branches of NMSS, plus relevant contributions from staff in OGC, R-I, and R-III. No mission support staff, second level and above supervisory staff, or staff support from other offices is included.

11

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region I FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 15.4 109.9 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 15.2 125.1 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 15.3 140.4 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 15.5 155.9 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 15.7 171.6 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 15.6 187.2 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 15.5 202.7 209 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 15.4 15.4 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 15.5 30.9 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 15.4 46.3 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 15.1 61.4 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 14.9 76.3 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 14.8 91.1 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 14.7 105.8 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 14.7 120.5 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 14.7 135.2 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 14.6 149.8 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 14.6 164.4 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 14.6 179.0 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 14.6 193.6 198 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 14.6 14.6 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 14.6 29.2 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 14.6 43.8 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 14.6 58.4 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 14.6 73.0 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 14.6 87.6 195 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in R-I.

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 20.3 141.4 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 20.2 161.6 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 20.3 181.9 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 20.0 201.9 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 19.9 221.8 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 19.8 241.6 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 19.8 261.4 274 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 19.7 19.7 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 19.6 39.3 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 19.6 58.9 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 19.4 78.3 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 19.3 97.6 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 19.1 116.7 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 19.1 135.8 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 19.1 154.9 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 19.1 174.0 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 19.0 193.0 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 18.9 211.9 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 18.9 230.8 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 18.9 249.7 253 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 18.9 18.9 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 18.9 37.8 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 18.9 56.7 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 18.9 75.6 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 18.9 94.5 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 18.9 113.4 249 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in R-II.

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region III FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 14.3 99.7 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 14.3 114.0 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 14.3 128.3 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 14.5 142.8 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 14.4 157.2 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 14.2 171.4 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 14.2 185.6 197 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 14.3 14.3 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 14.3 28.6 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 14.3 42.9 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 14.1 57.0 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 14.0 71.0 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 13.9 84.9 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 14.0 98.9 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 13.9 112.8 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 14.0 126.8 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 13.9 140.7 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 13.9 154.6 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 13.9 168.5 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 13.9 182.4 188 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 13.9 13.9 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 13.9 27.8 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 13.9 41.7 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 13.9 55.6 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 13.9 69.5 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 13.9 83.4 182 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in R-III.

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region IV FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Annual Period Year to Date FTE for the Budget FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 13.4 96.6 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 13.2 109.8 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 13.0 122.8 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 13.0 135.8 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 13.0 148.8 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 13.0 161.8 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 12.8 174.6 187 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 12.6 12.6 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 12.6 25.2 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 12.7 37.9 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 12.8 50.7 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 12.9 63.6 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 12.9 76.5 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 13.0 89.5 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 12.9 102.4 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 12.8 115.2 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 13.0 128.2 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 13.0 141.2 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 13.0 154.2 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 13.0 167.2 175 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 13.0 13.0 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 13.0 26.0 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 13.0 39.0 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 13.1 52.1 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 13.1 65.2 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 13.1 78.3 169 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in R-IV.

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Corporate Support Functions FTE Actuals and Projections 11 Months Prior and 12 Months Future Data as of 03/17/2018 Actual/

Fiscal Projected Period Year to Date FTE for the FTE Period 03/19/2017 - 04/15/2017 40.1 285.3 04/16/2017 - 05/13/2017 39.3 324.6 05/14/2017 - 06/10/2017 38.4 363.0 06/11/2017 - 07/08/2017 38.2 401.2 07/09/2017 - 08/05/2017 37.9 439.1 08/06/2017 - 09/02/2017 37.4 476.5 09/03/2017 - 09/30/2017 37.3 513.8 594 FY 2017 10/01/2017 - 10/28/2017 36.9 36.9 10/29/2017 - 11/25/2017 36.0 72.9 11/26/2017 - 12/23/2017 35.8 108.7 12/24/2017 - 01/20/2018 35.3 144.0 01/21/2018 - 02/17/2018 35.2 179.2 02/18/2018 - 03/17/2018 34.9 214.1 03/18/2018 - 04/14/2018 34.8 248.9 04/15/2018 - 05/12/2018 34.8 283.7 05/13/2018 - 06/09/2018 34.8 318.5 06/10/2018 - 07/07/2018 34.9 353.4 07/08/2018 - 08/04/2018 34.9 388.3 08/05/2018 - 09/01/2018 34.9 423.2 09/02/2018 - 09/29/2018 34.9 458.1 510 FY 2018 09/30/2018 - 10/27/2018 34.9 34.9 10/28/2018 - 11/24/2018 34.9 69.8 11/25/2018 - 12/22/2018 34.9 104.7 12/23/2018 - 01/19/2019 34.9 139.6 01/20/2019 - 02/16/2019 34.9 174.5 02/17/2019 - 03/16/2019 34.9 209.4 506 FY 2019 Notes: 1 Data are reported in two-pay-period groups because of the biweekly payroll cycle.

2 Actual/projected FTE for the period reflects FTE utilization (or projected utilization).

3 Projection is approximately 1/12th of total year FTE expenditures, adjusted for known future gains and losses through the end of the fiscal year.

4 Includes all staff in the following corporate support offices: Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Administration, Office of Small Business and Civil Rights, and Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer.

5 Includes reimbursable FTE for work performed for other Federal agencies and non-Federal organizations.

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4. Please describe the status of actions taken or planned to reduce corporate support costs, including efforts to reduce office space in the Three While Flint North building and in the regional offices. Please include goals for space reductions and cost savings, as well as the estimated date to achieve those goals.

The NRC remains committed to identifying and achieving efficiencies in the corporate support area. In the SRM to the Project Aim Report, the Commission directed the staff to re-baseline the agencys workloadfocusing on statutory mandates, as well as work pertaining to the agencys safety and security mission. In addition, in SECY-16-0035, Additional Re-baselining Products, the NRC staff identified other actions that could provide additional efficiencies in the long-term. The remaining outstanding planned reductions are contained in the table below and will continue to be updated as they are achieved. Items listed as complete in the previous months report have been removed from the table.

Product Line Total $ Fiscal Description FTE Status (M)* Year Additional Re-baselining Products (SECY-16-0035)

Administrative Reduce Office Space in Three White Flint North -4.0 0 In process FY 2019 -

Services FY 2021 Administrative Reduce Office Space in the Regions -1.2 0 In process FY 2018 -

Services FY 2022 Administrative Workstation Efficiencies TBD TBD In process FY 2019 Services and Information Technology Subtotal - Additional Re-baselining Reductions -$5.2 0.0 Other Corporate Support Reductions Information IT Infrastructure Support - the agency expects to -3.6 0 In process FY 2018 Technology realize a 10 to 15 percent drop in contract expenses resulting from a new acquisition strategy.

Subtotal - Other Corporate Support -$3.6 0.0 Total -$8.8 0.0

• Total includes any FTE cost.

Reduction of Office Space.

NRC office space is currently comprised of a Headquarters Campus in Rockville, MD (One White Flint North (OWFN), Two White Flint North (TWFN), and partial space in Three White Flint North (3WFN)), a warehouse, four regional office buildings, and a technical training center.

From FY 2013 through FY 2015, NRC relinquished a net total of 364,997 useable square feet (USF) at its headquarters by shedding a total of eight floors in the 3WFN building and four temporary satellite locations. As a result, the agencys headquarters office space now consists of OWFN, TWFN, and five floors and the B1 level of 3WFN. On March 19, 2018, pursuant to the annual reporting requirements of the Federal Property Management Reform Act of 2016, the staff submitted its Draft FY 2019 through FY 2023 Real Property Efficiency Plan to the Federal Real Property Council. The plan outlines NRCs space reduction strategy over the 5 year 17

period. NRC now plans to relinquish an additional 141,000 USF of office space at its headquarters location and four regional office locations, from FY 2019 through FY 2022. This space consists of four floors in 3WFN totaling 93,000 USF, and approximately 48,000 USF at the regional locations, by consolidating at headquarters and within each regional office location.

NRCs proposed agency-wide total space reduction goals by fiscal year are shown in the table below.

NRC Square Foot Reduction Goals FY 2019 - FY 2022 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 Office Target (Net SF Reduction) 31,561 83,439 11,000 15,000 Significantly reducing costs by releasing the space will be a challenge due to the non-cancelable terms of many of the occupancy agreements and leases, including the terms of 3WFN. However, NRC is working with the General Services Administration (GSA) to identify potential tenants for both 3WFN and the regional office locations. The pursuit of backfill tenants resulted in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signing an occupancy agreement to backfill one additional floor in 3WFN in FY 2019 (revised from last months report), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) signing an occupancy agreement to backfill the remaining three floors as they become available in the FY 2019 through FY 2021 timeframe. Regional office space reductions can be achieved by reconfiguring the existing space to use fewer square feet, thereby allowing for unused blocks of space to be released. However, with the exception of NRCs Region III office in Lisle, IL, rent savings will not be achieved until GSA identifies and places a new tenant into the released space, or until such time as the terms of the NRCs current leases allow. The timing and scope of the regional reductions will be refined as NRC works to finalize each locations relinquishment plan, however the current square footage estimates and schedules for release are as follows: Region III, Lisle, IL, 7,000 USF in late FY 2018; Region II, Atlanta, GA, 15,000 USF in FY 2019;, Region IV, Arlington, TX, 11,000 USF in FY 2021, and Region I, King of Prussia, PA, 15,000 USF in FY 2022.

Per the terms of occupancy agreements signed by FDA and NIH regarding the backfill of the four floors to be released in 3WFN, the NRC anticipates an annual reduction of $1 million per floor for each floor relinquished upon a new tenant taking the space. The agency now anticipates rent costs to begin decreasing in October 2018 when FDA has agreed to occupy the 2nd floor of 3WFN, and again by early FY 2020 as NIH begins to occupy the remaining three floors. Once the release of NRCs space is complete in FY 2021, the agency will realize a total annual reduction of $4 million in office space costs going forward. Cost reductions for the regional locations are likewise dependent upon successful and timely leasing of the space to new tenants. The annual reduction in costs for the regional office space is anticipated to average approximately $300,000 per regional office. As a result of the planned space reductions, NRC anticipates an annual total rent reduction of $5.2 million from FY 2022 forward, as compared to FY 2018.

5. Please describe the status of efforts to provide greater transparency, timeliness, and itemization in invoices to applicants and licensees, including any progress toward electronic invoicing and payment. Please include near-term (within 6 months), medium-term (6 to 12 months), and long-term (greater than 12 months) milestones.

Improvements to invoices showing itemized charges by standard codes for greater transparency and timeliness.

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Near-Term:

• The NRC will continue to evaluate feedback on the changes to the invoices.

Medium-Term:

• The Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) is working with an intra-agency working group during FY 2018 to implement a standardized 10 CFR Part 170 (fees for service) fee billing validation process, and establish standardized roles and responsibilities. The working group will develop, pilot, and finalize the process. OCFO will provide training to all staff involved in the billing process. OCFO is on target for a completion date of October 1, 2018.

Progress towards electronic invoicing and payment.

The NRC is currently in the planning phase of the electronic invoicing (eBilling) project, which includes the following tasks:

Near-Term:

• Update the current as-is fee billing processes and fee billing information technology systems for OCFO acceptance (in progress).

• Continue to perform requirements analysis on items that may impact the fee billing process and systems (in progress).

• Work with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) to reach out to a sampling of industry stakeholders to gather their input on desired features (in progress).

• Collect and consolidate industry stakeholders input for the eBilling tool (in progress).

• Communicate consolidated initial features to industry participants (in progress).

• Conduct market research for eBilling tool selection (in progress).

• Select an eBilling tool.

Medium-Term:

• Establish the initial eBilling solution based on the eBilling tool selected, outreach activities, lesson learned opportunities, and a requirements analysis.

• Reach out to stakeholders for input on the initial eBilling proposed solution and to identify licensees to participate in phased-approach implementation pilot.

• Develop a phased-approach and corresponding project plan to implement the eBilling solution based on stakeholder feedback.

Long-Term:

• Execute the eBilling solution. The initial phased approach deployment is planned to occur on or about October 2019.

• Continue to perform outreach activities with stakeholders.

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6. Please provide a list of alI new research initiated during the reporting period. For each new project, please provide the estimated timeframe and resources necessary for completion, and a description of the safety significance of the research.

During the month of March 2018, the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) initiated research on or substantially revised the following research:

Estimated Estimated Safety Significance of Name of New or Revised Project Completion Resources Research Activity No New or Revised Research Activities to Report for March 2018 Comments:

The table above provides projects that were reviewed and approved during the monthly reporting period for projects that exceed 300 staff hours or $500K of program support.

URANIUM RECOVERY

7. For major uranium recovery licensing actions, please provide a table including the date the application was filed, the duration of the application review, the originally forecasted completion date, the currently forecasted completion date, and the total current amount of fees billed to the licensee/applicant for the review.

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Major Uranium Recovery Licensing Actions (1)

Originally Currently Total Current Fees Licensing Duration of Site/Facility Date of Forecasted Forecasted Billed (through Licensee Action Review (2)

Name Submittal Completion Completion December 23, Type (months)

Date Date 2017)

Uranium Ludeman Expansion 12/06/2011 71.0 08/14/2013 08/31/2018 $2,210,317.74 One (3)

Kennecott Sweetwater Renewal 09/08/2014 40.5 12/31/2016 08/31/2018 $1,780,312.25 Crow Butte Resources Marsland Expansion 06/20/2012 66.0 02/14/2015 05/25/2018 $3,896,953.70 (Cameco)

(4)

Power Resources Smith Ranch Renewal 02/01/2012 69.0 07/05/2015 09/27/2018 $2,510,994.99 (Cameco)(5)

KM Lost Creek, Horizon/LC Expansion 02/27/2017 11.0 08/07/2018 08/07/2018 $1,409,796.95 ISR (6)

East Notes:

1. NRC staff completed a self-assessment of the uranium recovery licensing process in 2017. The review compared the uranium recovery licensing process to other licensing groups within the NRC to identify best practices. The review identified several recommendations for improvements to the uranium recovery licensing process. A number of these recommendations, such as the use of schedule letters to communicate changes in review schedules and developing tools to better track project status have already been implemented. In addition, in 2016, the uranium recovery program established an agency metric that tracks the percentage of major milestones completed on schedule. The uranium recovery staff anticipates that implementing these changes will result in future efficiencies in the uranium recovery licensing process.

2. The duration of review is the total amount of time the application has been under consideration, starting when the application was accepted for review by the NRC staff. The NRCs goal is to complete major reviews within 36 months from acceptance of the application. The duration of review includes periods of delay that could be attributed to the NRC staff, the licensee, or both.

3. The duration of review has been primarily impacted by the applicants change in the design of the facility during the review process. The duration of review has also been impacted by a prior limited availability of health physics reviewers.

4. The duration review has been impacted by the applicants timeliness in responding to NRC staffs RAI.

5. The duration review has been primarily impacted by delays in applicant providing adequate responses to NRC staffs RAI.

6. Currently forecasted completion date represents completion of NRC safety evaluation report. The NRC staff continues to coordinate with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in its preparation of the environmental impact statement (EIS) in accordance with the BLM/NRC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the letter of December 4, 2014, designating BLM as the lead agency and the NRC as a cooperating agency. The BLM is scheduled to publish the final EIS in December 2018.

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8. For major uranium recovery licensing actions, please provide a brief description of the status of each review, including* projected budget and timeline for both the environmental impact statement and the safety evaluation report.

The table below provides the status of major uranium recovery licensing actions currently under review, the timeline for completing the associated EISs and safety evaluation reports (SERs),

and the total projected budget per project.

The NRC does not formulate its budget at the project level. The budget for the Uranium Recovery Program is formulated at a higher level using budget models for the number, type, and complexity of reviews anticipated. The projected budget information reported below includes the program staff and contract support resource estimates to perform the safety and environmental reviews from submittal to licensing decision, excluding resources for OGCs reviews, hearings, mission support, supervisory support, travel, and allocated agency corporate support resources. The estimates are based on budget models for different types (such as expansions, renewals, and new licenses) and complexities of major licensing action reviews.

The NRC staffs goal is to complete the review of major licensing actions within 3 years; however, the staff estimates that smaller, less complex applications may be reviewed in 2 years, while larger, more complex, applications may require up to 4 years to review.

Uranium Application Review Status and Projected Budget Recovery Accepted Applicant for Review Cameco North 08/28/07 On December 16, 2015, the licensee requested the NRC Trend staff to stop its review of the North Trend application and Expansion(1) to instead focus its efforts on the review of the Marsland expansion. The SER for the North Trend expansion was completed in July 2013. The NRC staff has suspended its work related to the development of the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and conduct of Section 106 consultations pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act. In addition, the hearing to address contentions related to groundwater is on hold, pending completion of the NRC staffs environmental review.

The projected total budget to conduct the review is 3.0 FTE and $600K.

Uranium One 05/16/12 The NRC staff completed the draft EA on February 27, Ludeman 2018. Work will continue on the final EA, which is Expansion expected to be completed by August 3, 2018. The NRC staff completed its safety review documented in the final SER on March 1, 2018. The NRC staff is on schedule to make a licensing decision by August 31, 2018.

The projected total budget to conduct the review is 3.0 FTE and $600K.

Cameco 07/05/12 Environmental and safety reviews are in progress. The Smith Ranch NRC staff and Cameco met on February 21, 2018, to License discuss Camecos RAI responses. Cameco submitted Renewal(1) updated RAI responses related to hydrogeology on March 7, 2018. Staff understands that Cameco is working 22

Uranium Application Review Status and Projected Budget Recovery Accepted Applicant for Review to resolve the remaining RAI responses. The NRC staffs SER and EA completion dates in September 2018 were based on receipt of Camecos RAI responses by January 19, 2018. The NRC staff will reassess the schedule for completion of the SER and EA, once all the RAI responses are received.

The projected total budget to conduct the review is 3.5 FTE.

Cameco Crow 10/05/12 The NRC staff completed its safety review for the final Butte SER on January 29, 2018. The staff plans to complete Marsland the final EA in April 2018, and make a final licensing Expansion(1) decision in May 2018. The Marsland expansion review has an admitted contention that will go to hearing after completion of the NRC staffs review.

The projected total budget to conduct the review is 3.0 FTE and $600K.

Hydro 06/24/13 The sites, located very close to Navajo Nation lands, were Resources, licensed in 1998. Construction has not yet commenced.

Inc. (HRI) The license renewal review was placed in abeyance on License November 13, 2014, while HRI continues its work with the Renewal Navajo Nation Council. In March 2016 the NRC approved the transfer of control of the license from the HRI parent company, Uranium Resources, Inc., to Laramide Resources. The parties finalized the transaction in January 2017. The schedule for remaining milestones associated with the licensing review is to be determined.

The projected total budget to conduct the review is 2.6 FTE.

Kennecott 11/25/14 The licensee has maintained the facility in stand-by since Sweetwater 1983, waiting on better market conditions to resume License operations. The staff completed its SER in February Renewal 2018. The draft EA was completed on March 27, 2018, and the final EA is scheduled to be completed on July 20, 2018. The review is on schedule to reach a licensing decision in August 2018.

The projected total budget to conduct the review is 0.5 FTE.

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Uranium Application Review Status and Projected Budget Recovery Accepted Applicant for Review Strata 01/14/16 On May 27, 2016, and September 14, 2016, the NRC staff Kendrick issued RAIs for the environmental review and for the Expansion safety review, respectively. On December 15, 2016, the licensee requested that the NRC cease all activities related to this review. As a result of the licensees request, the NRC staff is no longer reviewing this licensing action. The staffs safety and environmental reviews, including development of the Supplemental EIS, are on hold.

The projected total budget to conduct the review is 3.5 FTE and $1500K, which includes completing the EIS.

Lost Creek 05/02/17 By letter dated February 27, 2017, the licensee KM resubmitted a revised application. The NRC staff has Horizon/East accepted the application for review on May 2, 2017. The Expansion NRC staff continues to coordinate with the BLM in its preparation of the EIS in accordance with the BLM/NRC MOU and the letter of December 4, 2014, designating BLM as the lead agency and NRC as a cooperating agency. BLM is scheduled to publish the final EIS in December 2018. The NRC staff is submitting its RAIs in batches in order to support BLMs schedule for issuing the EIS. The NRC staff issued its initial set of RAIs on July 27, 2017, its second set of RAIs on August 28, 2017, and its third set of RAIs on October 30, 2017. The final safety evaluation report is scheduled to be completed in August 2018.

The projected total budget to conduct the review is 3.0 FTE.

Cameco Three Crow is an expansion of the operating Crow Butte Three Crow facility located in Crawford, NE. The NRC staff started its Expansion(1) acceptance review on March 3, 2011, and was waiting for the licensee to complete changes in its design prior to acceptance. However, in November 2014, the licensee requested that the NRC staff place the review on hold and instead focus efforts on the review of the Marsland expansion. The acceptance review remains on hold.

Notes:

1. On February 9, 2018, Cameco announced that it is ceasing U.S. operations due to an expectation of prolonged poor uranium market conditions. The NRC staff is proceeding with its licensing reviews while seeking further information from Cameco regarding its licensing plans.

9. For minor uranium recovery licensing actions, please provide the following information each reporting period, including any months previously reported, in this format:

a. Size of inventory;

b. Number of acceptance reviews completed on time;

c. The number of items completed in the period being reported; and 24

d. Of the items completed in the reporting period, the number completed within the forecasted schedule.

e. Please identify any unusually complex items omitted from the inventory and provide the age of the item, a brief description of the item, the justification for omitting it from the inventory size, and an explanation for any review exceeding its original schedule by 125 percent.

Number of Unusually Number of Number of Items Complex Acceptance Items Completed Items Reviews Completed Within Omitted Size of Completed During Forecasted from Month/Year Inventory on Time(1) Month Schedule(2) Inventory Nov-2017 21 NA 2 1 0 Dec-2017 21 1 0 0 0 Jan-2018 21(3) 1 1 1 0 Feb-2018 19 2 2 2 0 Mar-2018 11 NA 8 8 0 Notes:

1. NA means no acceptance reviews were due.

2. This column represents the total number of minor licensing actions completed within the staffs forecasted schedule in a particular month. At times, the uranium recovery staff has to divert resources from minor licensing actions to address oversight of operating sites, emergent issues, and major licensing actions. When this occurs, the NRC staff tries to accommodate the licensees priorities for completion of minor licensing actions.

However, this has impacted the staffs ability to complete minor licensing actions within the forecasted schedule.

3. The size of the inventory for January has been decreased to account for the completion of a licensing action on January 31, 2018.

10. Please provide a concise summary of the status of the process for the State of Wyoming to become an Agreement State.

On February 27, 2015, Governor Matt Meade of Wyoming submitted a letter of intent for the State of Wyoming to become an Agreement State, under a limited agreement to regulate source and byproduct material (as defined in § 11e.(2) of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA)). A limited agreement is an agreement where a State assumes regulatory authority for a subset of the types and quantities of radioactive material that a State could assume authority for under the AEA. This agreement would authorize the State of Wyoming to assume regulatory authority over uranium and thorium milling (e.g., conventional and in-situ uranium recovery activities), the possession and use of source material involved in the extraction and concentration of uranium and thorium in source material and ores at milling facilities, and the management and disposal of byproduct material as defined in Section 11e.(2) of the AEA.

The NRC and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have worked closely to facilitate the timely completion of the Agreement through biweekly conference calls, in-person meetings, emails, and letters. As an interim step, the NRC staff, on July 5, 2016, requested Commission approval of the State of Wyomings proposed approach to submit a draft 25

application for a limited agreement. Under this approach six Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) sites would have been transferred to Wyoming under the Agreement.

On August 3, 2016, the Commission approved this approach in SRM-SECY-16-0084.

On October 28, 2016, the State of Wyoming submitted a draft application for a limited agreement. The draft application proposed that the NRC retain jurisdiction over the six UMTRCA sites. In response to the draft application, the NRC staff had lengthy discussions with the State of Wyoming, after which the State of Wyoming proposed to include five UMTRCA sites in its final application. On August 16, 2017, the NRC staff recommended that the Commission approve the retention of NRCs regulatory authority over one of the six UMTRCA sites excluded in the State of Wyomings draft application (i.e., the American Nuclear Corporation (ANC) site in Gas Hills, Wyoming). On October 4, 2017, the Commission approved the staffs proposal in SRM-SECY-17-0081.

In parallel with resolving the jurisdiction of the six UMTRCA sites, the NRC staff provided comments to Wyoming DEQ on the draft application in an April 20, 2017, letter. On June 22, July 17, and August 16, 2017, Wyoming DEQ provided written responses to address NRCs comments.

On November 14, 2017, the State of Wyoming submitted its formal request for an Agreement.

Since the submittal of the final application, the NRC staff has reviewed the package to ensure that the States program is adequate and compatible with the NRCs program. The NRC staff provided feedback to the State of Wyoming both officially (comment letter) and informally (bi-weekly teleconferences). On March 5, 2018, the State of Wyoming submitted revisions to its final application, addressing the NRC staff comments. The NRC staff is reviewing the States response to these staff comments and intends to request Commission approval to publish the draft agreement and staffs assessment for public comment in the next 30 days.

11. Please provide a concise summary of the specific actions planned to improve the efficiency of reviews conducted for compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, including implementation dates for completion. Please describe any progress made during the reporting period.

The Section 106 process under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires Federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on historic properties and afford the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) a reasonable opportunity to comment.

Based on lessons learned in the uranium recovery licensing functional area, the NRC has taken a number of actions to facilitate and enhance its Section 106 reviews. Because each licensing or regulatory action differs in scope, the specific activities identified to carry out NRCs obligations under NHPA differ from one licensing or regulatory action to another. The following specific actions have been identified and are being carried out to improve and facilitate compliance with the Section 106 process of the NHPA.

For efficiency, the NRC conducts the Section 106 process in coordination with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process. To the extent possible, the NRCs completion date for its NHPA Section 106 review for a specific licensing action aligns with the date for publishing the final NEPA environmental review document.

In fiscal year 2013, the NRC entered into an interagency agreement with the ACHP, under which the ACHP established a dedicated liaison to provide the NRC with technical assistance with Section 106 reviews of specific licensing actions, as well as relevant training and guidance.

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In June 2014, the NRC published its draft Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) for conducting the Section 106 process specific to uranium recovery licensing actions, Guidance for Conducting the Section 106 Process of the National Historic Preservation Act for Uranium Recovery Licensing Actions (FSME-ISG-02). Due to workload, resources, and other priorities, the NRC has had to delay completion of the ISG until calendar year 2018.

The NRC staff continues to attend and participate in the National Mining Associations (NMAs) annual uranium recovery workshops. The NRC staffs participation includes presentations or panel discussions of the NRCs activities to carry out its NHPA Section 106 obligations, including challenges and potential solutions related to the NHPA Section 106 reviews.

To further improve the agencys NHPA and NEPA processes for licensing activities, the NRC has updated several documents regarding tribal consultation. The NRC published the final Tribal Policy Statement in the Federal Register on January 9, 2017 (82 FR 2402), and revised its Tribal Protocol Manual. The Tribal Protocol Manual is intended to facilitate effective consultations and interactions between the NRC and Tribes.

Consistent with NRCs MOU with BLM, in FY 2017, the NRC staff continued its coordination of NEPA and NHPA Section 106 reviews related to such facilities that require an NRC license to possess and use source and byproduct materials, and are located on public lands under BLMs regulatory authority. The goal of the MOU is to limit, to the extent possible, duplication of consultation, review, and evaluation efforts on a project.

In the past few years, the number of uranium recovery licensing reviews has increased. In addition, the complexity of the Section 106 reviews associated with these licensing actions has grown significantly and, as a result, NRCs consultation efforts with respect to its obligations under Section 106 process have also increased. The NRC acknowledges that implementation of the Section 106 process continues to be a challenge affecting the licensing review schedule.

The NRC staff will continue to evaluate the Section 106 process to identify additional activities that could be taken to continue to facilitate the process.

12. Please provide a concise summary of the progress of the pilot project to establish flat fees for uranium recovery licensees, including specific near-term (6 months), medium-term (6 - 12 months), and long-term (greater than 10 months) milestones necessary to complete the pilot program.

As directed by the Commission, the NRC staff will conduct a flat fee pilot program for routine uranium recovery licensing actions. As described in the staff paper SECY-16-0097, Fee Setting Improvements and Fiscal Year 2017 Proposed Fee Rule, this pilot will involve evaluation of data to collect a representative sample of the costs for various licensing reviews. The staff believes that using data from the previous data recording structure that had less granularity could result in a proposed flat fee that is skewed either high or low for the work delivered. Collecting representative sample of data under the new data recording structure, described in the response to question five, will allow NRC to determine a flat fee that is fair and equitable.

As of June 30, 2017, the agency completed development of a new data recording structure. By September 30, 2017, the NRC trained staff to record the data using the new structure.

Concurrently, the staff began outreach to Agreement States with uranium recovery licensees to 27

understand their fee schedule development process. The new data structure was deployed on October 1, 2017.

Near-Term:

• The NRC staff will record time and attendance, which indicates the hours spent on specific work products, using the new data structure.

• The NRC staff is continuing outreach to the Agreement States with uranium recovery licensees to understand their fee schedules and the process they use to develop those schedules to inform the staffs analysis regarding a flat fee structure. On April 11, 2018, the NRC staff held a teleconference with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to discuss TCEQs methodology for establishing fees for uranium recovery facilities. The NRC staff is evaluating the information provided by TCEQ in order to inform any recommendations for the flat fee pilot program.

Medium-Term:

• After a year of recording data using the new data structure, by November 1, 2018, the staff will begin analysis of the data to develop recommendations.

Long-Term:

• Beginning in January 2019, the staff will engage with stakeholders to solicit for comments and concerns. The analysis and draft recommendations will be completed by the end of April 2019. The recommendations will be included in the FY 2020 fee rule SECY paper due to the Commission on August 15, 2019. These recommendations will continue to address requirements under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to collect approximately 90 percent of the NRCs annual budget through fees, and under the Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1952 to assess user fees that are fair and based on the costs to the government and certain other factors. The Commission is expected to report its decision to Congress by the end of December 2019. The FY 2020 proposed fee rule is expected to be published in January 2020. The FY 2020 final fee rule is expected to be published by May 2020 and would be effective 60 days thereafter.

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LICENSING

13. For operating reactors, new reactors, and uranium recovery licensees, please provide the following information regarding license amendment reviews:

13.a Please provide the following information for the current reporting period, including any information previously reported in the last six months:

i. Size of inventory; ii. The number of items completed in the period being reported; iii. Percentage of acceptance reviews completed on time; iv. The percentage of these items completed within the forecasted schedule;

v. The percentage of these items completed within 125 percent of the forecasted schedule; vi. The percentage of items completed within ten months; vii. The average age for items completed during the month being reported; viii. The ages of the quickest three items completed; and ix. The ages of the slowest three items completed.

Operating Reactors Month/Year Size of No. of Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage Average Ages of the Ages of the Inventory Items of of Items of Items of Items Age for Quickest Slowest (Note 1) Completed Acceptance Completed Completed Completed Items Three Items Three Items in the Reviews within the within 125% within 10 Completed Completed Completed Report Completed Forecasted of Months During (months) (months)

Period on Time Schedule Forecasted Report (Note 2) Schedule Period (Note 3) (months)

Nov-2017 588 46 100% 94% 94% 85% 6.9 <1 <1 <1 21 21 21 Dec-2017 579 93 100% 94% 94% 91% 9.2 <1 <1 1 12 12 12 Jan-2018 495 105 100% 100% 100% 84% 5.7 <1 <1 1 12 12 11 Feb 2018 496 51 94% 86% 90% 76% 7.9 <1 1 1 24 24 24 Mar 2018 558 47 98% 98% 85% 85% 7.5 1 1 1 12 12 12 Note 1: Similar to the licensing actions reported in the yearly CBJ, the inventory does not include unusually complex or Fukushima related licensing actions.

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Note 2: Internal processes track licensing action completions within forecasted scheduled (+ 1 month) [this percentage does not include unusually complex or Fukushima related licensing actions].

Note 3: Internal processes track licensing action completions within 125 percent of the forecasted schedule [this percentage does not include unusually complex or Fukushima related licensing actions].

New Reactors Average Percentage No. of Percentage Percentage Age for of Items Percentage Ages of the Ages of the Items of of Items Items Completed of Items Quickest Slowest Three Size of Completed Acceptance Completed Completed Month/Year within 125% Completed Three Items Items Inventory in the Reviews within the During of within 10 Completed Completed Report Completed Forecasted Report Forecasted Months (months) (months)

Period on Time Schedule Period Schedule (months)

Nov-2017 38 7 100% 86% 100% 100% 6.4 5 5 5 6 7 8 Dec-2017 35 4 75% 50% 100% 100% 4.5 2 4 5 4 5 7 Jan-2018 30 2 50% 50% 100% 50% 8.5 5 12 N/A 12 5 N/A Feb-2018 32 6 67% 67% 100% 83% 6.6 4 4 5 10 7 10 Mar-2018 22 10 80% 80% 100% 100% 5 3 4 4 7 6 5 Uranium Recovery Percent Average Percentage Number of Percentage Percentage age of Age for of Items Items of of Items Items Items Ages of the Ages of the Completed Size of Completed Acceptance Completed Comple Completed Quickest Three Slowest Three Month/Year within 125%

Inventory in the Reviews within ted during Items Completed Items Completed of Report Completed Forecasted within Report (months) (months)

Forecasted Period on Time Schedule 10 Period Schedule Months (months)(1)

Nov-2017 24 2 N/A 50% 50% 50% 24.5 48(2) 1 N/A 48(2) 1 N/A Dec-2017 24 0 0 0% 0% 0% N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 30

Percent Average Percentage Number of Percentage Percentage age of Age for of Items Items of of Items Items Items Ages of the Ages of the Completed Size of Completed Acceptance Completed Comple Completed Quickest Three Slowest Three Month/Year within 125%

Inventory in the Reviews within ted during Items Completed Items Completed of Report Completed Forecasted within Report (months) (months)

Forecasted Period on Time Schedule 10 Period Schedule Months (months)(1)

Jan-2018 24(3) 1 100% 100% 100% 100% 10 10 N/A N/A 10 N/A N/A Feb-2018 22 2 100% 100% 100% 0% 24.5 23.5 25.5 N/A 23.5 25.5 N/A Mar-2018 14 8 N/A 89% 89% 75% 11 1.5 2.0 3.5 39 17.5 7.5 Note 1: The uranium recovery staffs goal is to complete major licensing actions within 36 months of acceptance and minor licensing actions within 12 months of acceptance. At times, the uranium recovery staff has to divert resources from minor licensing actions to address oversight of operating sites, emergent issues, and major licensing actions. When this occurs, the NRC staff tries to accommodate the licensees priorities when determining which minor licensing actions to complete first.

Note 2: One review of a minor licensing action completed in November 2017 required 48 months to complete. This review was low priority for the licensee; therefore, the uranium recovery staff focused on higher priority work until sufficient resources were available to complete the review.

Note 3: The size of the inventory for January has been decreased to account for the completion of a licensing action on January 31, 2018.

13.b For the reporting period, please also provide the following for license amendment requests:

i. The number not accepted for review; and ii. A list of the requests that were withdrawn or denied after being accepted for review including the age of the request at the time it was withdrawn or denied.

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Operating Reactors No. of License Age of the Amendment List the Requests that were Request at the Month/Year Requests Not Withdrawn or Denied after Time it was Accepted for Being Accepted for Review Withdrawn or Review Denied (months)

March 2018 3 Withdrawn: Diablo Canyon, Units 1 and 2 - Revision to Technical Specifications to Adopt Risk-Informed Completion Times TSTF-505, Revision 1, "Provide Risk-Informed Extended Completion Times RITSTF Initiative 4B" (EPID L 2013-LLA-0001)

Withdrawn: Clinton Power 52 Station, Unit 1; Dresden Power Station, Units 2 and 3; James A.

FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant; LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2; Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2; Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station; and Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2 -

Relief Request for MSIV Partial 4 Stroke Testing Frequency (EPID: L-2017-LLR-0134) 32

New Reactors No. of License List the Requests that were Age of the Request at the Amendment Requests Month/Year Withdrawn or Denied after Time it was Withdrawn or Not Accepted for Being Accepted for Review Denied Review (months)

Mar-2018 0 0 N/A Uranium Recovery Number of Amendment List of the Requests that were Age of the Request at the Month/Year Requests Not Accepted Withdrawn or Denied after Time it was Withdrawn or for Review being Accepted for Review Denied (months)

Mar-2018 0 None N/A 13.c Please identify items considered unusually complex items (e.g. criticality reviews, NFPA 805 reviews) and omitted from the

[licensing amendment] inventory including: the age of the item, a brief description of the item, the justification for omitting it from the inventory size and an explanation for any review exceeding its original schedule by 125 percent.

Operating Reactors Note: Unusually complex license amendments are not included in the internal performance measures and their nature does not allow for realistic forecasted schedule development. Rather, they are given escalated management attention to ensure progress is being made towards resolving outstanding issues and completing the reviews in a timely manner.

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• Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF)-505 Reviews o

Description:

These submittals request changes to Technical Specifications (TSs) for the adoption of Risk-Informed Technical Specification Task Force (RITSTF) Initiative 4b, specifically "TSTF-505 Revision 1, Provide Risk-Informed Extended Completion Times." This effort is associated with NEI 06-09, "Risk-Informed Technical Specifications Initiative 4b, Risk-Managed Technical Specifications Guidelines."

o Justification: During review of the Vogtle pilot license amendment requests (LAR) for a risk-informed TS Completion time (RICT) program, a number of issues were raised by NRC staff. These issues resulted in the suspension of TSTF-505 to allow necessary revisions to the process. The NRC has been working with the TSTF group and other stakeholders to resolve the issues and lift the suspension. The four LARs currently under review are being reviewed on a plant-specific basis in parallel with revision of TSTF-505. All of the LARs have been supplemented to address the issues raised with TSTF-505. The supplements represent significant additional information and modifications to the licensee implementation of a RICT program. Although not a complete reset of the review, the additional information and changes to the LARs have added time to the review schedule and may result in the need for additional clarification requests.

Current Reviews Age (Months)

Turkey Point Units 3 & 4 40 Saint Lucie Units 1 & 2 40 Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 & 2 26 Palo Verde Units 1, 2, & 3 33

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 805 Reviews o

Description:

NFPA Standards Council approved NFPA Standard 805, "Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection for Light-Water Reactor Electric Generating Plants, 2001 Edition," on January 13, 2001, as a risk-informed, performance-based standard for existing light-water nuclear power plants. The NRC staff cooperatively participated in the development of NFPA 805 as an alternative to the rules in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix R.

Each submittal requesting implementation of NFPA 805 is over 1000 pages, requires five different technical disciplines to review, and has reviews staggered in an overlapping fashion. At any one time, 30 technical reviewers were active in the NFPA 805 LAR review process. Each NFPA 805 LAR requires at least one regulatory on-site audit; some required return regulatory audits to review on-site documentation and walk-down plant fire areas.

o Justification: The NFPA 805 reviews are voluminous and technically challenging, have unique site-specific issues, have utilized unreviewed analysis methods (UAMs), and required additional response time for RAIs. Some licensees used UAMs that deviated from the acceptable NUREG/CR-6850 methods, and had to be reviewed in-depth by the staff for the first time. To resolve these UAMs, the licensees either perform a sensitivity analysis or redo their fire probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). Due to the complexity of these methods, a great deal of time is required for the staff to prepare initial RAIs, significant time may be required for licensees to provide responses, and several rounds of RAIs may be needed to 34

resolve issues. In some cases, licensees required up to 180 days to respond to the more complex RAIs. This complexity adds greatly to the length of the review.

Current Reviews Age (Months)

Davis-Besse Unit 1 28

• Sequoyah Units 1 & 2 - Updated Final Safety Analysis Reports (UFSARs) Regarding Changes to Hydrologic Analysis o

Description:

To respond to a Confirmatory Action Letter, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA or the licensee) submitted LARs on August 10, 2012, for Sequoyah, Units 1 and 2, that proposed to revise the respective UFSAR, Section 2.4, Hydrologic Engineering, to reflect new probable maximum flood (PMF) levels and the associated changes.

o Justification: During the LAR review in 2013, TVA asked the staff to suspend the review in order to change the methodology from an in-house hydrology model to an industry standard model developed by the US Army Corp of Engineers and supplement the LAR. However, just before the supplement, TVA identified an error in the application of the new model in 2015 and has to re-perform the analyses. In addition, in August 2016, TVA also proposed to use another modern-day rainfall methodology that was not previously approved for licensing actions. The staff is currently reviewing this new rainfall methodology as a topical report for TVA to adopt and submit the final hydrology LAR supplement at the end of 2018. TVA cannot withdraw this LAR because it was credited to close out the 2012 Confirmatory Action Letter.

o Current Age: 67 months

• Saint Lucie Units 1 & 2 and McGuire Units 1 & 2 - Reactor Vessel Internals (RVI) Aging Management Plan License Renewal Commitment o

Description:

Materials Reliability Program: Pressurized Water Reactor Internals Inspection and Evaluation Guidelines, MRP-227-A, provides a generic program for aging management of pressurized water reactor (PWR) RVI. Many applicants made commitments during the license renewal process to implement the industry program (which became MRP-227-A) when it was completed. During calendar year 2012, the owners of seven PWRs, as part of their license renewal commitments, submitted Aging Management Programs (AMP) consistent with the MRP-227-A guidelines for RVI components and/or inspection plans.

o Justification: Since 2013, considerable progress has been made towards resolving technical issues related to the NRC review of the plant-specific MRP-227-A inspection plans. However, responding to the RAIs related to such items as cold-worked components and core design/fuel management requires review of the fabrication records, which are usually held by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). There is a backlog of licensee requests for the OEM to provide this information, resulting in delays of several months to a year.

Current Reviews Age (Months)

Saint Lucie Units 1 & 2 31 McGuire Units 1 & 2 2*

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• Corrected. Acceptance was in January 2018

• Columbia Generating Station - Reclassification of Portions of Reactor Water Cleanup System o

Description:

The licensee is requesting approval to revise the Quality Group designation for the piping, valves, pumps, and mechanical modules located in low temperature portions of the reactor water cleanup (RWCU) system, which is located in the radwaste building, from Quality Group C to Quality Group D.

o Justification: No previous boiling-water reactor license amendment precedent exists for this reclassification; therefore, regulatory documentation and a basis from which to review and consider this amendment are not readily available.

Collecting this documentation will take significant effort.

o Current Age: 20 months

• Seabrook - Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) Licensing Basis Amendment o

Description:

The licensee is requesting revising the current licensing basis to adopt a methodology for the analysis of seismic Category I structures with concrete affected by ASR.

o Justification: Seabrook is the first US nuclear facility to exhibit ASR in concrete structures. As such, this LAR is a first-of-a-kind amendment to a plants licensing basis to include the effects of ASR. In addition, the LAR references licensee conducted research to justify an analysis methodology that has never been used before.

o Current Age: 20 months

• Brunswick Units 1 & 2 - Maximum Extended Load Line Limit Analysis Plus (MELLLA)+ Core Flow Operating Range Expansion o

Description:

The licensee is requesting to revise its technical specifications to allow operation in the MELLLA+ expanded operating domain. This domain increases operating flexibility by allowing control of reactivity at maximum power by changing flow, rather than by control rod insertion and withdrawal.

o Justification: Due to the complexity of the subject, the review involves eight technical branches, and conducting Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) subcommittee and full committee meetings. The current proposed schedule for completing the review is approximately 18 to 20 months. The Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant was the first commercial plant to submit an LAR to adopt the MELLLA+ operating domain and required more than 4 years to complete.

Based on the considerations above, the Brunswick MELLLA+ LAR is especially voluminous.

o Current Age: 19 months

• Shearon Harris Unit 1 - Spent Fuel Pool Criticality Analysis o

Description:

The licensee is requesting to revise the TSs for fuel storage criticality to account for the use of Metamic neutron absorbing spent fuel pool rack inserts and soluble boron for the purpose of criticality control in the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) storage racks that currently credit Boraflex. This license amendment request is required to resolve a current operable but degraded condition.

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o Justification: Precedents have shown that a review related to spent fuel pool criticality analyses is complex. Further, this review is considered a first-of-a-kind due to the unique configuration of the Shearon Harris spent fuel pool (SFP).

Specifically, the SFP configuration is the only one in the United States that contains both pressurized water reactor fuel racks and boiling water reactor fuel racks.

o Current Age: 6 months

• Point Beach Units 1 & 2 - Risk-Informed Approach to Resolve Construction Truss Design Code Non-conformances o

Description:

The licensee is requesting approval of a risk-informed strategy to resolve low risk, legacy design code non-conformances associated with construction trusses in the containment building.

o Justification: Established risk-informed applications follow endorsed guidance for the technical content that needs to be submitted. Such endorsed technical guidance is not available for this first-of-a-kind application and extra review effort is needed to determine the acceptability of the proposed technical approach.

o Current Age: 11 months

• Brunswick Units 1 & 2 - Adopt 10 CFR 50.69, "Risk-Informed Categorization and Treatment of Structures, Systems and Components [SSCs] for Nuclear Power Reactors o

Description:

The licensee is requesting approval to allow for the implementation of the provisions of 10 CFR 50.69. The provisions of 10 CFR 50.69 allow adjustment of the scope of equipment subject to special treatment controls (e.g., quality assurance, testing, inspection, condition monitoring, assessment, and evaluation).

o Justification: This is a first-of-its-kind review that includes external hazard probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) models that have not been commonly submitted in support of risk-informed LARs. The NRC staff does not have extensive experience in reviewing those models. Therefore, the scope of staff review for this LAR will include evaluation of the acceptability of these relatively unique external hazard PRA models for the application and the use of those models in the licensee's categorization program.

o Current Age: 1 month New Reactors

• None.

Uranium Recovery

• None.

13.d Please describe any steps taken to provide transparency into the progress of license amendment reviews, such as publicly available, real-time tracking of the completion of review schedule milestones.

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Operating Reactors The routine interactions between licensees/applicants and the NRC project manager provide the same information, and possibly more insights, to a licensee regarding the status of an individual licensing review than would a tracking system. Therefore, the NRC does not consider such a tracking system necessary to facilitate these communications with licensees.

Project managers and licensees have routine communications regarding the status and schedules of licensing actions. During these conversations, the schedules for each licensing action are discussed, including schedule expectations, when to expect requests for additional information, and when to expect the safety evaluation, if approved. In addition, the project managers and their direct supervisors are accessible to the licensees by phone or e-mail if any other issues arise.

The NRC staff began publishing monthly performance metrics on the NRC public website in March 2018. While metrics do not provide insight into specific licensing amendment reviews, the metrics provide information on the age of the existing inventory as a whole along with the number of reviews completed. Information is also posted on the average adherence to initial schedules and resource estimates.

The NRC continues to refine its licensing process for operating reactors. Through the use of controls and metrics, the staff is currently meeting the Congressionally-reported metrics for the quantity of licensing actions reviewed annually, and the percentage of actions completed within one year. The NRC considers the current performance metrics appropriate to balance efficiency with safety. These measures recognize that schedule performance can be affected by applicant, licensee, or NRC performance, and may need fluidity to account for emerging safety or security issues, or changes in licensee plans.

The NRC has launched several initiatives to focus on leveraging existing licensing processes to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and predictability as a regulator, while maintaining a continued strong safety focus. For example, an initiative analyzed the issues that caused the backlog in processing amendment requests for reactor licensees, including issues related to the request for information (RAI) process, and provided recommendations to Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation management regarding enhancements to the licensing review process. Such efforts resulted in reducing the inventory of licensing actions greater than one year old by more than 95 percent over the past years and enabled the staff to maintain this inventory at historically low levels. The staffs continual efforts in this area have significantly improved the NRCs ability to monitor safety reviews and improve predictability.

New Reactors For NRO license amendment reviews, only the final safety evaluation report (FSER) completion date is tracked as a milestone. In the amendment request, the licensee provides a date by which the amendment would need to be issued in order to facilitate the desired construction schedule. Occasionally, the staff works with the licensee to identify an alternate agreed-upon date, which is provided in a supplement or revision to the amendment request. These letters containing the requested or alternate agreed-upon date for the license amendment issuance are publicly available.

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Uranium Recovery To ensure transparency in the process of licensing reviews, the NRCs uranium recovery staff provides the status of major licensing actions on the agencys public web page. For minor licensing actions, staff discusses these schedules during phone calls with licensees. In addition, for major licensing action reviews, the uranium recovery staff issues schedule letters at the beginning of each review and subsequent letters are issued, if the schedule changes.

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14. For decommissioning transition reviews, please provide the following information for the reporting period, including any months previously reported:

a. Size of inventory;

b. The number of items completed in the reporting period;

c. Of the items completed in the reporting period, the number completed within the originally forecasted schedule;

d. The number of items completed within 125 percent of the forecasted schedule;

e. Please identify any unusually complex items omitted from the inventory including:

the age of the item, a brief description of the item, the justification for omitting it from the inventory size and an explanation for any review exceeding its original schedule by 125 percent.

Decommissioning Transition Open Inventory and Closed Reviews Month Open Inventory Total Closed Reviews Total (Note 1)

November 2017 19 1 December 2017 15 4 January 2018 14 1 February 2018 15 0 March 2018 12 7 Note 1: The inventory includes licensing actions and other licensing tasks specifically related to an operating reactor plant transitioning into a decommissioning plant.

Information responsive to #14c-e is included in the response to #13 above.

15. Please provide a list of Technical Specifications Task Force (TSTF) "travelers" under review, including the date filed, the milestone schedule for completing the review, and the estimated date for final agency action. Please provide an explanation for any review exceeding the original schedule by 125 percent.

Traveler Under Review Date Filed Milestone Schedule Estimated (Draft SE) Date for Final Agency Action (Final SE)

TSTF-567, Add Containment Sump 03/30/2017 Complete** 06/12/2018 TS to Address GSI-191 Issues TSTF-541, Add Exceptions to 09/10/2013* 01/31/2019 07/31/2019 Surveillance Requirements When the Safety Function is Being Performed TSTF-563, Revise Instrument 05/10/2017 07/31/2018 10/31/2018 Testing Definitions to Incorporate the Surveillance Frequency Control Program TSTF-565, Clarify the Term 05/10/2017 04/23/2018 07/31/2018 Operational Convenience in the LCO 3.0.2 Bases TSTF-564, Safety Limit MCPR 08/28/2017 07/31/2018** 10/31/2018 40

Traveler Under Review Date Filed Milestone Schedule Estimated (Draft SE) Date for Final Agency Action (Final SE)

STF-568, "Clarify Applicability of 12/19/2017 09/28/2018 12/19/2018 BWR/4 TS 3.6.2.5 and TS 3.6.3.2" TSTF-557, Revision 1, "Spent Fuel 12/19/2017 09/28/2018 12/19/2018 Storage Rack Neutron Absorber Monitoring Program" TSTF-566, Revise Actions for 01/19/2018 12/16/2018 03/29/2019 Inoperable RHR Shutdown Cooling Subsystems TSTF-569, Revise Response Time 02/08/2018 11/05/2018 02/08/2019 Testing Definition

• The TSTF is currently drafting a revision for NRC review.

• • Staff experienced delays due to late RAI issuances and/or RAI responses. These delays are not expected to cause the reviews to exceed the original schedule by 125 percent.

16. Please describe the actions planned and/or taken to ensure that the TSTF traveler process achieves the regulatory efficiencies that were initially projected. Please include progress reports with regard to any TSTF travelers adopted by the industry.

The TSTF proposes changes to the Standard Technical Specifications (STS) via a traveler submitted for NRC review and approval. The traveler process was collaboratively developed between NRC and the nuclear industry 20 years ago as a means to revise the STS to gain regulatory efficiencies and enhance safety. Since then, the NRC has approved over 355 travelers, and has a mature process for review and approval of plant-specific license amendment requests to adopt approved STS changes.

Over the last several years NRC introduced two enhancements to the traveler review process:

(1) increased transparency and documentation through publication of safety evaluations; and (2) ensuring that all appropriate technical branches are involved early and working as a team to ensure consistency. More recently, NRC and the TSTF adopted two additional best practices to make reviews more efficient and effective: (1) establishing teams of reviewers who develop expertise on a given traveler; and (2) leveraging the staff expertise on a particular traveler through timely submission of plant specific requests for adoption. The NRC is seeing early successes from these enhancements in the reviews of licensees adoption of TSTF-542, Reactor Pressure Vessel Water Inventory Control. Average review times for recent traveler adoptions have dropped to 10 months, in part as a result of these above efficiencies.

The NRC will continue working with the TSTF to make improvements to the STS. In recent years, requested changes from industry stakeholders have become more complex (e.g., risk-informed STS changes). To ensure the traveler process achieves the regulatory efficiencies that were initially intended, and to align on priorities, the NRC holds quarterly public meetings and monthly status calls with the TSTF. Additionally, the status of travelers is discussed by both NRC and senior management from industry at the quarterly Regulatory Issues Task Force meeting.

In 2017, two travelers were approved by the NRC. Currently nine travelers are under review by the NRC staff. The latest status report of travelers currently under review is available (ADAMS Accession No. ML18051A201).

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17. For each ongoing license renewal review, please provide the date each application was filed, the duration of the review, the original milestone schedule based on 22 months for uncontested applications and 30 months for contested applications, the actual completion dates for milestones, and the scheduled date for completion of the review. Please provide an explanation for any review exceeding the original schedule by 125 percent.

Indian Point 2&3 Application Review Time from Acceptance Review Date (Months) 127 Original Current Completion Milestone Schedule Schedule Date License Renewal Application Receipt 04/30/2007 04/30/2007 Publish FRN-Acceptance/rejection and opportunity 08/01/2007 08/01/2007 for hearing Public Meeting - Environmental Scoping 09/19/2007 09/19/2007 Issue draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 07/25/2008 12/22/2008 Statement (SEIS)

Issue SER with open items 09/05/2008 01/15/2009 1st ACRS Subcommittee meeting 10/2008 03/18/2009 Issue final SER 03/27/2009 08/11/2009 ACRS Full Committee meeting 05/2009 09/10/2009 Issue final SEIS 04/03/2009 12/03/2010 1st Supplement to SER N/A* 08/30/2011 Issue Draft 1st Supplement to final SEIS N/A* 06/26/2012 Issue Final 1st Supplement to final SEIS N/A* 06/13/2013 FRN - Notice of Intent to Prepare Supplemental N/A* 09/04/2014 Environmental Impact Statement 2nd ACRS Subcommittee meeting N/A* 04/23/2015 Issue 2 Supplement to SER nd N/A* 07/07/2015 Issue Draft 2nd Supplement to final SEIS N/A* 01/2016 12/22/2015 End of Comment Period for Draft 2nd Supplement to final supplemental environmental impact N/A* 03/2016 03/04/2016 statement (FSEIS)

Issue Final 2nd Supplement to FSEIS N/A* 05/2018 Issue 3 Supplement to SER rd N/A* 05/2018 Decision-Director, NRR (no hearing) 07/2009 09/2018 Commission decision (if hearing is granted) TBD N/A

• The NRC did not issue an official schedule for the first supplement to the final SEIS.

The Indian Point License Renewal Application schedule letters are publicly available in ADAMS at Accession Nos. ML071900365, ML080230115, ML081000441, ML082400214, ML100110063, ML101260536, ML102300092, ML14254A207, ML15147A199 and ML16153A351.

The delays in the review of the Indian Point application were associated with complex adjudicatory issues, audits, reviews of substantial new information submitted by the licensee, review of the severe accident mitigation alternatives (SAMA) analyses and review of extensive public comments on NRC staff environmental review documents. In 2012, the issuance of renewed licenses was suspended pending completion of the continued storage rulemaking; the licensing reviews continued to move forward. On August 26, 2014, the Continued Storage rule was approved and the Commission lifted the suspension on issuing renewed licenses. In 42

January 2017, the parties to the legal proceedings reached an agreement that resulted in the withdrawal of all contentions on the license renewal application. Thus, on March 13, 2017, all pending adjudicatory actions were voluntarily dismissed. A decision regarding the renewal of the operating licenses for both units is expected to be issued in the 4th quarter of FY 2018.

Diablo Canyon 1 & 2 Application Review Time from Acceptance Review Date (Months) 77 Original Completion Milestone Schedule Date License Renewal Application Receipt 11/23/2009 11/23/2009 Publish FRN-Acceptance/rejection and opportunity for hearing 01/21/2010 01/21/2010 Public Meeting- Environmental Scoping meeting 03/03/2010 03/03/2010 Deadline for filing hearing requests and petitions for intervention 03/22/2010 03/22/2010 Issue draft SEIS 10/15/2010 Issue SER with Open Items 12/10/2010 01/10/2011 ACRS Subcommittee meeting 02/2011 02/09/2011 Request by applicant for delay in final processing of the license 04/10/2011 renewal review Issue final SER 05/23/2011 06/02/2011 ACRS Full Committee meeting 07/2011 Issue final SEIS 08/12/2011 NRR Director Decision (no hearing) 09/26/2011 Commission Decision (if hearing is granted) 05/25/2012 NRC Letter to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) regarding information to be submitted if the license renewal review process 05/02/2014 where to restart PG&E letter to NRC to inform that PG&E will provide some information in December 2014 and will coordinate with NRC later to 06/04/2014 discuss a schedule for providing additional information.

PG&E submitted an annual update for the license renewal 12/22/2014 application PG&E submits a revised Environmental Report 02/25/2015 Publish FRN-of Notice of Intent to reinitiate the Scoping Process 07/2015 07/2015 and Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement Public Meeting-Environmental Scoping meeting 08/2015 08/05/2015 PG&E letter to NRC request to suspend NRC review 06/21/2016 NRC letter to PG&E, response to request to suspend license 07/18/2016 renewal application review PG&E requested withdrawal of its license renewal application, 03/07/18 including all associated correspondence and commitments NRC granted the request of PG&E to withdraw its license renewal application, including all associated correspondence and 04/16/18 commitments The Diablo Canyon license renewal application schedule letters are publicly available in ADAMS at Accession Nos. ML093631560, ML102700490, ML110140904, ML11138A315, ML15104A509, and ML16193A599.

In October 2010, the schedule was updated to allow the staff additional time to complete a thorough review of the SAMA analyses and of the effects to marine ecology. In April 2011, PG&E requested the deferral of a final decision on the license renewal application until seismic 43

studies were completed. In 2012, the issuance of renewed licenses was suspended pending completion of the continued storage rulemaking. On August 26, 2014, the Continued Storage rule was approved and the Commission lifted the suspension on issuing renewed licenses. The NRC staff resumed the review after PG&E submitted the annual update for the application in December 2014. Subsequently in June 2016, PG&E requested the NRC suspend the review and also requested approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) not to proceed with license renewal. In July 2016, the NRC suspended the license renewal review.

The CPUC held a public meeting on January 11, 2018, where the CPUC approved PG&Es proposal to close Diablo Canyon in 2025. On March 7, 2018, PG&E requested withdrawal of its license renewal application. On April 16, 2018, the NRC granted the request of PG&E to withdraw its license renewal application.

Seabrook 1 Application Review Time from Acceptance Review Date (Months) 92 Original Current Completion Milestone Schedule Schedule Date License Renewal Application Receipt 06/01/2010 06/01/2010 Publish FRN-Acceptance/rejection and 07/23/2010 07/21/2010 opportunity for hearing Public Meeting- Environmental Scoping 08/19/2010 08/19/2010 meeting Deadline for filing hearing requests and 09/21/2010 10/20/2010 petitions for intervention Issue draft SEIS 05/13/2011 08/01/2011 Issue SER with open items 07/2011 06/08/2012 1 ACRS Subcommittee meeting st 09/2011 07/10/2012 Issue 2nd draft SEIS 12/2012 04/22/2013 Issue final SEIS 01/07/2012 07/29/2015 2nd ACRS Subcommittee meeting N/A 10/2018 Issue final SER 01/2012 11/2018 ACRS full committee meeting 02/2012 11/2018 NRR Director Decision (no hearing) 04/02/2012 04/2019 Commission Decision (if hearing is granted) 12/03/2012 NA The Seabrook license renewal application schedule letters are publicly available in ADAMS at Accession Nos. ML101690417, ML110890319, ML11178A365, ML12074A096, ML12109A427, ML12352A075, ML13298A091, ML14148A218, ML14223B144, ML15041A449, ML15107A300, ML15293A157 and ML16074A246.

In 2011, the Seabrook schedule was updated to ensure that the applicant properly addressed SAMA analysis and technical issues related to the alkali silica reaction (ASR) of concrete. In 2012, subsequent to the NRC staff issuing the draft SEIS, the applicant made significant changes to the SAMA. Additionally, in 2012, the issuance of new licenses was suspended pending completion of the Continued Storage rulemaking; the licensing reviews continued to move forward. The second draft SEIS was issued in April 2013 and in August 2013 an agreement regarding a contention associated with the SEIS was reached. On August 26, 2014, the Continued Storage rule was approved and the Commission lifted the suspension on issuing renewed licenses. The NRC staff issued the final SEIS in 2015.

In August 2016, NextEra submitted a LAR to the current license to adopt a methodology for the analysis of seismic Category I structures with concrete affected by ASR. This methodology is 44

the basis for the aging management program being evaluated for the license renewal application review. On October 6, 2017, the ASLB admitted a contention on the ASR LAR.

After the NRC staff completes safety evaluation of the ASR LAR, the ASLB hearing will be held and the ACRS will also perform its review. The review of this amendment has a direct impact on the schedule for the license renewal review and a decision on the license renewal is currently projected to be made by April 2019.

Waterford 3 Application Review Time from Acceptance Review Date (Months) 21 Original Current Completion Milestone Schedule Schedule Date License Renewal Application Receipt 03/23/2016 03/23/2016 Publish FRN-Acceptance/rejection and 05/20/2016 05/20/2016 opportunity for hearing Public Meeting- Environmental Scoping 06/08/2016 06/08/2016 meeting Deadline for filing hearing requests and 08/01/2016 08/01/2016 petitions for intervention Issue draft SEIS 05/2017 02/2018 Issue SER with open-items 06/2017 09/2018 ACRS Subcommittee meeting 07/2017 10/2018 Issue final SEIS 03/2018 05/2018 Issue final SER 01/2018 03/2019 ACRS full committee meeting 03/2018 04/2019 NRR Director Decision (no hearing) 04/2018 06/2019 Commission Decision (if hearing is granted) TBD N/A The Waterford License Renewal Application schedule letters are publicly available in ADAMS at Accession Nos. ML16130A023 and ML17131A194.

The NRC staff continues work on the Waterford safety and environmental reviews. The applicant submitted an LAR in November 2017 that requests approval of its plant-specific neutron fluence methodology that is applied to the reactor vessel neutron fluence embrittlement analysis referred to in the license renewal application. The LAR acceptance review has been completed and the NRC staff safety review is currently underway. The review of the LAR is estimated to take approximately 1 year. The LAR included a supplement to the License Renewal Application and the NRC staff determined that additional information is required in order to complete its review of the supplement, and has issued an RAI. The license renewal application fluence methodology review is dependent on the approval of the LAR and an acceptable response to the RAI. The decision regarding the renewal of the operating license is expected to be issued in 3rd quarter of FY 2019.

River Bend Application Review Time from Acceptance Review Date (Months) 7 Original Completion Milestone Schedule Date License Renewal Application Receipt 05/31/2017 05/31/2017 Publish FRN-Acceptance/rejection and opportunity for 08/2017 08/17/2017 hearing Public Meeting- Environmental Scoping meeting 09/2017 09/19/2017 45

River Bend Application Review Time from Acceptance Review Date (Months) 7 Original Completion Milestone Schedule Date Deadline for filing hearing requests and petitions for 10/2017 10/13/2017 intervention Issue draft SEIS 05/2018 Issue final SER 07/2018 ACRS Subcommittee meeting 10/2018 Issue final SEIS 11/2018 ACRS full committee meeting 12/2018 NRR Director Decision (no hearing) 02/2019 Commission Decision (if hearing is granted) TBD The River Bend license renewal application review schedule is available in ADAMS at Accession No. ML17187A035.

18. Please provide the status of ongoing license renewal reviews.

Application Accepted Applicant Review Status for Long-Term Application Reviews for Review Indian Point 08/01/2007 The NRC staff has addressed the public comments received on its 2&3 draft second supplement to the FSEIS, which was issued for comment in December 2015. The staffs response to the public comments will be documented in the second FSEIS supplement, which is currently under final review. The initial SER was issued in November 2009, with supplements issued in August 2011 and July 2015. A third SER supplement will be issued in the third quarter of FY 2018 to address new information received by the staff concerning safety issues. In January 2017, the parties to the legal proceedings reached an agreement that resulted in the withdrawal of all contentions on the license renewal application. Under the agreement, Units 2 & 3 will cease operations in April 2020 and 2021, respectively, with possible extensions to operate until April 2024 and 2025, respectively. On February 8, 2017, the State of New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) and Riverkeeper filed an unopposed motion to withdraw their contentions and terminate the adjudicatory proceeding. The Licensing Board granted that motion and terminated the adjudicatory proceeding on March 13, 2017. Recently, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) designated critical habitat in the Hudson River for Atlantic Sturgeon. Interactions between the NRC staff, NMFS, NYDEC, and Entergy regarding this new designation and Entergys monitoring plan for sturgeon are complete. Resolution of this issue will be documented in the Record of Decision issued in conjunction with the renewed operating licenses for the units. A decision on the renewed operating licenses for both units is expected to be issued in the 4th quarter of FY 2018.

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Application Accepted Applicant Review Status for Long-Term Application Reviews for Review Diablo 01/21/2010 In June 2016, Pacific Gas and Electric requested a suspension of Canyon 1&2 the license renewal review to allow it to seek approval from the CPUC of an agreement in principle not to proceed with license renewal for Diablo Canyon. In July 2016, the NRC suspended the license renewal review. The CPUC held a public meeting on January 11, 2018, during which it approved PG&Es proposal to close Diablo Canyon in 2025. On March 7, 2018, PG&E requested withdrawal of its license renewal application. On April 16, 2018, the NRC granted the request of PG&E to withdraw its license renewal application.

Seabrook 1 07/21/2010 The NRC staff continues discussions with NextEra to ensure that technical issues related to the ASR open item in the SER are properly addressed. In August 2016, NextEra submitted a LAR to the current license to adopt a methodology for the analysis of seismic Category I structures with concrete affected by ASR. This methodology is the basis for the aging management program being evaluated under the license renewal application review. An audit of the methodology and its implementation was performed onsite by NRC staff March 19 - 21, 2018, resulting in some follow-up questions. On October 6, 2017, the ASLB admitted a contention on the ASR LAR. The review of this amendment has a direct impact on the schedule for the license renewal review. A decision on the license renewal is currently projected to be made by April 2019.

Waterford 05/31/2016 The NRC staff continues their safety and environmental reviews, including the resolution of specific questions regarding the Waterford neutron fluence time-limited aging analysis. The applicant submitted a LAR in November 2017 that will request approval of their plant-specific neutron fluence methodology which is applied to the reactor vessel neutron fluence embrittlement analysis referred to in the license renewal application. The acceptance review of this LAR has been completed and NRC staff safety review is currently underway.

The review of the LAR is estimated to take approximately 1 year.

The LAR included a supplement to the License Renewal Application.

The NRC staff determined that additional information is required in order to complete its review of the supplement, and has issued an RAI. The license renewal application fluence methodology review is dependent on the approval of the LAR and an acceptable response to the RAI. The decision on the renewed operating license is expected to be issued in the 3rd quarter of FY 2019.

River Bend 08/07/2017 The staff continues the safety and environmental reviews, which are expected to take approximately 18 months. The staff has completed issuance of RAIs and is in the process of engaging the applicant for clarifications on several RAI responses. The staff is developing the SER and EIS. The environmental review is progressing through internal review and is expected to be issued in early May 2018.

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Application Accepted Applicant Review Status for Long-Term Application Reviews for Review Turkey Point 4/26/2018 The staff recently determined that the application is acceptable for 3&4 docketing and issued the application review schedule. On May 2, 2018, a notice of opportunity for hearing before the ASLB was published in the Federal Register.

19. Please provide the status of the NRCs readiness to review applications for Subsequent License Renewal (SLR).

In August 2014, the Commission affirmed that no revisions to either the safety or environmental regulations are needed to support the assessment of a SLR application. However, the Commission directed the staff to update license renewal guidance, as needed, to provide additional clarity on the implementation of the license renewal regulatory framework. The main guidance documents for initial license renewal are:

• Standard Review Plan for Review of License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants (SRP-LR), Revision 2;

• Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) Report, Revision 2; and

• Standard Review Plan for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants, Supplement 1:

Operating License Renewal (Revision 1).

The guidance in these documents is based on plant operation up to 60 years. The staff evaluated this guidance to determine what, if any, revisions were necessary to address issues for plant operations up to 80 years under SLR. The staff determined that no revisions were needed to the NRC guidance document entitled, Standard Review Plans for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants, to support environmental reviews from 60 to 80 years.

However, the staff determined that the GALL Report and the SRP-LR should be updated to facilitate more effective and efficient reviews of SLR applications.

On July 14, 2017, the NRC published Generic Aging Lessons Learned for Subsequent License Renewal (GALL-SLR) Report (NUREG-2191, Volumes 1 and 2), and Standard Review Plan for Review of Subsequent License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants (SRP-SLR)

(NUREG-2192). On December 29, 2017, the NRC staff published NUREG-2221, Technical Bases for Changes in the Subsequent License Renewal Guidance Documents NUREG-2191 and NUREG-2192, and NUREG-2222, Disposition of Public Comments on the Draft Subsequent License Renewal Guidance Documents NUREG-2191 and NUREG-2192.

On November 6, 2015, Dominion Virginia Power notified the NRC of its intent to submit an SLR application in the first quarter of 2019 for Surry Power Station. On June 7, 2016, Exelon Generation Company, LLC notified the NRC of its intent to submit an application for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in the third quarter of 2018. On November 9, 2017, Dominion Energy Virginia notified the NRC of its intent to pursue subsequent license renewal for North Anna Power Station Units 1 and 2 in the 4th quarter of 2020. As noted above, on January 30, 2018, Florida Power & Light Company submitted the first subsequent license renewal application, for renewal of the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Units 3 and 4 licenses.

On December 20, 2017, the staff issued a letter to NEI providing interim approval for use of guidance documents NEI 17-01, Industry Guideline for Implementing the Requirements of 10 CFR Part 54 for Subsequent License Renewal [SLR], and NEI 17-04, Model SLR New and Significant Assessment Approach for SAMA, Revision 0. These documents will provide interim guidance to licensees that have notified the NRC of their intent to submit SLR applications while 48

formal NRC endorsement of the NEI guidance document is considered. The NRC expects that issuance of formal revisions to Regulatory Guides 1.188, Standard Format and Content for Applications to Renew Nuclear Power Plant Operating Licenses, and 4.2, Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Plant License Renewal Applications, by December 31, 2019, will supersede the interim guidance.

20. Once Subsequent License Renewal reviews begin, please report progress similarly to current license renewal reviews, including: the date each application was filed, the duration of the review, the original milestone schedule based on an 18-month review, the actual completion dates for milestones, and the scheduled date for completion of the review.

On January 30, 2018, the NRC received the first subsequent license renewal application from Florida Power & Light Company for subsequent renewal of the operating licenses for the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Units 3 and 4. A non-proprietary version of the application was made publicly available on March 21, 2018. The NRC staff completed its acceptance review on April 26, 2018. On May 2, 2018, a notice of opportunity for hearing before the ASLB was published in the Federal Register.

21. For each ongoing power uprate review, please provide:

a. The date the application was filed;

b. The duration of the review;

c. The original milestone schedule;

d. The actual completion dates for the milestones; and

e. The scheduled date for completion of the review based on the metrics in SECY-13-0070.

Plant Name Uprate Date Planned Actual Planned Actual Notes Type Filed Issue Issue Review Review (Note 1) Date Date Duration Duration (Months) (Months)

(Note 2)

Hope Creek MUR 07/12/17 04/30/18 9 Generating Station Note 1: MUR = measurement uncertainty recapture power uprate EPU = extended power uprate Note 2: For licensing actions, with an application date of October 1, 2016, or later, the duration of the review of the licensing action will be measured starting when the acceptance review is complete.

22. Please provide a brief status of power uprate application reviews.

The NRC staff is reviewing one power uprate application. The Hope Creek Generating Station measurement uncertainty recapture uprate application was accepted for review on August 9, 2017. The staff is currently performing a safety evaluation of the application.

23. Please provide the following information below regarding Requests for Additional Information (RAI) issued by each of the following offices: Nuclear Reactor Regulation, New Reactors, Nuclear Security and Incident Response, Uranium Recovery, and Decommissioning. The number of RAIs includes the total number of questions or requests contained in a letter or email. For example, if a letter requests five items, the number of RAIs is five. For each office and for the period being reported, please provide:

a. Number of RAIs issued;

b. The number of RAIs issued prior to preparation of a draft safety evaluation with open items; 49

c. The number of RAIs issued in an additional round, subsequent to previous RAIs, in specific technical area or by a technical branch;

d. The percentage of RAI responses provided by licensees within 30 days of the date mutually agreed upon;

e. The number of RAIs prepared or responses reviewed by contractors; and

f. The number of RAIs prepared or responses reviewed by NRC staff.

g. Once sufficient date becomes available please provide 12-month rolling average number of RAIs issued by each office.

NOTE: Information for the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response is included within each of the other entities or programs reporting below.

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Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Number of The RAIs Percentage Number of Issued in of RAI RAIs an 12 Month Responses The Issued Additional The Rolling Provided Number of Prior to the Round, Number Average, Number by RAI Preparation Subsequent of RAIs Number Month/Year of RAIs Licensees Responses of a Draft to Previous prepared of RAIs Issued within 30 Reviewed Safety RAI's in by NRC Issued by Days or by NRC Evaluation Specific staff Each the Date Staff with Open Technical Office Mutually Items Area or by Agreed a Technical Upon Branch 81 March 2018 81 Note 1 21 98% Note 2 65 Note 3 Note 1: The database systems do not have readily available information that distinguishes between item 23a and 23b. Accurately compiling the number of RAI questions issued prior to preparation of a draft safety evaluation with open items would require extensive manual document searches and analysis to cover the significant volume of project reviews. The count of RAIs is presented collectively under Item 23a.

Note 2: The NRC employs contractors to supplement the staff in selected critical skill areas; however, all RAIs identified by contractors are evaluated by NRC staff to verify that they are necessary to support a regulatory finding. If the RAIs are necessary, they are formally prepared and issued by NRC staff. The NRC does not track the number of draft RAIs prepared by contractors. In addition, the NRC staff is responsible for making the final determination on the acceptability of all RAI responses.

Note 3: A 12-month rolling average will not be available until November 2018.

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Office of New Reactors Number of RAIs Number of Percentage of RAIs Number of Number of Issued in an RAIs Issued Responses RAIs RAIs Additional Round, Number of Prior to Provided by the Prepared or Prepared or Subsequent to RAIs Preparation Applicant/Licensee Responses Responses 12-Month Previous RAIs, in Project Name Issued in of a Draft within 30 Days or Reviewed by Reviewed Rolling Specific Technical March SER with the Date Mutually Contractors by NRC Average Area or by 2018 Open Items Agreed Upon in in Staff in (Note 3)

Technical Branch in March 2018 March 2018 March 2018 in March 2018 March 2018 (Note 2) (Note 2)

(Note 1)

APR1400 0 0 N/A 0% 0 9 N/A Design Certification (DC)

U.S. Advanced 0 0 N/A N/A 0 1 N/A Pressurized Water Reactor (US-APWR) DC Advanced 0 0 N/A N/A 0 0 N/A Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) DC Renewal (General Electric Hitachi (GEH))

Clinch River 8 8 N/A 80% 0 13 N/A Early Site Permit (ESP)

NuScale Small 73 73 N/A 91% 0 110 N/A Modular Reactor (SMR)

DC NuScale 4 4 N/A 100% 0 8 N/A Topical Reports 52

Number of RAIs Number of Percentage of RAIs Number of Number of Issued in an RAIs Issued Responses RAIs RAIs Additional Round, Number of Prior to Provided by the Prepared or Prepared or Subsequent to RAIs Preparation Applicant/Licensee Responses Responses 12-Month Previous RAIs, in Project Name Issued in of a Draft within 30 Days or Reviewed by Reviewed Rolling Specific Technical March SER with the Date Mutually Contractors by NRC Average Area or by 2018 Open Items Agreed Upon in in Staff in (Note 3)

Technical Branch in March 2018 March 2018 March 2018 in March 2018 March 2018 (Note 2) (Note 2)

(Note 1)

Vogtle LARs 2 2 N/A 100% 0 7 N/A Note 1: NRO does not currently have an electronic system to track how many RAIs are issued in an additional round as a subsequent RAI to a previous RAI issued. To develop this capability within the current electronic system used to track RAIs would be labor and resource intensive.

Note 2: The NRC employs contractors to supplement the staff in selected critical skill areas; however, all RAIs identified by contractors are evaluated by NRC staff to verify that they are necessary to support a regulatory finding. If the RAIs are necessary, they are formally prepared and issued by NRC staff. The NRC does not track the number of draft RAIs prepared by contractors. In addition, the NRC staff is responsible for making the final determination on the acceptability of all RAI responses.

Note 3: A 12-month rolling average will not be available until November 2018.

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Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Uranium Recovery Number of The RAIs Percentage Number of Issued in of RAI RAIs an 12 Month Responses The The Issued Additional The The Rolling Provided Number of Number of Prior to the Round, Number of Number Average, Number by RAI RAI Preparation Subsequent RAIs of RAIs Number Month/Year of RAIs Licensees Responses Responses of a Draft to Previous prepared prepared of RAIs Issued within 30 Reviewed Reviewed Safety RAIs in by by NRC Issued by Days or by by NRC Evaluation Specific Contractors staff Each the Date Contractors Staff with Open Technical Office Mutually Items Area or by Agreed a Technical Upon Branch Mar-2018 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 N/A 54

Reactor Decommissioning Number of The RAIs Percentage Number of Issued in of RAI RAIs an 12 Month Responses The The Issued Additional The The Rolling Provided Number of Number of Prior to the Round, Number of Number Average, Number of by RAI RAI Preparation Subsequent RAIs of RAIs Number of Month/Year RAIs Licensees Responses Responses of a Draft to Previous prepared prepared RAIs Issued within 30 Reviewed Reviewed Safety RAIs in by by NRC Issued by Days or by by NRC Evaluation Specific Contractors staff Each the Date Contractors Staff with Open Technical Office Mutually Items Area or by Agreed a Technical Upon Branch Mar-2018 0 0 0 100% 0 0 1 7 N/A 55

24. Please provide the status of specific actions taken or planned to ensure greater discipline, management oversight, and transparency in the use of the RAI process and to limit RAIs to those necessary for making regulatory decisions. The description should include:

management oversight and accountability, the training necessary to provide consistency and sustainable improvement across the applicable program business lines, efforts to establish consistent procedures in relevant offices, and any gaps or trends identified by management or through internal reviews including periodic internal RAI audits.

Efforts to establish consistent procedures throughout the agency are being initiated by the establishment of a working group to align, where appropriate, licensing strategies across the agency including the RAI process. This effort, which is in the initial stages, will include representatives from NMSS, NRR, NRO, the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR), and the OGC.

NRR Activities NRR made great strides in reducing the backlog of licensing actions by reducing the inventory of licensing actions greater than one year old from 139 in September 2014 to 11 in October 2017 and 4 in March 2018. Through the use of strict controls and metrics, this inventory remains below 15 at any given time. This improvement has been possible, in large part, due to the office specific RAI-related improvements implemented over the last several years.

NRR launched several initiatives and to focus on leveraging or revising existing licensing processes to enhance agency efficiency, effectiveness, and predictability, while maintaining a continued strong safety focus. These initiatives have analyzed the issues that caused the previous licensing action backlog, including the RAI process, and recommended enhancements to the licensing review process. NRR management issued interim guidance to the staff in January 2015, and updated interim guidance in April 2016, providing expectations to help enhance consistency of the licensing review process, sound decision-making, and discipline of schedule. In January 2017, this interim guidance was incorporated into NRR procedures.

Some of the key items that have added discipline and management oversight to the RAI process include the following:

• NRR staff review of an application will be limited to the scope of the licensing action and RAIs should only request information that is required to make a safety determination.

• At the point when RAIs are transmitted from the technical staff to the NRR project manager, the technical staff is expected to have developed a draft safety evaluation (SE). In addition to ensuring that the RAIs contain a sound technical and regulatory basis, the technical staff should be able to correlate each RAI to a hole in the draft SE that the licensee response is expected to fill.

• Prior to sending a second (and any subsequent) round of RAIs in a specific technical area, NRR division-level management will apply additional oversight to discuss the need for the RAIs and whether alternative methods, such as a public meeting or audit, may be more effective and efficient for obtaining the necessary information.

• NRR project managers track licensee timeliness and adherence to RAI response schedules. Any significant delays in licensee responses will be brought to NRR management attention.

Training sessions were held with the technical and project management staff on RAI quality and the RAI process. Following the issuance of the finalized NRR guidance in this area in January 2017, online training was developed and provided to the NRR staff. This training covered expectations regarding added discipline and management oversight of the RAI process. Approximately 98 percent of the NRR staff has received the training.

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Other actions that provide a stable and sustainable improvement in the RAI process and add accountability to the process include the following:

• In November 2014, NRR management began holding periodic meetings to discuss open licensing actions, develop alignment on the best approaches for completing those actions, and monitor licensing performance.

• In October 2016, NRR replaced the existing software used to manage and monitor licensing reviews with a newly developed software package called the Reactor Program System - Licensing/Workload Management software. This system has the capability to better track RAI issuance and status.

• NRR performed an internal audit of a sample of RAIs issued between April and December 2016 and found that the overall adherence to quality, timeliness, and process expectations was satisfactory. The audit team identified areas for continued improvement and recommended increased staff training on the RAI guidance, development of staff job aids, and consideration of modifications to staff guidance to better reflect the reactor license renewal and non-power utilization facilities licensing processes.

• On January 2, 2018, in response to the recommendations from the internal audit, NRR management issued a tasking memorandum to the staff with four specific actions to address the audit findings: (1) provide mandatory RAI refresher training for applicable NRR, NSIR, and NRO staff and branch chiefs, (2) evaluate existing RAI job aid for applications to other divisions, (3) formalize use of NRR guidance, as applicable, for reactor license renewal and non-power utilization facilities, and (4) conduct subsequent RAI quality reviews. The staff and branch chiefs completed the RAI refresher training in early April 2018. The staff is evaluating the applicability of the RAI job aid and guidance enhancement for reactor license renewal and non-power utilization facilities.

NRO Activities NRO has taken several steps to ensure that its RAIs are consistently of high quality and are necessary to make a safety finding. In 2016, senior managers in NRO undertook initiatives to examine licensing activities with a goal of promoting a continued strong safety focus, consistency, efficiency, and clarity in our reviews of new reactor licensing applications. These initiatives included revising the RAI process to promote the consistent generation of high quality RAIs.

In October 2016, the NRO RAI process was revised (ADAMS Accession No. ML16280A389) to include a new quality check audit process where, in addition to the technical branchs supervisor, the division management of both the technical and project management organizations review an RAI before it is issued to the applicant or licensee. In addition, the NRO Office Director reviews a sample of RAIs to keep abreast of high-priority issues identified in reviews and to support NROs emphasis on effectiveness and efficiency as it focuses on safety, security, and environmentally significant matters.

On October 7, 2016, the NRO Office Director issued a memorandum titled Effective Use of Request for Additional Information, Audit, and Confirmatory Analysis in New Reactor Licensing Review, to all NRO staff, which emphasized the goals of the RAI process, described the revised process, and included a job aid that contains best practices for preparing RAIs.

The staff has incorporated many lessons-learned into its review of the active DC and ESP applications. The 2016 initiative to improve the focus of RAIs has improved the quality and safety focus of these requests. The staff is also using the regulatory audit tool earlier in the 57

process to better inform the staff about the bases supporting the applications and therefore, better focus the staffs RAIs on information that directly relates to the staff reaching safety findings.

The staff is currently conducting an audit to assess the effectiveness of the revised NRO RAI process. The audit is expected to evaluate whether the revised RAI process has yielded tangible improvements to NROs licensing process; and if the revised RAI process should be maintained, modified or eliminated.

NMSS Activities In NMSS, internal guidance for uranium recovery and waste program reviews includes the expectation that RAIs will be developed in conjunction with the draft SER to ensure that each RAI is necessary to reach a safety finding. In addition, the guidance contains the expectation to include a reference in the RAI to the specific relevant requirement and encourages staff to conduct telephone conferences with licensees and applicants to efficiently resolve technical issues on RAIs. The NRC staff recently finalized an internal self-assessment that identifies possible efficiency improvements within the Uranium Recovery Program. The self-assessment includes recommendations for improving the efficiency of the RAI process, such as issuing RAIs as they are written rather than as a group, and reemphasizing the expectation that staff develop the draft safety evaluation and RAIs in concert.

NMSS is also in the process of studying RAI approaches used by other offices at the NRC, developing office procedures, revising guidance, and evaluating the development of job aids to incorporate applicable RAI approaches from other NRC branches, divisions and offices.

Following completion of this effort, NMSS will develop a training plan, as needed, to implement the resulting RAI process products.

In addition, NMSS is revising NUREG-1556, Volume 20, Guidance about Administrative Licensing Procedures. Information in this NUREG regarding requests for additional information for materials licensing actions is being updated to improve consistency and management oversight between NRC headquarters and regional materials licensing staff.

In August 2016, NMSSs Division of Spent Fuel Management (DSFM) issued Division Instruction (DI) 26, DSFM-26, Rev., 0, which provided management expectations and guidance to employees with regard to meeting division and business line goals of being an independent, transparent, and effective regulator. In DSFM-26, management has specifically indicated that DSFMs goal is one round of RAIs for a typical review and a maximum of two rounds of RAIs. RAIs and the applicants responses need to converge on the information needed for making a regulatory finding. As part of the management oversight process, the staff has been seeking concurrence by the division-level management, in-addition to branch-level, when a second round of RAIs is being considered during the review of an application. In addition, the staff has developed further guidance on preparing RAIs that are clear, complete, and specific with respect to the requested information, the justification for the request, and the associated regulatory basis. This guidance has been discussed with all the reviewers as part of continuous training, supplemented by a desk guide and a quick reference card. The division also will conduct a self-assessment on spent fuel storage and transportation licensing RAIs during FY 2018.

The Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards, and Environmental Review (FCSE) conducted a review of the FCSE RAI process during the second quarter of FY 2017. Staff reviewed audit reports from the NRCs Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Statement of Facts (GAO Job Code 100910). The NRC staff 58

assessment report is at ADAMS Accession Number ML17102A783. The NRC staff also reviewed the internal policies and interviewed subject matter experts in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, the Office of New Reactors, and the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. The results of this assessment, including staffs recommendations and proposed actions for implementing recommended improvements, were documented in a report to FCSE management on May 25, 2017. The report proposed revisions to the FCSE Licensing Review Handbook, including:

• Periodically reinforcing expectations of key aspects in the RAI process during licensing seminars or division meetings;

• Promoting a more consistent and uniform use and application of the guidance, particularly following the instructions on interactions with the licensee, drafting the safety evaluation report as a tool to identify any RAIs, having a sound regulatory basis for the RAIs, and maintaining licensing reviews aligned with its scope;

• The addition of clear instructions specifying that RAIs should not request information available elsewhere; and

• Continuing with current management oversight practice for RAIs process, such as elevating any challenges encountered during the RAI process to Division management for their awareness and involvement.

Based on recommendations, FCSE has conducted 2 licensing seminars on RAIs for Project Managers and Technical Reviewers, as well as a team meeting for those involved in the license renewal application review for Honeywell International. Tasks for updates to the guidance are scheduled for completion by the end of September 2018.

No adverse findings were identified in the Final GAO Report GAO-17-344, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Efforts Intended to Improve Procedures for Requesting Additional Information for Licensing Action are Underway, dated May 25, 2017.

Efforts to establish consistent procedures throughout the agency are being initiated by the establishment of a working group to align, where appropriate, licensing strategies across the agency including the RAI process. This effort, which is in the initial stages, will include representatives from NMSS, NRR, NRO, NSIR, and OGC.

25. In keeping with the Commissions policy statement on the use of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), please describe the agencys actions to enhance the integration of risk information across the agencys activities to improve the technical basis for regulatory activities, to increase efficiency, and to improve effectiveness. Please include actions taken or planned (including milestones, where appropriate) for improving the realism of PRA information used in regulatory decision-making, for training staff to more effectively apply risk information, for updating agency processes and procedures accordingly, and for improving consistency among NRC offices and regions.

As directed by the Commission in SRM-M170511, the staff issued SECY-17-0112, which summarizes its plans to increase staff capabilities to use risk information in decision-making activities. The paper describes five overarching strategies and summarizes associated staff actions and plans. Strategy I evaluates and updates risk-informed decision-making (RIDM) guidance to foster a collaborative review process and a broadened understanding of risk and risk insights. Strategy II develops a graded approach for using risk information in licensing reviews. Strategy III enhances training requirements related to RIDM for managers and staff.

Strategy IV advances NRC and industry risk-informed initiatives, and Strategy V enhances communication on risk-informed activities. To implement overarching strategies at a tactical 59

level, the staff is also developing a detailed action plan for the reactor program. As directed by SRM-M170511, the staff will provide periodic updates to the Commission on its progress.

Each strategy with examples of specific actions taken or planned (including milestones, where appropriate) is summarized in the table below. Additional details are available in SECY-17-0112 and in an action plan that leverages best practices in RIDM from the operating and new reactor programs (initial issuance at ADAMS Accession No. ML17219A375). Though strategies and actions mainly focus on the reactor program, Strategies III and V will be coordinated across all agency offices and the regions, as appropriate. In addition, risk-informed approaches as applied in the materials safety and waste management arenas are described, along with reactor safety and cross cutting activities, on the Risk-Informed Activities page on the NRC public Web site (https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/risk-informed/rpp.html).

Strategy Actions/Milestones Description/Background I. Evaluate and Update

• A new revision to NUREG-1855, Treatment of Uncertainties Guidance Associated with PRAs in Risk-Informed Decision Making was published in March 2017 (ADAMS Accession Updated or new guidance No. ML17062A466).

will be developed to more

• A new revision to Regulatory Guide 1.174 An Approach for fully equip staff with the Using Probabilistic Risk Assessment in Risk-Informed tools necessary to use Decisions on Plant-Specific Changes to The Licensing Basis quantitative or qualitative was published ahead of schedule in January 2018 (ADAMS risk information in both Accession No. ML17317A256).

traditionally deterministic

• New and revised inspection procedures and field guides are and formal risk-informed being developed for risk-informed initiatives.

reactor licensing reviews.

• Action plan task 2 seeks to broaden the definition of risk [the understanding of risk and risk insights] beyond just a Importantly, all other quantitative value.

strategies also involve

• Action plan task 4 includes a review of branch technical guidance development position (BTP) 8-8, Onsite (Emergency Diesel Generators) activities. and Offsite Power Sources Allowed Outage Time Extensions, to determine if clarification is needed for use of a 14-day backstop for deterministic evaluations; applicability of the guidance to one-time and permanent extensions; and defense-in-depth considerations, particularly with respect to mitigating the consequences of a loss of offsite power coincident with a loss-of-coolant accident with a single failure.

Milestone: The staff will provide findings and recommended changes to office management by June 2018.

II. Develop a Graded

• The staff created a tool to guide technical reviewers to Approach for Using Risk consider plant design features when formulating the scope Information in Licensing and depth of new reactor review activities. This tool was Reviews successfully applied to the NuScale design certification review and is a critical element of the ongoing enhanced safety-A graded approach seeks focused review of this design.

to leverage risk insights

• Action plan task 3 involves developing a graded approach for across the spectrum of using risk information more broadly in operating reactor licensing review types (i.e., licensing reviews. As part of this task, the staff is developing, deterministic and formal assessing, and piloting a risk-screening tool to help determine risk-informed submittals). A the appropriate level of its review using risk insights with other framework that supports a relevant factors. Action plan task 1 seeks to expand the use 60

Strategy Actions/Milestones Description/Background graded risk-informed review of license review teams with enhanced collaboration between approach is already the engineering staff and the PRA practitioners.

described in NUREG-0800 (ADAMS Accession Nos.

ML070630046 and ML13207A315).

III. Enhance Training

• A new course for NRC managers (Perspectives on Requirements Related to Risk-Informed Decision-Making for NRC Managers) is being Risk-Informed Decision- developed that will focus on practical applications of PRA and Making (RIDM) for describe how risk insights can inform decision-making. If Managers and Staff successfully piloted, the course will be made mandatory for all supervisors and senior managers in the reactor program.

The NRC provides over 30 Milestone: Conduct pilot course by spring 2018.

formal staff training courses

• The staff continues to offer the newly developed Risk-on technical and regulatory Informed Thinking Workshop that provides participants with aspects associated with hands-on experience in applying RIDM using scenarios of RIDM. Courses are practical agency work.

available to all staff

• The staff plans to update position-specific qualification members; however, requirements to include the newly developed Risk-Informed currently, only some NRC Thinking Workshop for reactor program staff.

employees are required to

• The staff is evaluating whether aspects of the Risk-Informed take these courses. Thinking Workshop could be integrated with appropriate Furthermore, many courses modules of the Fundamentals of Reactor Licensing Workshop focus on the technical for Technical Reviewers. Milestone: Complete evaluation by aspects of PRA as opposed June 30, 2018.

to describing how risk information can be used to inform regulatory decisions.

IV. Advance Risk-Informed

• Fire PRA realism: The staff is engaged with industry to Initiatives evaluate and improve, where applicable, fire PRA realism.

Existing processes allow licensees to propose method The NRC primarily uses the improvements through the fire PRA frequently asked question Risk Informed Steering (FAQ) process, by submitting a license amendment request, Committee (RISC) to or by submitting a topical report. The staff has conducted a advance risk-informed fire PRA public workshop and three fire PRA public meetings initiatives. RISC is a senior with industry stakeholders since the third quarter of 2017 to management committee elicit new fire PRA FAQs and research activities. NRC has with members from each of completed or is near completion on three (3) fire PRA FAQs the program offices. The to improve realism. The NRC and NEI are working on three industry also has a RISC additional FAQs. In addition, NEI presented its proposal composed of senior regarding refinement of the current PRA credit allowed for managers. Since inception Very Early Warning Detection Systems (VEWFDS) in in 2014, the NRC and NUREG-2180. NRC staff has provided comments on the industry RISCs meet industry's proposal.

quarterly. The NRC RISCs

• Realism in the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP): The NRC objectives include the continuously maintains and improves guidance documents following: engage industry and NRC risk tools used to support ROP activities. One such and listen to concerns tool is the Risk Assessment Standardization Project relative to the use of PRA to Handbook (RASP Handbook). In March 2017, the staff support regulatory decision- transmitted plans to discuss industry concerns associated 61

Strategy Actions/Milestones Description/Background making; communicate NRC with the RASP Handbook. As a result of public meetings, actions in the area of risk- industry proposed pursuing the issue on common cause informed decision-making; failure (CCF) as the highest priority and discussed discuss what initiative can alternatives. Industry provided a document regarding CCF be taken by the NRC to modeling for staff review on December 8, 2017. Following incentivize industry to this review, the staff plans to develop additional guidance for continue to develop PRAs addressing CCF for the Significance Determination Process.

to help both reduce

• Credit for Diverse and Flexible Coping Strategies (FLEX) in uncertainty and provide a RIDM: FLEX is currently being credited in multiple risk-framework to make informed applications. The NRC staff has developed several decisions in light of guidance documents to promote consistency and efficiency in uncertainty; and discuss applications in these areas. The staff is continuing to monitor industry actions necessary the licensees use of FLEX and is evaluating the need for to achieve the vision for additional guidance changes.

future use of PRA to support regulatory Additional activities that advance risk-informed initiatives outside decisions. the RISC include:

• Cooperative Research Activities with the Electric Power A brief summary of RISC Research Institute (EPRI). To conserve resources and to actions to improve the avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, both the NRC and realism of PRA information EPRI have agreed to cooperate in selected research efforts used in regulatory decision- and to share information and/or costs whenever such making are provided cooperation and cost sharing is appropriate and mutually here. SECY 17-0112 beneficial. A Memorandum of Understanding with EPRI provides (ADAMS ML16223A497) currently covers a number of risk-additional information on all related topics, including fire, seismic, PRA methods, and active RISC initiatives flooding.

including TS Initiative 4b,

• Update to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.200, An Approach for The Peer Review Facts and Determining the Technical Adequacy of Probabilistic Risk Observations Closure Assessment Results for Risk-Informed Activities. RG 1.200 Process, 10 CFR 50.69, is the agencys vehicle for endorsing the industry consensus PRA Methods Vetting PRA standards and related PRA peer review guidance.

Process, and Risk RG 1.200 will be revised to reflect the NRCs endorsement of Aggregation. pertinent industry documents.

• Consensus Standards Development: The NRC actively Activities supplemental to participates in the development and maintenance of the RISC that also advance consensus standards for all levels of PRA, reactor operating risk-informed initiatives are modes, and hazards. This effort ensures NRC staff considers also briefly described here. a range of industry views when developing regulatory guidance and industry stakeholders are kept informed of regulatory perspectives. The staff issued a letter of acceptance with comments in March 2018 for a seismic PRA consensus standard code case. Also in March 2018, the staff issued a separate letter of acceptance with comments for external hazard PRA peer-review guidance.

V. Enhance Communication

• Staff with risk/PRA expertise are sharing knowledge and on Risk-Informed experience through presentations at branch and division Activities meetings across the offices on topics such as risk-informed screening tools for operating and new reactor reviews.

Knowledge and experience is also being shared through 62

Strategy Actions/Milestones Description/Background The NRC is enhancing working group and review team meetings. Seminars on RIDM communication to ensure for NRC inspectors and enhanced inclusion of RIDM topics at that its stakeholders are regional and senior reactor analyst counterpart meetings are aware of new and planned.

enhanced risk training courses and guidance, ongoing RIDM initiatives, and plans and experience using risk information.

26. The NRC has a long-standing effort to establish an efficient, reliable, and predictable licensing process for power reactors to transition from analog to digital instrumentation and control systems for safety-related applications. Please provide the date this effort began, a milestone schedule for implementation of the licensing process including the actual milestone completion dates, and the scheduled date for completion.

The NRC is implementing an integrated strategy plan to modernize the NRC regulatory infrastructure for digital instrumentation and controls (I&C), through strategic and tactical modernization plans (MPs). The plans focus on topics identified by industry stakeholders that will provide confidence in transitioning from analog to digital control systems (Integrated Action Plan - ADAMS Accession No. ML17102B307)

MP #1A: Develop guidance for near term implementation of digital upgrades without prior NRC approval under 10 CFR 50.59 (limited scope of systems)(endorsement clarification of NEI 01-01 via RIS supplement)

Activity Actual or Projected Completion Date NRC begins effort: March 2017 Prepare preliminary drafts of RIS 2002-22, Supplement 1, clarifying the staffs previous endorsement of NEI 01-01 Issue Draft RIS for Public Comment July 2017 Issue revised Draft RIS for 2nd Public Comment Period March 2018 Anticipate issuing the final RIS May 2018 MP #1B: NRC review and endorsement, as appropriate, of industry technical guidance for addressing common cause failure in digital I&C (NEI 16-16)

Activity Completion Date NRC begins effort: December 2016 Begin staff evaluation of the partial draft of NEI 16-16 received December 22, 2016, and develop staff comments and gap analysis NEI submits complete NEI 16-16 to the NRC for review Review suspended per NEIs request to evaluate the pending changes to EPRI technical guidance that underpins NEI 16-16 NRC decision on technical adequacy and whether to issue To be determined a potential interim endorsement letter NRC formally enters NEI 16-16 into the Regulatory Guide To be determined development process (if decision is made to endorse) 63

MP #1C: Modernize NRCs current position on defense against potential common cause failure in I&C systems and components Activity Completion Date NRC efforts begin: July 2017 Begin staff review to identify if there are policy issues that need to be taken to the Commission Present SECY to Commission for information September 2018 MP #2: Issue durable guidance for implementation of digital upgrades without NRC approval under 10 CFR 50.59 (full scope of systems)

- Endorsement review of NEI 96-07, Appendix D Activity Completion Date NRC efforts begin: April 2016 Initiate review and stakeholder interactions of NEI guidance document, NEI 96-07, Appendix D, Guidelines for 10 CFR 50.59 Evaluations NRC decision on technical adequacy and s whether to June 2018 issue a potential interim endorsement letter NRC formally enters NEI 96-07 Appendix D into the December 2018 Regulatory Guide development process (if decision is made to endorse)

MP #3: Review Industrys process for using commercially available digital equipment Activity Completion Date NRC efforts begin: April 2016 Public Meeting to discuss resolution of RIS 2016-05 public comments EPRI publishes research results October 2018 NEI Submits NEI 17-06 for NRC Review January 2019 NRC makes decision on technical adequacy April 2019 NRC staff completes audits of Safety Integrity Level June 2020 certification organizations and accrediting entities NRC formally enters NEI 17-06 into the Regulatory Guide July 2020 development process (if decision is made to endorse) 64

MP #4A: Streamline the licensing process guidance - update to Interim Staff Guidance ISG-06 Activity Completion Date NRC begins effort: February 2017 Conduct a series of public stakeholder meetings (e.g.,

public workshops) for additional feedback Issue final Draft revision of ISG-06 for public comment July 2018 Issue final revision of ISG-06 December 2018 MP #4B: Develop strategic activities for long-term improvements to the regulatory infrastructure NRC begins effort to develop strategic plan to modernize October 2017 overall regulatory infrastructure Consider evaluation of lessons learned from MP 1-4A April 2018 progress Coordinate with stakeholders to identify potential regulatory June 2018 gaps and potential options for improving the regulatory infrastructure Develop additional detailed modernization plan for August 2018 implementing tactical and strategic improvements to the regulatory infrastructure

27. Please describe actions taken and/or planned to prepare to review industry requests to use Accident Tolerant Fuel in existing reactors, including but not limited to actions taken and/or planned for lead test assemblies and fuel loads. Please include a milestone schedule and brief project plan for both evolutionary and revolutionary designs.

The staff is finalizing the project plan by addressing comments received in response to the December 21, 2017, Federal Register notice of the draft plan (ADAMS Accession ML17325B771), which was discussed during a February 27, 2018, public meeting. The project plan outlines the strategy to efficiently and effectively license near-term and longer-term accident tolerant fuel (ATF) designs. The plan will cover all aspects of ATF regulation, including fabrication, transportation, storage, and the regulatory framework for in-reactor performance.

The plan contains tasks covering regulatory and infrastructure needs, tools and methods for safety evaluations, and accounts for interactions with industry stakeholders, the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE), and international organizations regarding requisite experimental data and code capabilities. The plan will evolve as ATF concepts are refined. The staff anticipates finalizing the plan by mid-summer 2018.

In an October 31, 2017, telephone call, the NRC relayed its position to the licensee for Hatch (Southern Nuclear Operating Company) on the use of ATF lead test assemblies (LTAs) at Unit

1. Consistent with a June 29, 2017, letter to NEI (ML17150A443), the NRC stated its view that no exemption from the NRC regulations would be necessary for loading and irradiating the LTA campaign at Hatch; the plants TS allow the use of LTAs, as specified, so a license amendment was not required; and the licensees intent to conduct a full evaluation of the proposed activity in accordance with 10 CFR 50.59 would be appropriate. The NRC and the licensee agreed that the 10 CFR 50.59 evaluation of LTAs could result in the need for a license amendment notwithstanding the TS. The NRC steering committee for LTAs is developing generic guidance regarding the use of LTAs in commercial operating nuclear reactors and plans to issue by early summer 2018 a draft update (for public comment) to the staffs position stated in the June 29, 2017, letter.

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28. Please describe actions taken and/or planned to improve the quality of cost benefit analyses conducted in association with new requirements, backfit analyses, or rulemaking, including the development of metrics for assessing the quality of cost-benefit analyses.

Please include milestones for completing these actions and the guidance that is currently under revision.

The NRC has taken specific actions to improve the quality of cost-benefit analyses conducted in association with new requirements, backfit analyses, or rulemaking. The key milestones for these actions are described below.

On March 19, 2013, the Commission issued a staff requirements memorandum (SRM) regarding SECY-12-0157, Consideration of Additional Requirements for Containment Venting Systems for Boiling Water Reactors with Mark I and Mark II Containments (ADAMS Accession No. ML13078A017). The SRM directed the staff to seek detailed Commission guidance on the use of qualitative factors.

On March 20, 2013, the Commission issued SRM-SECY-12-0110, Staff Requirements -

SECY-12-0110 - Consideration of Economic Consequences within the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Regulatory Framework, directing the staff to identify potential changes to current methodologies and tools to perform cost-benefit analysis in support of regulatory, backfit, and environmental analyses. The Commission also directed the staff to provide a regulatory gap analysis before developing new cost-benefit guidance.

On January 2, 2014, in response to SRM-SECY-12-0110, the staff submitted SECY-14-0002, Plan for Updating the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Cost-Benefit Guidance. In SECY-14-0002, the staff identified potential changes to current methodologies and tools related to performing cost-benefit analysis in support of regulatory, backfit, and environmental analyses.

The staff informed the Commission of its planned two-phase approach for revising the content and structure of cost-benefit guidance documents. Phase 1 aligns regulatory guidance across NRCs business lines by restructuring and incorporating non-policy revisions to NRC cost-benefit guidance. This phase is underway, as described below. In Phase 2, staff will identify and analyze potential policy issues that could affect the NRCs cost-benefit guidance and present these issues to the Commission for consideration and approval. The staff then will incorporate final updates to guidance for conducting cost-benefit analyses that support backfitting decisions.

On August 14, 2014, in response to SRM-SECY-12-0157, the staff submitted SECY-14-0087, Qualitative Consideration of Factors in the Development of Regulatory Analyses and Backfit Analyses. In SECY-14-0087, the staff proposed updating the cost-benefit guidance to include a set of methods that could be used for the consideration of qualitative factors within a cost-benefit analysis for regulatory and backfit analyses.

On December 16, 2014, in response to Commission direction to provide a regulatory gap analysis before developing new cost-benefit guidance, the staff submitted SECY-14-0143, Regulatory Gap Analysis of the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Cost Benefit Regulations, Guidance and Practices. In SECY-14-0143, the staff described the review of current NRC guidance, methodologies, and tools used for cost-benefit determinations. The staff also described the results of its review of the NRC regulatory analyses that had been completed and identified differences across NRC business lines (e.g., material users, fuel cycle facilities, new and operating reactors) and procedures (i.e., regulatory analyses, backfit analyses). Finally, SECY-14-0143 included staffs gap analysis, and identified where additional guidance is needed to ensure consistency across the agency.

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On March 4, 2015, the Commission issued SRM-SECY-14-0087. The Commission approved the staffs plans for updating guidance regarding the use of qualitative factors, including the treatment of uncertainties, and directed the staff to focus the update on capturing best practices for the consideration of qualitative factors. The Commission also directed the staff to provide a toolkit for analysts regarding the consideration of qualitative factors.

In July 2015 and May 2017, the staff held two public meetings on the proposed cost-benefit guidance updates. The staff also held a public workshop in March 2016 to discuss proposed changes to the cost-benefit guidance. Meeting participants included industry representatives, government and nongovernment organizations, and other interested parties.

The Phase 1 update identified in SECY-14-0002 and described above is underway. In April 2017, the NRC issued draft NUREG/BR-0058, Revision 5, Regulatory Analysis Guidelines of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and published a notice requesting public comment in the Federal Register (82 FR 18163; April 17, 2017). The staff received three comment submissions with a total of 58 individual comments from industry stakeholders and members of the public. The NRC staff considered this input when revising the NUREG, which is under review by agency management.

The staff submitted the draft final NUREG/BR-0058, Revision 5, and five appendices to the Commission via a notation vote paper dated March 28, 2018 (SECY-18-0042). The following appendices are included in this update:

• Appendix A, Qualitative Factors Assessment Tools

• Appendix B, Cost Estimating and Best Practices

• Appendix C, Treatment of Uncertainty

• Appendix D, Guidance on Regulatory Analysis Related to ASME Rules

• Appendix E, Special Circumstances and Relationship to Other Procedural Requirements Metrics for assessing the quality of cost-benefit analyses are contained in NUREG/BR-0058, Appendix B. Enclosure B-4 to Appendix B discusses the expectations for quality cost estimates and details the steps to ensure high-quality cost-benefit analyses are developed and presented to agency management. Additionally, the enclosure describes the steps to verify the quality of a cost-benefit analysis through various techniques for checking accuracy.

The Commission is reviewing the draft final Revision 5 of NUREG/BR-0058. After the Commission provides direction, the staff will conduct Phase 2 of the activity, as described in SECY-14-0002.

29. Please provide the status of the revised guidance currently under development to clarify the use of qualitative factors, including milestones and the projected date for completion. In addition to this revised guidance, please list and briefly describe any actions taken and/or planned to improve the use of quantitative factors in regulatory analyses required for rulemaking, in the regulatory analyses required under the Backfit Rule, and in the Reactor Oversight Process Significance Determination Process.

As noted above, the staff completed the draft final Revision 5 of NUREG/BR-0058 and provided the document to the Commission for its review (SECY-18-0042) on March 28, 2018.

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In the interim, a draft of the NUREG was issued for public comment and is available for interim staff use. In conducting its regulatory analyses, the staff is implementing the best practices and lessons learned that are contained within this draft revision of NUREG/BR-0058.

In revising this cost-benefit guidance, the staff focused on improving methods for quantitative analyses, including the treatment of uncertainty and the development of realistic estimates of the cost of implementing proposed requirements. Specifically, the staff developed two appendices to NUREG/BR-0058, Revision 5 to guide the staff in these areas.

• Appendix B, Cost Estimating and Best Practices, provides expanded guidance on incorporating cost-estimating best practices, including estimating life-cycle costs.

• Appendix C, The Treatment of Uncertainty, expands on the existing guidance for performing uncertainty and sensitivity analyses for cost-benefit analyses.

In addition to the improved methods for quantitative analyses, the revised cost-benefit guidance directs the staff to quantify the estimates of costs and benefits to the extent possible. However, the staff acknowledges that some attributes in regulatory analyses are difficult to quantify, and require additional resources to develop a strictly quantitative analysis. To address this gap, staff developed a toolkit to enable analysts to clearly present analyses of qualitative results in a transparent way that decision makers, and stakeholders can understand.

• Appendix A, Qualitative Factors Assessment Tools, identifies best practices for the consideration of qualitative factors and describes a number of methods that can be used to support the NRCs evidence-based, quantitative, and analytical approach to decision-making. The guidance clearly states that these methods (1) should only be used when quantification may not be practical, (2) are not a substitute for collecting accurate information to develop realistic cost estimates, and (3) do not constitute an expansion of the consideration of qualitative factors in regulatory, backfit, or environmental analyses.

Revision 5 of NUREG/BR-0058 is intended to meet the following objectives:

• Refocus and expand guidance on cost-benefit analysis across the agency

• Emphasize quantification and provides methods for creating realistic estimates

• Provide methods for assessing factors that are difficult to quantify

• Incorporate cost estimating best practices identified in U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) guidance and in recommendations from GAO in GAO-15-98, Nuclear Regulatory Commission: NRC Needs to Improve Its Cost Estimates by Incorporating More Best Practices, dated December 12, 2014

• Expand guidance on the treatment of uncertainties

• Enhance transparency of analysis for the decision-maker With regard to the use of qualitative factors in the Reactor Oversight Process Significance Determination Process (SDP), the SRM for SECY-13-0137 directed the staff, in part, to evaluate the need to provide additional clarity on the use of qualitative factors for operating reactors to provide more transparency and predictability to the process. The staff expects to respond to this direction by mid-2018.

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30. Please provide a list of all final generic regulatory actions issued in the last 3 years. Please include:

a. Whether the item was reviewed by Committee for the Review of Generic Requirements (CRGR);

b. Whether the CRGR review was formal or informal;

c. The CRGR recommendation; and

d. The NRCs conclusions with respect to compliance with the Backfitting Rule (i.e., no backfitting, cost-justified substantial increase, compliance exception, adequate protection exception).

The majority of the final generic regulatory actions that the NRC issues do not lead to backfitting. In addition, as discussed in response #34, the agency is working to enhance oversight to prevent unintended and unsupported backfits. The NRC issues many types of final generic regulatory actions, such as rules, orders, bulletins, generic letters (GLs), regulatory information summaries (RISs), RGs, standard review plans (SRPs), and ISGs.

The CRGR Charter, Revision 8 clarifies which issues should be forwarded to the Committee for review where new or revised generic requirements could propose backfits or new staff positions.

Items for CRGR review are forwarded by the agencys program offices or are directed for review by the EDO. The table below illustrates that only a few final generic agency actions are reviewed by the CRGR to assess if generic backfitting concerns exist. Most backfitting issues are resolved during management review and legal review, or identified during interactions with external stakeholders.

Rules, orders, bulletins, GLs, and RISs are final generic regulatory actions that are reviewed and evaluated to screen for potential backfitting concerns and new staff positions. CRGR reviews these items when certain criteria are met, including:

• Stakeholders or NRC staff identify concerns regarding backfitting or regulatory analysis

• The EDO directs the review or an office director requests review

• Use of the compliance exception or the adequate protection exceptions to justify backfitting

• For rulemaking, if there are finality concerns or possible backfitting qualitative factors were used to justify a rulemaking with significant costs, or substantial statistical uncertainty exists in the qualitative benefit determination in the backfit analysis.

For rulemaking, over the last 3 years CRGR reviews were not conducted because the criteria for requiring CRGR review were not met for any of the rulemakings listed in the table. However, under the revised criteria, the CRGR is now more actively reviewing rulemaking activities. For example, in June 2017, the CRGR reviewed a draft proposed rule on cybersecurity at fuel cycle facilities. This marked the first CRGR review using the new criteria and guidance. The draft proposed rule is currently with the Commission for its consideration. Also, on October 25, 2017, the CRGR reviewed the draft final rule on enhanced weapons, firearms background checks, and security event notifications. In reviewing both of these packages, the CRGR requested additional information to ensure that the staff was not unnecessarily imposing backfits on the licensees.

Regulatory guides, standard review plans, and interim staff guidance, are only reviewed by CRGR when concerns are raised during staff review regarding potential generic backfitting.

These documents are intended to provide acceptable approaches for licensees or applicants to meet NRC requirements, or for the NRC staff to confirm the adequacy of proposed approaches.

Additionally, adopting new regulatory guides is intended to be voluntary for licensees and 69

applicants. For limited instances where regulatory guides may result in potential backfits or new staff positions, the CRGR conducts a review.

The table below provides NRC final generic regulatory actions issued within the last 3 years.

For the response, the staff has included final rules, orders, bulletins, RISs, and GLs.

Summary of Final Generic Regulatory Actions over the Last 3 Years Item # Title Issuance CRGR1 CRGR NRC Date Review Recommen Backfitting dation Review RIS-18-01 Common Violations Cited 01/22/18 None NA No Backfitting During First 2 Years of 10 CFR Part 37, and "Physical Protection of Category 1 and Category 2 Quantities of ERRATA Radioactive Material,"

Implementation and 03/01/2018 Guidance Documents Available to Support Rule Implementation 10 CFR Approval of American 01/17/18 None NA No Backfitting Part 50 Society of Mechanical Engineers' Code Cases 83 FR 2331 10 CFR 2 Adjustment of Civil 01/12/18 None NA No Backfitting and 13 Penalties for Inflation for Fiscal Year 2018 83 FR 1515 RIS-17-08 Process for Scheduling 12/21/17 None NA No Backfitting and Allocating Resources for Fiscal Years 2020 Through 2022 for the Review of New Licensing Applications for Light-Water Reactors and Non-Light-Water Reactors 10 CFR Miscellaneous 11/15/17; None NA No Backfitting Parts 2, 9, Corrections 82 FR 40, 50, 52823 61, 71, 73, and 110 1

None - indicates that the item was administrative in nature or did not meet thresholds for CRGR backfitting review, informal reviews - were conducted by the members without a meeting. Formal Reviews - are these items that a meeting was conducted to assess potential backfitting concerns.

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Summary of Final Generic Regulatory Actions over the Last 3 Years Item # Title Issuance CRGR1 CRGR NRC Date Review Recommen Backfitting dation Review RIS-17-06 NRC Policy on Use of 09/19/17 None NA No Backfitting Combination Dosimetry Devices During Industrial Radiographic Operations RIS-17-05 Administration of 10 CFR 09/13/17 None NA No Backfitting Part 72 Certificate of Compliance Corrections and Revisions RIS-17-04 Clarification on the 08/30/17 Informal NA No Backfitting Implementation of Review Compensatory Measures for Protective Strategy Deficiencies or Degraded or Inoperable Security Systems, Equipment, or Components 10 CFR American Society of 07/18/17; None NA Two changes Part 50 Mechanical Engineers 82 FR resulted in an Codes and Code Cases 329034 adequate protection backfit exception (Code Case N-729-4 and Code Case N-770-2) 10 CFR Fee Recovery for Fiscal 06/30/17; None NA No Backfitting Parts 170 Year 2017 82 FR and 171 30682 RIS-17-03 Preparation and 04/05/17 None NA No Backfitting Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations RIS-17-02 Applicability of Title 10 of 02/08/17 None NA No Backfitting the Code of Federal Regulations Part 37 to Non-Manufacturing and Distribution Service Provider Licensees RIS-17-01 Human Reliability and 02/02/17 None NA No Backfitting Human Performance Database 71

Summary of Final Generic Regulatory Actions over the Last 3 Years Item # Title Issuance CRGR1 CRGR NRC Date Review Recommen Backfitting dation Review 10 CFR Adjustment of Civil 01/24/17; None NA No Backfitting Parts 2 Penalties for Inflation 82 FR 8133 and 13 10 CFR List of Approved Spent Published 6 None NA No Backfitting Part 72 Fuel Storage Casks Certificate of Compliance (COC) rules in 2017 10 CFR Increase in the Maximum 12/30/16; None NA No Backfitting Part 140 Amount of Primary 81 FR Nuclear Liability 96347 Insurance 10 CFR Update to Incorporate 12/30/16; None NA No Backfitting Parts 2 Freedom of Information 81 FR and 9 Act Improvement Act of 96344 2016 Requirements RIS-16-12 NRC Employee Access 11/22/16 None NA No Backfitting to Switchyards at Licensee Facilities RIS-16-11 Requests to Dispose of 11/13/16 Informal Endorsed No Backfitting Very Low-Level Review Radioactive Waste Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002 RIS Decommissioning 09/27/16 None NA No Backfitting 19, Rev 1 Timeliness Rule Implementation and Associated Regulatory Relief RIS-16-10 License Amendment 08/05/16 Informal Endorsed No Backfitting Requests for Changes to Review Emergency Response Organization Staffing and Augmentation 10 CFR Update to Transcript 07/20/16; None NA No Backfitting Part 2 Correction Procedures 81 FR 47005 72

Summary of Final Generic Regulatory Actions over the Last 3 Years Item # Title Issuance CRGR1 CRGR NRC Date Review Recommen Backfitting dation Review 10 CFR Adjustment of Civil 07/01/16; None NA No Backfitting Parts 2 Penalties for Inflation 81 FR and 13 43019 10 CFR Fee Recovery for Fiscal 06/24/16; None NA No Backfitting Parts 9, Year 2016 81 FR 170, and 41171 171 RIS-16-09 Preparation and 06/16/16 None NA No Backfitting Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations RIS-16-08 Process for Scheduling 06/07/16 None NA No Backfitting and Allocating Resources in Fiscal Year 2019 for the Review of New Licensing Applications for Light-Water Reactors and Non-Light-Water Reactors 10 CFR Variable Annual Fee 05/24/16; None NA No Backfitting Parts 170 Structure for Small 81 FR and 171 Modular Reactors 32617 RIS-16-07 Containment Shell or 05/09/16 Informal Endorsed No Backfitting Liner Moisture Barrier Review Inspection RIS-16-06 NRC Regulation of 05/09/16 None NA No Backfitting Radium-226 Under Military Control and for Coordination on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Response Actions at Department of Defense Sites with Radioactive Materials 73

Summary of Final Generic Regulatory Actions over the Last 3 Years Item # Title Issuance CRGR1 CRGR NRC Date Review Recommen Backfitting dation Review RIS-16-05 Embedded Digital 04/29/16 Informal Endorsed No Backfitting Devices in Safety- Review Related Systems RIS-16-04 Clarification of 10 CFR 04/19/16 Informal Endorsed No Backfitting 50.46 Reporting Review Requirements and Recent Issues with Related Guidance Not Approved for Use RIS-16-03 10 CFR 50.59 Issues 04/13/16 None NA No Backfitting Identified in NRC's San Onofre Steam Generator Tube Degradation Lessons Learned Report GL-16-01 Monitoring of Neutron- 04/07/16 Formal Endorsed No Backfitting Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuels Pools RIS-16-02 Design Basis Issues 03/23/16 None NA No Backfitting Related to Tube-to-Tubesheet Joints in Pressurized-Water Reactor Steam Generators RIS-16-01 Nuclear Energy Institute 03/16/16 Informal Endorsed No Backfitting Guidance for the Use of Review Accreditation in Lieu of Commercial Grade Surveys for Procurement of Laboratory Calibration and Test Services RIS Planned Licensing Action 01/15/16 None NA No Backfitting 16, Rev 1 Submittals for All Power Reactor Licensees 10 CFR List of Approved Spent Published 5 None NA No Backfitting Part 72 Fuel Storage Casks COC rules in 2016 RIS-15-17 Review and Submission 12/23/15 None NA No Backfitting of Updates to Final Safety Analysis Reports, Emergency 74

Summary of Final Generic Regulatory Actions over the Last 3 Years Item # Title Issuance CRGR1 CRGR NRC Date Review Recommen Backfitting dation Review Preparedness Documents, and Fire Protection Documents RIS Decommissioning 12/21/15 None NA No Backfitting 19, Rev 0 Timeliness Rule Implementation and Associated Regulatory Relief RIS-15-18 Sodium Iodide-131 (I- 12/14/15 None NA No Backfitting 131) Patient Release Information Collection RIS-15-15 Information Regarding a 12/04/15 Informal Endorsed No Backfitting Specific Exemption in the Review Requirements for the Physical Protection of Category 1 and Category 2 Quantities of Radioactive Material RIS Planned Licensing Action 11/25/15 None NA No Backfitting 16, Rev 0 Submittals for All Power Reactor Licensees RIS-15-13 Seismic Stability Analysis 11/12/15 None NA No Backfitting Methodologies for Spent Fuel Dry Cask RIS-15-11 Protective Action 11/05/15 Informal Endorsed No Backfitting Recommendations for Review Members of the Public on Bodies of Water 10 CFR Cyber Security Event 11/02/15; None NA No Backfitting Part 73 Notifications 80 FR 67264 RIS-15-14 Issuance of Enforcement 10/30/15 None NA No Backfitting Guidance Memorandum

- Emergency Plan and Emergency Plan Implementing Procedure Updates 75

Summary of Final Generic Regulatory Actions over the Last 3 Years Item # Title Issuance CRGR1 CRGR NRC Date Review Recommen Backfitting dation Review 10 CFR Hearings on Challenges 10/20/15; None NA No Backfitting Parts 2 to the Immediate 80 FR and 150 Effectiveness of Orders 63409 10 CFR Revisions to the Petition 10/07/15; None NA No Backfitting Part 2 for Rulemaking Process 80 FR 60513 10 CFR List of Approved Spent 08/18/15; None NA No Backfitting Part 72 Fuel Storage Casks: 80 FR Holtec international HI- 49887 STORM 100 Cask System, Certificate of Compliance No. 1014, Amendment No. 8, Revision 1 RIS-15-10 Applicability of ASME 07/16/15 Formal Endorsed No Backfitting Code Case N-770-1 As Conditioned in 10 CFR 50.55a, "Code and Standards," to Branch Connection Butt Welds RIS-15-09 Implementation of 07/09/15 None NA No Backfitting Fingerprinting Requirements for Non-Power Reactors 10 CFR Fee Recovery for Fiscal 06/30/15; None NA No Backfitting Parts 170 Year 2015 80 FR and 171 37431 RIS-15-08 Oversight of Counterfeit, 06/24/15 None NA No Backfitting Fraudulent and Suspect Items in the Nuclear Industry GL-15-01 Treatment of Natural 06/22/15 Formal Endorsed No Backfitting Phenomena Hazards in Fuel Cycle Facilities 10 CFR Transportation Safety 06/12/15; None NA No Backfitting Part 71 Requirements and 80 FR Harmonization with 33987 International Atomic Energy Agency 76

Summary of Final Generic Regulatory Actions over the Last 3 Years Item # Title Issuance CRGR1 CRGR NRC Date Review Recommen Backfitting dation Review Transportation Requirements; Revisions RIS-15-06 Tornado Missile 06/10/15 Formal Endorsed No Backfitting Protection RIS-15-07 Process for Scheduling 05/11/15 None NA No Backfitting and Allocating Resources in FY 2017 for the Review of New Licensing Applications for Large Light-Water Reactors and Small Modular Reactors RIS-15-05 Preparation and 04/20/15 None NA No Backfitting Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations RIS-15-04 Withdrawal of 04/14/15 None NA No Backfitting Administrative Letter 93-01

31. Please provide a list and brief description of all facility specific backfits issued in the reporting period.

None.

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32. For matters reviewed by the CRGR, please provide 12-month and 3-year rolling averages for the following metrics:

a. For the number of issues reviewed formally: the percentage accepted for imposition on industry and the percentage rejected based on cost-benefit or Backfit concerns; and

b. For the number of issues reviewed informally: the percentage accepted for imposition on industry and the percentage rejected based on cost-benefit or Backfit concerns.

12-Month Summary of CRGR Review Decisions of Potential Backfit Issues Percentage Accepted or Percentage Rejected Percentage Review Type & Endorsed with Based on Backfit Endorsed without Outcome Backfitting Concerns Backfitting Informal Reviews 0.0% 0.0% 100.0%

Formal Reviews 16.7% 16.7% 66.6%

3-Year Summary of CRGR Review Decisions of Potential Backfit Issues Percentage Accepted or Percentage Rejected Percentage Review Type & Endorsed with Based on Backfit Endorsed without Outcome Backfitting Concerns Backfitting Informal Reviews 0.0% 0.0% 100.0%

Formal Reviews 20.0% 10.0% 70.0%

Comments:

1. As of February 28, 2018, for the rolling 3-year period, the CRGR has completed 25 reviews for potential backfits. Completed reviews include 15 informal reviews and 10 formal reviews.

These percentages omit ongoing CRGR reviews.

2. These tables provide summaries of CRGR review results for the rolling 12-month and 3-year periods. The percentage accepted includes CRGR endorsements of generic documents that may lead to licensee backfits, the percentage rejected are reviews in which the CRGR disapproved documents due to backfit concerns, and the percentage endorsed were reviews in which the CRGR found no backfit implications.

33. Please provide the status of the application of the Backfit Rule in the licensing and inspection programs across the agency, including:

a. The need for training on the requirements and application of 10 CFR 50.109;

b. The need for a process, training, and/or oversight in addressing inspection issues that may redefine or reinterpret the original licensing basis (e.g., unresolved issues, task interface agreements, disputed violations) to ensure that new requirements are not imposed through the inspection program;

c. A review of proposed regulatory changes that are currently in process to ensure that regulatory actions are appropriately informed by the requirements of 10 CFR 50.109.

Examples of such actions could include but are not limited to the following:

i. The Draft Regulatory Issue Summary on Service Life addressing the treatment of vendor recommendations within the regulatory framework; 78

ii. 10 CFR 50.46(c) rulemaking for which the justification utilizes the adequate protection provisions of the backfit rule to obviate the need to compare the benefits of public health and safety with the cost of compliance for the three major portions of the rule; iii. Use of the compliance exception backfit as proposed by the NRC staff to address the "open phase condition (OPC)" issue; and iv. Possible alteration of the risk reduction credit given for Incipient Fire Protection after the modifications have been installed and received approval from the NRC crediting the technology.

d. Please describe the progress made during each reporting period.

a, b, & d. Consistent with the EDO approved milestones in Response 34, the agency developed and implemented refresher training for management, inspection staff, engineers, and project managers. The agency is currently developing enhanced backfit training that will be deployed in 2018 and 2019. As of January 31, 2018, the agency completed refresher training for NRC senior managers, NRC regional inspection staff, and applicable NRC headquarters offices.

More detailed backfitting guidance and procedures will be developed throughout FY 2018 and discussed in future reports.

c. The agency has incorporated the recent lessons learned from the Exelon backfit appeal decision and the Commissions direction in SRM-COMSECY-16-0020 into its reviews of proposed regulatory changes and decision making.

The table below provides a summary of the status of regulatory changes and issues as of January 31, 2018.

Status of Select Regulatory Activities Title Status of Regulatory Change Backfitting Considerations RIS on Service Life - RIS (ADAMS Accession No. ML17177A060) While the CRGR found Disposition of was issued for public comment and the public that the draft RIS did not Information Related comments have been dispositioned. contain any specific to the Time Period backfits or new staff That Safety-Related positions, it did not Structures, Systems, endorse the RIS in its or Components are RIS was reviewed by CRGR on September current form. The CRGR Installed 12 and 14, 2017. CRGR Meeting Nos. #446, indicated that a RIS may

1. 447(ADAMS Accession No. not be appropriate for ML17276B156). addressing these issues.

Currently, the staff is discussing its next steps forward.

10 CFR 50.46(c) The NRC staff prepared a regulatory analysis Based on established Rulemaking for the 10 CFR 50.46c draft final rule criteria at the time, the (ADAMS Accession No. ML15323A122) to CRGR was not required identify the benefits and costs of the to review the rulemaking particular regulatory approach for addressing to assess potential emergency core cooling system backfits. The rulemaking performance. The regulatory analysis is currently with the focuses on the marginal difference in benefits 79

Status of Select Regulatory Activities Title Status of Regulatory Change Backfitting Considerations and costs for each alternative relative to the Commission for its no action baseline alternative for the three consideration.

major portions of the rule, which is consistent with the requirements of the backfit rule (10 CFR 50.109), Commission direction, and the ongoing revisions to the agencys cost-benefit guidance (e.g., NUREG/BR-0058, Revision 5).

RIS on AP1000 The purpose of this RIS is to provide This item has been Certified Design guidance, to present and future applicants for closed. Staff no longer Information Errors a Combined License (COL) or COL renewal plans to issue the subject Discovered During referencing the AP1000 DC, regarding RIS.

Design Finalization previous applicant-identified errors contained and Construction in the AP1000 DC (DCD Revision 19) and Activities how these errors may be addressed by current and future applicants.

Proposed Rule, 10 The proposed rule (ADAMS Accession No. CRGR completed its CFR 73.53, ML17145A342), if approved, would require review in two meetings, Requirements for certain Fuel Cycle Facility licensees to June 27 and July 12, Cyber Security at establish, implement, and maintain a cyber 2017. This rule contained Nuclear Fuel Cycle security program that can detect, protect backfitting and was Facilities and against, and respond to a cyber-attack endorsed by the CRGR.

associated draft capable of causing one or more of the This rulemaking is regulatory guidance, consequences of concern as defined in the currently with the DG-5062 Cyber proposed rule. Commission for its Security Programs consideration.

for Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Regulatory Guide This regulatory guide describes an approach This item has been 5.77, Revision 1, that the NRC staff considers acceptable for closed. The staff did not Insider Mitigation an insider mitigation program for nuclear identify a backfitting Program power reactors that contain protected or vital concern. This RG is areas. currently being reviewed by the Commission.

34. Please provide a description of actions taken and/or planned to address recommendations made by the CRGR in their report "U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Implementation of Backfitting and Issue Finality Requirements," dated June 27, 2017. Please include a milestone schedule for completing action on each recommendation.

The actions identified in the CRGR Review Report and approved by the EDO in a memo dated July 19, 2017, have been organized into the following activities:

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Backfitting Enhancement Tasks from the June 27, 2017, CRGR Review Report Item Task Lead Due Date Status 1 Update agency-level guidance on backfitting and NRR 05/02/2018 On track issue finality to reflect Commission direction on the use of the compliance exception to the backfit rule and submit for Commission approval.

2 Update office-level implementing guidance on NRR, NMSS, 02/21/2019 On track backfitting and issue finality, and the Enforcement NRO, NSIR, Manual to reflect Commission-approved RES, all agencywide guidance. Regions, OE 3 Develop and conduct "reset" training for managers CRGR 02/28/2018 Completed and staff on backfitting and issue finality.

4 Update initial training on backfitting and issue CRGR 06/31/2018 On track finality for use in office and regional qualification programs.

5 Develop or update refresher training and CRGR, NRR, 09/31/2018 On track developmental activities on backfitting and issue NMSS, NRO, finality, and revise office qualification procedures to NSIR, RES, require such training and developmental activities. all Regions 6 Make available "just-in-time" training and CRGR 10/31/2018 On track references on backfitting and issue finality.

7 Add backfitting information to agency knowledge CRGR 09/18/2017 Completed management Web site.

8 Prepare a NUREG/Knowledge Management report CRGR 08/31/2019 On track on the history and activities of the Committee to Review Generic Requirements.

9 Create a backfitting Community of Practice with CRGR 08/31/2017 Completed office points of contact.

10 Conduct an effectiveness review of actions taken CRGR 07/27/2020 On track in response to the June 27, 2017, CRGR report.

11 Propose a revision to the charter for the CRGR to CRGR 06/29/2018 On track reflect rulemaking criteria, incorporate recent Commission direction, and enhance rigor of CRGR assessments.

12 Report on the availability of key docketed OCIO 02/28/2018 Completed information categories and the resources needed to make information more readily retrievable.

13 Report on the resources needed to implement the CRGR 10/02/2017 Completed actions in the July 19, 2017, EDO tasking on backfitting.

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REACTOR INSPECTION

35. Please provide the Reactor Oversight Process findings for year-to-date and 3-year rolling metrics, including the total number and for each region for green, white, yellow, and red findings.

Location # of 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Findings Nationally Total 824 821 704 560 17 NSIR (all regions) 18 26 19 N/A N/A (Note 1)

Green 167 169 155 126 3 White 3 4 2 2 0 Yellow 0 1 0 0 0 RI Red 0 0 0 0 0 GTG 1 1 0 0 0 Security Total 171 175 157 128 3

1. OP Units 26 25 25 25 25 Green 148 159 151 119 0 White 4 1 0 3 0 Yellow 0 0 0 0 0 R2 Red 0 0 0 0 0 GTG 0 0 1 2 0 Security Total 152 160 152 124 0

1. OP Units 32 32 33 33 33 Green 221 202 177 133 4 White 4 5 1 4 1 Yellow 0 0 0 0 0 R3 Red 0 0 0 0 0 GTG 1 1 1 0 0 Security Total 226 208 179 137 5

1. OP Units 23 23 23 23 23 Green 249 248 196 167 9 White 5 2 1 2 0 Yellow 2 1 0 0 0 R4 Red 0 0 0 0 0 GTG 1 1 0 2 0 Security Total 257 252 197 171 9

1. OP Units 19 19 19 19 18 Note 2 NSIR: Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response*

GTG Security: Greater-than-green security;

1. OP Units: Number of operating units; Notes:

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1. Starting in CY 2017, these finding are included in the findings for each region.

2. Fort Calhoun removed from list of operating units.

36. Please provide the percentage of Final Significance Determinations made within 90 Days for all potentially Greater-Than-Green findings, monthly for one-year rolling metrics and annually for the past 10 years.

1-Year Rolling Metric Month Percent Met April 2017 100 May 2017 100 June 2017 N/A July 2017 100 August 2017 100 September 2017 N/A October 2017 100 November 2017 0 December 2017 100 January 2018 N/A February 2018 100 March 2018 N/A 10-Year Annual Determinations Within 90 Days Year Percent Met 2008 100 2009 100 2010 93 2011 100 2012 100 2013 100 2014 86 2015 88 2016 100 2017 93 Comments:

This metric, reported in the NRCs CBJ, measures the time from the issuance date of the first official correspondence that describes the inspection finding, until the final significance determination letter is sent to the licensee, which is expected to be 90 days or less.

37. For each reporting period, please describe each instance where Inspection Manual Chapter 609 Appendix M, "Significance Determination Process Using Qualitative Criteria," has been applied in the Reactor Oversight Process Significance Determination Process, including the justification for doing so.

Appendix M was not used to disposition any inspection findings in March 2018.

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38. Please provide the status of potential changes to the Reactor Oversight Process, and identify any changes that may require Commission approval prior to implementation.

Significant potential changes to the ROP include the following:

• IMC 0609, Significance Determination Process, Appendix M, Significance Determination Process Using Qualitative Criteria. Having received stakeholder feedback on its initially proposed changes to Appendix M, the NRC staff is preparing a revised approach, and will re-engage with stakeholders in the coming months to review the changes and next steps. Based on the changes contemplated, at the present time, the staff does not expect that Commission approval will be required.

• Changes to the engineering inspections that will improve effectiveness and efficiency of the inspections. The changes will be implemented in CY 2020.

39. Please describe the progress toward utilizing an industry consensus document as a means of accomplishing predictability and consistency in operability determinations.

The NRC is engaged with nuclear industry stakeholders on its effort to develop a consensus document for operability determinations. The agency held a public meeting on June 1, 2017, to discuss the fundamental concepts used to make operability determinations. The staff also participated in an operability panel at the NEI Licensing Forum on August 23, 2017. NRC expects to receive NEIs draft guidance in early 2018. The NRC anticipates that this effort will inform a future revision of IMC 0326, Operability Determinations & Functionality Assessments for Conditions Adverse to Quality or Safety.

40. For each Design Bases Assurance Inspection (formerly known as the Component Design Basis Inspection) completed in the last three years, please list the duration, amount of fees billed, and percentage of fees used to reimburse contractors.

The fees are grouped per Design Bases Assurance (DBA) inspection in order to allow easier review by the reader and facilitate comparison between the costs of DBA inspections performed at each site. Monthly comparison of DBA inspection fees will not provide an accurate representation of each licensees charges due to the fact that the DBA inspections span 2 months.

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85 86 87

41. Please provide the status of the holistic review of engineering inspection procedures and any actions taken and/or planned because of the review.

NRC management and staff on the engineering inspection working group held a public meeting on February 22, 2018, to present the recommendations for the proposed new suite of ROP engineering inspections to the industry. This meeting was one of several public meetings between the NRC and the industry on the NRCs efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of ROP engineering inspections.

The next step is to forward the recommendations from the engineering inspection working group to NRR management for review and approval. The recommendations will then be provided to the Commission for approval in the spring of 2018. Implementation of these changes would occur in CY 2020, if approved.

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NEW REACTORS

42. Please provide a table showing the funds budgeted, the resources spent, and the total Part 170 fees billed each year for the last ten years for the Office of New Reactors.

FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11 FY 12 FY 13 FY 14 FY 15 FY 16 FY 17 FY 18 Enacted ($M) 137.08 110.46 109.81 110.71 102.53 100.87 112.61 96.08 91.63 72.03 71.46 Expended ($M) 82.57 81.16 90.55 89.75 76.06 89.16 67.03 61.46 62.63 54.84 25.88 Part 170 Billed ($M) 75.73 74.65 60.28 60.18 59.62 60.12 55.65 11.40 Enacted: Beginning in FY 2018, the NRC eliminated the allocation of mission indirect resources in the agency's budget request to increase transparency (see NRC FY 2018 Congressional Budget Justification page 161 for detailed explanation). To allow for comparison of historical budget data, FY 2008 - FY 2017 are presented in a consistent manner. FY 2018 expenditure is as of March 31, 2018. Part 170 billing is as of January 31, 2018; next quarterly billing scheduled for April 30, 2018.

Part 170 Billed: For FY 2008 - FY 2010, the data in the legacy billing system is not available at the office level.

43. For each design certification, Construction and Operating License (COL), and Early Site Permit (ESP) application reviewed since 2007, please provide:

a. The date of the first pre-application meeting;

b. The date the application was filed;

c. Whether the acceptance review was completed in 60 days;

d. The originally scheduled dates for completion of the safety evaluation report and environmental impact statement;

e. The actual dates for completion of the safety evaluation report and environmental impact statement;

f. For ongoing reviews, the projected date for final agency action;

g. For terminated or suspended reviews, the dates of the termination or suspension; and

h. The total fees billed for each review.

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Original Date of Acceptanc Review Actual FSER Date of Withdrawal or Total Fees Date the e Review Schedule and FEIS (or Projected First Pre- Suspension Billed for Each Project Name Application Completed Dates for EA) Date for Application Request (for Review was Filed in 60 Days FSER and Completion Final NRC Meeting terminated (Note 4)

(Note 1) FEIS (or EA) Dates Action projects only)

Completion U.S. Advanced 05/12/2006 12/31/2007 Yes FSER: 06/2012 Application is Not N/A Pressurized FEIS: N/A currently under Scheduled $77,885,573 Water Reactor review (Note 2)

(APWR) DC APR1400 DC 11/05/2009 12/23/2014 Yes FSER: 09/2018 Application is 09/2019 N/A FEIS: N/A currently under $54,236,631 review ABWR DC 02/23/2010 12/07/2010 Yes FSER: 03/2018 Application is Schedule N/A Renewal (GEH) FEIS: N/A currently under currently $5,071,312 review under review Turkey Point 02/10/2009 06/30/2009 Yes FSER: 12/2012 FSER: 04/2018 N/A COL FEIS: 10/2012 12/2016 $35,115,339 FEIS: 10/2016 Clinch River 12/14/2010 05/12/2016 No FSER: 08/2019 Application is 02/2020 N/A ESP (Note 3) FEIS: 06/2019 currently under $5,647,335 review NuScale SMR 07/09/2008 01/06/2017 Yes FSER: 09/2020 Application is 01/2021 N/A DC FEIS: N/A currently under $16,643,723 review North Anna Information 09/25/2003 Yes FSER: 6/2005 FSER: ESP N/A $8,579,177 ESP not known FEIS: 6/2005 08/2006 issued on FEIS: 12/2006 11/27/2007 Vogtle ESP Information 08/15/2006 Yes FSER: 05/2008 FSER: ESP N/A $11,680,269 not known FEIS: 05/2008 02/2009 issued on FEIS: 08/2008 08/26/2009 South Texas Information 09/20/2007 Yes FSER: 09/2011 FSER: COL N/A $58,463,244 Project COL not known FEIS: 03/2011 09/2015 issued on FEIS: 02/2011 02/12/2016 90

Original Date of Acceptanc Review Actual FSER Date of Withdrawal or Total Fees Date the e Review Schedule and FEIS (or Projected First Pre- Suspension Billed for Each Project Name Application Completed Dates for EA) Date for Application Request (for Review was Filed in 60 Days FSER and Completion Final NRC Meeting terminated (Note 4)

(Note 1) FEIS (or EA) Dates Action projects only)

Completion Bellefonte COL Information 10/30/2007 Yes FSER: 02/2011 Application N/A 03/28/2016 $21,916,556 not known FEIS: 01/2010 withdrawn by the applicant North Anna Information 11/26/2007 Yes FSER: 08/2010 FSER: COL N/A $33,032,175 COL not known FEIS: 12/2009 01/2017 issued on FSEIS: 06/02/2017 02/2010 Lee COL Information 12/12/2007 Yes FSER: 02/2011 FSER: COL N/A $22,762,364 not known FEIS: 03/2010 08/2016 issued on FEIS: 12/2013 12/19/2016 U.S. EPR DC 2/8/05 12/11/2007 Yes FSER: 05/2011 Application N/A 02/25/2015 $82,585,674 FEIS: N/A review is (suspension suspended at request) the applicants request Shearon Harris Information 02/18/2008 Yes FSER: 04/2011 Application N/A 05/02/2013 $10,106,258 COL not known FEIS: 05/2010 review is (suspension suspended at request) the applicants request Vogtle COL Information 03/28/2008 Yes FSER: 12/2010 FSER: COL N/A $29,770,625 not known FEIS: 01/2010 08/2011 issued on FEIS: 04/2011 02/10/2012 V.C. Summer Information 03/27/2008 Yes FSER: 02/2011 FSER: COL N/A $28,057,913 COL not known FEIS: 02/2011 08/2011 issued on FEIS: 04/2011 03/30/2012 Levy COL Information 07/30/2008 Yes FSER: 05/2011 FSER: COL N/A $27,398,694 not known FEIS: 09/2010 05/2016 issued on FEIS: 04/2012 10/26/2016 91

Original Date of Acceptanc Review Actual FSER Date of Withdrawal or Total Fees Date the e Review Schedule and FEIS (or Projected First Pre- Suspension Billed for Each Project Name Application Completed Dates for EA) Date for Application Request (for Review was Filed in 60 Days FSER and Completion Final NRC Meeting terminated (Note 4)

(Note 1) FEIS (or EA) Dates Action projects only)

Completion Fermi COL Information 09/18/2008 Yes FSER: 03/2012 FSER: COL N/A $26,413,206 not known FEIS: 08/2011 11/2014 issued on FEIS: 01/2013 05/01/2015 Comanche Information 09/18/2008 Yes FSER: 12/11 FSER: N/A N/A 11/07/2013 $23,278,377 Peak COL not known FEIS: 01/2011 FEIS: 05/2011 (suspension Application request) review is suspended at the applicants request River Bend Information 09/25/2008 Yes A review Application N/A 01/09/2009 $1,350,316 COL not known schedule was withdrawn by (suspension not developed the applicant request) for this application 12/04/2015 (withdrawal request)

Callaway COL Information 07/24/2008 No A review Application N/A 06/23/2009 $4,066,138 not known schedule was withdrawn by (suspension not developed the applicant request) for this application 08/12/2015 (withdrawal request) 92

Original Date of Acceptanc Review Actual FSER Date of Withdrawal or Total Fees Date the e Review Schedule and FEIS (or Projected First Pre- Suspension Billed for Each Project Name Application Completed Dates for EA) Date for Application Request (for Review was Filed in 60 Days FSER and Completion Final NRC Meeting terminated (Note 4)

(Note 1) FEIS (or EA) Dates Action projects only)

Completion Bell Bend COL Information 10/10/2008 Yes FSER: 03/2012 FSER: N/A N/A 02/25/2015 $20,026,574 not known FEIS: 03/2011 FEIS: 04/2016 (suspension Application request) withdrawn by the applicant 08/30/2016 (withdrawal request)

PSEG ESP Information 05/25/2010 Yes FSER: 07/2013 FSER: ESP N/A $17,917,093 not known FEIS: 03/2013 09/2015 issued on FEIS: 11/2015 05/05/2016 ABWR DC Information 10/27/2010 Yes A review Application N/A 06/09/2016 $686,911 Renewal not known schedule was withdrawn by (withdrawal (Toshiba) not developed the applicant request) for this application Victoria County Information 03/25/2010 Yes FSER: 04/2013 Application N/A 08/28/2012 $6,146,248 ESP not known FEIS: 08/2013 withdrawn by (withdrawal the applicant request)

Calvert Cliffs Information 07/13/2007 No FSER: 07/2012 FSER: N/A N/A 02/27/2015 $31,400,772 COL not known (Part 1 of FEIS: 03/2010 FEIS: 05/2011 (suspension application) Application request) withdrawn by 03/14/2008 Yes the applicant 06/08/2015 (Part 2 of (withdrawal application) request)

Nine Mile Point Information 09/30/2008 Yes A review Application N/A 12/01/2009 $2,687,822 COL not known schedule was withdrawn by (suspension not developed the applicant request) for this 11/26/2013 93

Original Date of Acceptanc Review Actual FSER Date of Withdrawal or Total Fees Date the e Review Schedule and FEIS (or Projected First Pre- Suspension Billed for Each Project Name Application Completed Dates for EA) Date for Application Request (for Review was Filed in 60 Days FSER and Completion Final NRC Meeting terminated (Note 4)

(Note 1) FEIS (or EA) Dates Action projects only)

Completion application (withdrawal request)

Grand Gulf Information 02/27/2008 Yes FSER: 03/2011 Application N/A 2/9/2015 $4,719,505 COL not known FEIS: 05/2010 withdrawn by (withdrawal the applicant request)

Grand Gulf ESP Information 10/21/2003 Yes FSER: 10/2005 FSER: ESP N/A $5,352,875 not known FEIS: 10/2005 10/2005 issued on FEIS: 04/2006 04/05/2007 Clinton ESP Information 09/25/2003 Yes FSER: 08/2005 FSER: ESP N/A $5,186,587 not known FEIS: 08/2005 02/2006 issued on FEIS: 07/2006 3/15/2007 AP1000 DC Information 05/26/2007 Yes FSER: 08/2010 FSER: Final Rule N/A $33,036,394 Amendment not known FEIS: N/A 08/2011 published FEIS: N/A on 12/30/2011 Economic 6/20-21/2002 08/24/2005 No FSER: 06/2009 FSER: Final Rule N/A $68,153,802 Simplified FEIS: N/A 03/2011 published Boiling Water Supplement on Reactor FSER: 9/2014 10/15/2014 (ESBWR) DC FEIS: N/A ABWR DC Information 06/30/2009 Yes FSER: 04/2010 FSER: Final Rule N/A $1,145,852 Amendment not known FEIS: N/A 10/2010 published FEIS: N/A on 12/16/2011 Victoria County Information 09/03/2008 Yes A review Application N/A 06/11/2010 $1,493,183 COL not known schedule was withdrawn by (withdrawal not developed the applicant request) for this application 94

Note 1: NROs acceptance review metric is to complete the acceptance review within 60 days and to issue a letter to the applicant documenting the staffs findings on acceptability within 75 days.

Note 2: The NRC is performing the review of the US APWR at a very reduced pace at the request of the applicant and will continue at this pace until notified by the applicant of a change in its plans. Therefore, no completion date has been established.

Note 3: The acceptance review for the Clinch River ESP application was extended at the request of the applicant, TVA, by letter dated August 19, 2016.

Note 4: The NRCs 10 CFR Part 170 charges are billed on a quarterly basis. Therefore, updates will be provided in this report to Question 43.h during the reporting periods for January, April, July, and October.

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44. Please provide a concise summary of the status of ongoing design certification, COL, and ESP application reviews. Please include a discussion of the issuance of RAls and receipt of responses.

In addition to the updates provided here, each of the DC, COL, and ESP milestone schedules that are under review are publicly available on the NRC website.

DC Applications The NRC employs a 6 Phase schedule to monitor progress towards completion of the safety review. These phases are:

• Phase 1 - Preliminary SER with RAIs issued to applicant

• Phase 2 - SER with Open Items issued

• Phase 3 - Response to ACRS regarding SER with Open Items issued

• Phase 4 - Advanced SER with no Open Items issued

• Phase 5 - Response to ACRS regarding SER with no Open Items issued

• Phase 6 - Final SER issued US-APWR Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) submitted its US-APWR DC application on December 31, 2007. The staff is currently in Phase 2 of the review. By letter dated November 5, 2013, MHI initiated a coordinated slowdown of NRC licensing activities in order to focus its resources towards supporting the restart of the Mitsubishi-designed reactors in Japan following the Fukushima event. The NRC staff has been performing the review of the US-APWR DC application at a very reduced pace and will continue at this reduced pace until further notice from the applicant. As of March 31, 2018, the staff has issued 5,682 RAIs and the applicant has responded to 5,533 of them.

APR1400 On December 23, 2014, Korea Electric Power Corp. and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.,

Ltd. (KHNP), submitted to the NRC its application for the certification of the APR1400 standard plant design for use in the U.S. domestic energy market. The NRC completed the Phase 2 review for all chapters of the application in May 2017 and completed the Phase 3 review in June 2017. The staff is currently in Phases 4, 5 and 6 of its review. As of March 31, 2018, the staff had issued 2,225 RAI questions and the applicant has responded to 2,224 of them. (Note that of the six RAI responses received this month, only one response is considered a new response. The other five were revised responses and thus already included in the total.) Of the RAIs issued, 99.5% are closed or are considered confirmatory actions that the staff will verify, upon receipt of the updated final safety analysis report, that the applicant has incorporated all changes in accordance with the response approved by the staff.

On February 2, 2018, the staff issued an updated schedule letter to KHNP explaining that, although the NRC staff has made substantial progress toward completing both the remaining Phase 4 and Phase 5 reviews, issues related to the technical quality, completeness, or timeliness of the applicants submittals have resulted in delays that affected the milestone dates for completion of Phase 4 and Phase 5. Therefore, the staff revised the Phase 4 public milestone date from March 2018 to May 2018, and moved the Phase 5 public milestone date from June 2018 to July 2018. While no change was made to the Phase 6 milestone date, this delay may also impact the completion of the review within the 42-month schedule.

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NuScale On January 6, 2017, NuScale submitted the first SMR DC application for review by the NRC.

On March 15, 2017, the NRC completed its acceptance review and docketed the application.

The staff issued the acceptance review letter to NuScale on March 23, 2017, and developed a full review schedule with public milestones that was transmitted to NuScale on May 22, 2017.

The staffs review is currently in Phase 1 and Phase 2. To date the NRC has identified 26 significantly challenging issues requiring resolution and that have the potential to adversely affect the review schedule. Of these 26 issues, 4 are now considered resolved. As of March 31, 2018, the staff has issued 404 RAIs, which included 1096 questions and the applicant has responded to 794 of these questions. Of the 404 RAIs issued, 96 RAIs (23.7%) are now closed.

DC Renewal Applications ABWR Renewal (General Electric-Hitachi (GEH))

On December 7, 2010, GEH submitted an application for renewal of the ABWR DC. The review is currently in Phase 2, safety evaluation with open items. The NRC staff issued a letter to GEH on July 20, 2012, describing 28 design changes that GEH should have included in the application. By letter dated September 17, 2012, GEH stated it planned to address the 28 items in its Revision 6 of the ABWR DCD. By letter dated February 19, 2016, GEH submitted its revised application incorporating the changes to the ABWR DCD. On August 30, 2016, the staff issued a schedule letter to GEH based on resolving all open items by January 2017. However, some open items associated with the review of the application remain unresolved. On August 3, 2017, the staff issued a letter to GEH stating that the NRC will not be able to meet the original schedule outlined in the August 30, 2016, letter due to unresolved issues with the application. The letter also stated that the NRC will issue a revised schedule letter to GEH after additional interactions with the applicant are held to resolve these issues and the staff receives complete responses to the NRCs RAIs. As of February 28, 2018, the staff has issued 37 RAIs and the applicant has responded to all of them.

COL Applications Turkey Point Units 6 and 7 On June 30, 2009, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) submitted a COL application for two AP1000 units at the existing Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station site in Miami-Dade County, FL. On September 4, 2009, the NRC staff issued a letter to FPL indicating the Turkey Point COL application was acceptable for docketing.

The NRC staff completed its safety review and presented the final SER to ACRS on August 19, 2016. The final SER for Turkey Point was issued on November 10, 2016. The NRC issued the final EIS on October 28, 2016. The Commission held the mandatory hearing on December 12, 2017.

On May 2-3, 2017, the ASLB conducted an evidentiary hearing in Homestead, FL, for the contested proceeding involving the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, National Parks Conservation Association, and other joint intervenors. On July 10, 2017, the ASLB ruled in favor of the NRC staff and terminated the contested proceeding. No appeal was filed within the appeal deadline. On April 18, 2017, the City of Miami, City of South Miami, and Village of Pinecrest (petitioners) filed a new petition seeking a hearing. On July 31, 2017, the ASLB rejected the pending contention and terminated the contested proceeding involving those 97

petitioners. The Commission denied the petitioners appeal from that decision on December 11, 2017 (CLI-17-12).

On April 5, 2018, the Commission issued its decision (CLI-18-01) regarding the licenses. On April 19, 2018, the Director of the Office of New Reactors signed the combined licenses and record of decision. These documents were published in the Federal Register on April 26, 2018 (83 FR 18091).

ESP Applications The NRC employs a 4 Phase schedule to monitor the progress towards completion of the safety review. These phases are:

• Phase A - Preliminary SER and RAIs issued to the applicant

• Phase B - Advanced SER with No Open Items Developed

• Phase C - ACRS meeting on Advanced SER

• Phase D - Final SER issued The NRC also employs a 4 Phase schedule to monitor completion of the environmental impact statement. These phases are:

• Phase 1 - Scoping Summary Report issued

• Phase 2 - Draft EIS issued to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Phase 3 - Responses to DEIS comments completed

• Phase 4 - Final EIS issued to EPA Clinch River On May 12, 2016, TVA submitted an ESP application for the Clinch River Nuclear Site located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. By letter dated August 11, 2016, TVA identified certain aspects of the application for which it intended to provide supplemental information. The NRC responded to TVA in a letter dated August 19, 2016, and informed TVA that its application would remain in a tendered but not docketed status until all of the supplemental information was provided to NRC. By December 15, 2016, TVA had provided the supplemental information in support of its application, and by letter dated January 5, 2017, the NRC staff informed TVA that its application, as supplemented, was acceptable for docketing and detailed technical review.

NRC staff began its detailed technical review of the ESP application in January 2017 and developed a full review schedule with public milestones that was transmitted to TVA on March 17, 2017. The Phase A safety review for all chapters of the application was completed by the staff on August 4, 2017 (consistent with the established schedule). The staff is currently in Phase B of its review, which is scheduled to conclude on October 29, 2018. As of March 31, 2018, the staff has issued 50 safety-related RAI questions and the applicant has responded to all 50 RAI questions. Of the RAI questions issued, 66% are closed or are considered confirmatory items. The final SER is projected to be issued in August 2019. For the environmental review, NRC staff completed Phase 1 of the review ahead of schedule (October 30, 2017) and remains positioned to complete Phase 2 ahead of schedule as well (before June 1, 2018).

On June 12, 2017, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), Tennessee Environmental Coalition (TEC), and Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League filed petitions seeking a hearing. On September 12, 2017, the ASLB conducted oral argument on these petitions. On 98

October 10, 2017, the Licensing Board issued a decision that denied the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense Leagues petition to intervene and granted the SACE and the TECs joint petition to intervene and admitted two contentions. SACE/TEC filed a motion for reconsideration of the Boards dismissal of the third contention and the motion was dismissed.

Separately, TVA appealed the admission of the two contentions to the Commission and that appeal is currently pending before the Commission. The Board is working to schedule the contested hearing for the two admitted contentions.

45. For reactors under construction, please provide:

Project Name Project Type Licensing Status Vogtle Unit 3 COL Holder COL issued on 02/10/2012 Vogtle Unit 4 COL Holder COL issued on 02/10/2012

a. The number of NRC inspections and ITAAC reviews forecast to be completed per month versus the number completed each month; NRC Inspections Test Analyses and Acceptance Criteria (ITAAC) Inspections:

ITAAC Inspections Completion Status 5

ITAAC Inspections Completed 4 4

ITAAC Inspections Not Complete 4 for ICNs Submitted 3

3 Total Number 3

2 2 2

2 1 1 1

1 0

Jan-18 Feb-18 Mar-18 Comments:

The graph above tracks, by month, the number of ITAAC inspections completed and the number of ITAAC inspections not completed for ITAAC Closure Notifications (ICNs) that had been received. For each ITAAC, there are predetermined inspections to be completed in order to provide assurance that the licensee has met the design commitments and that the ITAAC acceptance criteria are met. An ITAAC inspection is comprised of multiple inspection activities that may be performed over days, weeks, or months.

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For this graph, the term ITAAC Inspections Completed means that all the associated NRC inspection activities tied to that ITAAC have been completed, verified, and marked Inspection Complete in the NRC database. The term ITAAC Inspections Not Complete for ICNs Submitted represents the number of ITAACs for which the completed box in the NRC database has not been checked for ICNs that had been submitted by the licensee. There were two items that were not completed for March. The first item was due to a Vogtle Unit 4 construction activity that has not been completed. This inspection activity has been tracked for the last three reporting periods and will be scheduled once the licensee has completed the component installation. For the second item, the ICN was submitted in late March, however, since that time the inspection activity has been completed.

Because of the coordination between the NRCs inspections and the licensees construction activities, the majority of the required inspections are scheduled and completed prior to the ICN submittal. The completion of these ITAAC-related inspections closely mirrors the completion status of the licensees (Southern Nuclear Operating Company) associated work activities. Changes to the licensees construction schedule due to weather conditions, work sequencing, and other factors impact when NRC inspections can be performed.

ITAAC Closure Notifications Reviews:

The NRCs goal is to complete 90% of ICN reviews within 60 days. However, some ICN reviews may be completed in significantly less time. Conversely, complex ICN reviews may require more than 60 days to complete. For this reason, it is difficult for the NRC to forecast in which month a specific ICN review will be completed based on its submittal date. Therefore, the NRC relies on the metrics reported in its response to question 45.b.

b. The percentage of NRC inspections and the percentage of ITAAC reviews completed within 30 days and within two months; New Reactor Inspection Status:

50% AP1000 Construction Inspection Completion Progress 40.1% 40.5%

40% 37.5%

30%

20.8% 20.8% 20.8%

20%

10%

0%

Jan-18 Feb-18 Mar-18 Vogtle 3 & 4 Program Inspections Completed Vogtle 3 & 4 ITAAC Inspections Completed Comments:

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This graph represents the percentage of NRC inspections associated with ITAAC that have been completed with respect to the total number of inspections required for the Vogtle facility. Planned inspection activities are evaluated and updated to ensure they align with licensees work activities.

For this graph, the term ITAAC Inspections Completed means a specific inspection activity/plan is completed, verified, and approved in the NRC database. Monthly, this number of completed ITAAC inspection activities is compared to the total number of all the required ITAAC inspection activities/plans for the Vogtle Units 3 and 4 ITAAC inspection program.

Once all the associated ITAAC inspection activities are completed, verified, and approved, then Inspection Complete is marked in the NRC database. This information is presented earlier in Graph 45.a.

The graph reports Program Inspections Completed since the start of construction for the Vogtle facility, which include both programs required for construction and operation of Units 3 and 4. There are a total of five construction programs, which include Quality Assurance, Fitness for Duty, and ITAAC Management. In addition, there are a total of 20 operational programs, which include Fire Protection, Emergency Preparedness, Reactor Operator Training, and Security. The graph depicts the percentage of planned inspections that are completed, and does not account for the level of effort required for inspections.

Timeliness of ITAAC Closure Notification Reviews:

Comments:

This bar chart shows the percentage of ICNs reviews completed each month within 30 days and within 60 days. Some of the months shown on the bar chart reflect that the ICN reviews are not meeting the review metric of 90% complete within 60 days. The majority of the delays in these reviews were due to coordination issues between the NRC and the licensee resulting in equipment or activities not being available for scheduled inspections. We are engaging with the licensee to bring attention to those ICNs that require inspection accessibility for timely closure of the ICNs. As the NRC has implemented efficiencies into the process and enhanced communication, the NRC has noticed an improvement in the completion rate. The NRC expects this trend to continue as we move forward.

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c. For ITAAC reviews completed during the reporting period, please provide the date when the NRC received the ITAAC closure notice and the date when the review was completed.

For the current reporting period of March 2018, four ICNS were received for closure. No ICNs were completed this period, but ICNs still under review are within the 60 day metric for completion.

Review Month Unit ITAAC Received Date Approval Date February 2018 VOG4 2.2.04.08a.ii 01/31/2018 02/15/2018 VOG4 2.2.04.08a.i 01/30/2018 02/12/2018

46. For reactors under construction, please provide:

a. The number of license amendment reviews forecast to be completed in the reporting period;

b. The number completed in the reporting period; and

c. The number of those that were completed within 30 days.

Number of License Amendment Reviews Number of Those that Reporting Number Completed in the Forecast to be were Completed Period Reporting Period Completed in the within 30 Days Reporting Period March 2018 9 8 0

47. For reactors under construction, please provide the budgeted resources versus actual expenditures each month for the last 24 months.

The NRC does not formulate the budget on a monthly basis. The annual budget for construction resources is provided below. The monthly budgeted resources provided below are calculated as 1/12th of the annual budgeted construction resources.

FY 2016 Enacted Budget ($K) $17,169 FY 2017 Enacted Budget ($K) $14,191 FY 2018 Enacted Budget ($K) $10,467 Budgeted Resources Total Expended Month

($K) ($K)

Apr-2016 $1,431 $764 May-2016 $1,431 $844 Jun-2016 $1,431 $857 Jul-2016 $1,431 $946 Aug-2016 $1,431 $1,005 Sep-2016 $1,431 $921 Oct-2016 $1,183 $829 Nov-2016 $1,183 $882 Dec-2016 $1,183 $935 102

FY 2016 Enacted Budget ($K) $17,169 FY 2017 Enacted Budget ($K) $14,191 FY 2018 Enacted Budget ($K) $10,467 Budgeted Resources Total Expended Month

($K) ($K)

Jan-2017 $1,183 $983 Feb-2017 $1,183 $845 Mar-2017 $1,183 $1,048 Apr-2017 $1,183 $859 May-2017 $1,183 $990 Jun-2017 $1,183 $1,058 Jul-2017 $1,183 $1,129 Aug-2017 $1,183 $886 Sep-2017 $1,183 $808 Oct-2017 $872 $837 Nov-2017 $872 $926 Dec-2017 $872 $882 Jan-2018 $872 $878 Feb-2018 $872 $706 Mar-2018 $872 $810

48. Please provide a concise summary of the status of licensing and inspection for Vogtle 3 &

4, including any challenges to the timely resolution of: licensing issues, 10 CFR Part 52 interpretations, completion of inspections, or completion of ITAAC reviews.

The NRC issued COLs to SNC and several co-owners on February 10, 2012, for two AP1000 units at the Vogtle site near Augusta, GA. As construction progresses, the NRC has increased the pace of construction inspections to verify compliance with the agencys regulations and to ensure that the new plants are constructed in accordance with their COLs. A summary of the license amendment inventory for Vogtle 3 & 4 is included in response to question 13. There are currently no challenges with timely resolution of licensing issues for Vogtle 3 & 4.

The graphs provided in Item 45 of this report represent the completion status of ITAAC inspections and ICN reviews. The completion of these ITAAC-related inspections closely mirrors the completion status of the licensees work activities associated with the ITAAC. The graphs also display the percentage of completed program inspections, which are separate from the ITAAC-related inspections, and include both construction and operational programs. For ITAAC reviews, the NRC tracks the timeliness of ICNs reviewed and closed. In the past year the NRC has increased communication with the licensee and other external stakeholders through various public meetings and workshops to improve processes that support ICN closure, including inspection related activities. The NRC is implementing an integrated project plan that overlays key NRC activities on top of the licensees construction and start-up schedule. In addition, the Vogtle Readiness Group (VRG) was created to provide division-level management attention to the timely implementation of the integrated project plan. NRC management is in regular contact with the VRG and the licensee to ensure effective communication and the timely resolution of issues.

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Additionally, NRC has established metrics to represent the different aspects of the ICN review process and the inspection program. The metrics track performance, reinforce accountability, and communicate issues needing attention at the appropriate management levels. These metrics enhance early engagement of NRC management and are key internal and external communications tools. With the improvements identified to the processes and increased communication with the licensee, the staff does not foresee any major challenges for 2018.

49. Please describe any actions taken in the past 3 years or planned to improve the efficiency of new plant reviews, including milestone schedules to implement efficiency improvements.

Please include any concerns arising from review experience in the past 3 years.

The NRC proactively identifies ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of its new reactor reviews. For oversight of licensing activities at the Vogtle site, NRO senior managers have established quarterly meetings with the licensee executives to monitor progress of licensing activities supporting construction at the site. The Licensing Activities Readiness Meetings provide an opportunity for both the NRC and SNC to be strategic in identifying and resolving topics that are needed to support construction.

Similarly, for the NuScale review, the NRC senior managers meet with NuScale executives quarterly. These meetings provide executives from both organizations the opportunity to discuss progress on known review challenges, to identify emerging issues, and to establish timelines for resolving these emerging issues to keep the project review on schedule.

Starting in mid-2017, the NRO management team developed and implemented new internal metrics to better track the timeliness related to the review of license amendment requests supporting Vogtle licensing efforts. These metrics have identified license amendments that have been under lengthy reviews and have focused managements attention on the actions necessary to complete these reviews. The management and project managers meet biweekly to identify amendment requests that may require elevated management attention and to track the progress of license amendments, with particular attention to amendment requests that have been in review for 120 days or longer. NRO management has set an internal goal of completing all license amendment reviews within 180 days of their acceptance. With additional management attention and better use of pre-application meetings, NRO has been able to improve the timeliness of reviews.

NRO has also incorporated many of the lessons-learned from previous new reactor reviews into its review activities for the active DC and ESP applications. As described in response to question 24, NRO implemented an initiative in 2016 to improve the focus of RAIs, which has improved the quality and safety focus of information requests. The staff is also enhancing use of the regulatory audit tool.

NRO has instituted an Enhanced Safety Focus Review initiative for the NuScale design certification review. This initiative focuses the staffs review on first-of-a-kind or high safety, high risk areas of the design, and simplifies the review of lower safety or risk significant areas.

In addition, the NRC has made significant progress on initiatives to enhance the regulatory framework for non-light water reactors (non-LWRs). For example, in December 2017, the NRC issued the Regulatory Review Roadmap for Non-Light Water Reactors, which described flexible review options including the use of a staged-review process and the use of conceptual 104

design assessments during the pre-application period. The actions for advanced reactor reviews are described more fully in response to question 52.

50. Please provide a list of any unresolved policy issues with regard to the licensing of small modular light-water reactors (SMRs). Please include an approximate date for when each issue was first raised, any actions taken or planned to resolve the issue, the milestone scheduled for resolution, and the projected date for resolution.

Issue Title/Applicability Status References I. Appropriate Source In the December 29, 2011, memorandum to the Staff Draft Term, Dose Commission, the staff stated it would remain White Paper Calculations, and engaged with SMR stakeholders regarding (11/29/17)

Siting for SMRs applications of mechanistic source term (MST) methods, review of pre-application white papers SECY-16-0012 Applicability: SMRs and and topical reports it receives from potential (02/07/16) non-LWRs SMR applicants concerning source term issues Commission that discuss design-specific proposals to Memo address MST, and considerations of research (06/20/14) and development in this area. If necessary, the Commission staff would propose revised review guidance or Memo regulations, or propose new guidance to support (05/30/13) reviews of SMRs. Commission Memo In Commission Memoranda dated May 30, (12/29/11) 2013, and June 20, 2014, the staff provided updates on interactions with DOE and nuclear industry organizations regarding MST. On February 7, 2016, the staff provided the Commission SECY 16-0012, which addressed this item. The paper concluded that (1) SMR and non-light water reactor (non-LWR) applicants can employ modern analysis tools to demonstrate quantitatively the safety features of those designs, and (2) MST analysis methods can also be used by applicants to demonstrate the ability of the enhanced safety features of plant designs to mitigate accident releases, allow future COL applicants to consider reduced distances to Exclusion Area Boundaries and Low Population Zones and potentially increase proximity to population centers.

Disposition: The staff has engaged with interested stakeholders on this issue in 2017.

The staff developed a draft white paper summarizing the assessment of current siting regulations, guidance, and Commission policy and discussed it in a public meeting on December 14, 2017. The staff will consider insights obtained from stakeholder discussions and determine whether clarifications to siting 105

Issue Title/Applicability Status References guidance or other actions would be beneficial to address siting criteria for SMRs and non-LWRs.

The staff will report to the Commission on any proposed actions, as described in SECY 0012.

II. Offsite Emergency In SECY-11-0152, staff identified a possible Final Planning (EP) approach for a scalable emergency planning Regulatory Requirements for zone for SMRs. The NRO staff is working with Basis SMRs and other new NSIR and NRR on an internal working group to (10/16/17) technology. review these issues further. As part of the approach, the staff would liaise with other SRM-SECY Applicability: SMRs and stakeholders (Department of Homeland 0069 (06/22/16) non-LWRs Security/Federal Emergency Management SECY-16-0069 Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, (05/31/16)

Department of State, Department of Commerce, SRM-SECY NEI, American Nuclear Society, and the public), 0077 (08/04/15) consider NEI position papers on this topic and SECY-15-0077 develop recommendations. (05/29/15)

NEI Response to NRC In a May 30, 2013, Commission Memorandum, Questions on the staff provided updates on its EP activities.

White Paper The staff stated that it would not propose new (11/19/14) policy or revise guidance for specific changes to NRC Letter to EP requirements absent specific proposals from NEI (R. Bell) industry stakeholders. (06/11/14)

NEI White Paper On December 23, 2013, NEI submitted a white (12/23/13) paper on this topic. The staff conducted a public Commission meeting to discuss the white paper on Memo April 8, 2014, issued follow-up questions to NEI (05/30/13) on June 11, 2014, and received NEI responses SECY-11-0152 in November 2014. On May 29, 2015, staff (10/28/11) issued SECY-15-0077 regarding EP for SMRs and non-LWRs. On August 4, 2015, the Commission approved the staff's recommendation to initiate a rulemaking. Staff developed SECY-16-0069, which discussed the rulemaking plan and schedule. On June 22, 2016, the Commission approved the staff's plan and schedule for the rulemaking.

Disposition: The rulemaking will address EP issues for future SMRs, non-LWR, and other new design technologies such as isotope producing facilities. The Commission directed the staff to utilize exemptions in the interim (e.g.,

for the TVA ESP) until completion of the EP rulemaking. The draft regulatory basis was published for public comment in the Federal Register on April 13, 2017. A public meeting 106

Issue Title/Applicability Status References was held May 10, 2017, to discuss the draft regulatory basis. The public comment period closed on June 27, 2017. After considering the public comments, the staff issued the final regulatory basis on October 16, 2017. The proposed rule is scheduled to be provided to the Commission for its consideration in October 2018.

III. Insurance and In SECY-11-0178, the staff identified a potential SECY-11-0178 Liability for SMRs inequity between the insurance requirements for (12/22/11) power reactors producing electrical power equal Applicability: SMRs and or greater than 100 MWe per unit and those non-LWRs SMR designs with individual modules producing less than 100 MWe. Specifically, staff raised the question of whether there would be insurance and indemnity coverage sufficient to pay all public claims in the case of an insurable event for an SMR with an individual module sized at less than 100 MWe under the current Price-Anderson Act and associated regulatory language.

Since completing that paper, staff prepared a comparative analysis of different SMR designs to further explore the potential inequity. Staff is using this analysis, and other inputs, to develop a SECY paper for this topic. In the paper, staff will identify whether rulemaking or a change to the current interpretation of the definitions given in the Price-Anderson Act is recommended.

Disposition: In accordance with the latest version of the Price-Anderson Act, the NRC will prepare a report to Congress, and an associated SECY paper, recommending the need for continuation or modification of the provisions of the Price-Anderson Act by December 31, 2021.

Any changes that may be needed for non-LWRs and SMRs will be addressed by the staff in that report and SECY paper.

The staff engaged stakeholders on this topic during a November 2, 2017, public meeting and is awaiting feedback.

IV. Security and In SECY-11-0184, staff informed the Staff Draft Safeguards Commission of its determination that the current White Paper Requirements for regulatory framework is adequate to certify, (11/29/17)

SMRs approve, and license light-water SMRs, the manufacturing of SMR fuel, transportation of special nuclear material and irradiated fuel, and 107

Issue Title/Applicability Status References Applicability: SMRs and the interim storage of irradiated fuel proposed NEI White non-LWRs for light-water SMRs under 10 CFR Parts 50, Paper 52, 70, 71, and 72, respectively. The staff also (12/14/16) determined that security and material control SECY-11-0184 and accounting requirements in 10 CFR Parts (12/29/11) 72, 73, and 74, respectively, are also adequate.

In the case of non-LWRs, the staff's preliminary conclusion is that the current security regulatory framework is comprehensive and sufficiently robust to certify, approve, and license non-LWRs. Sufficient provisions are available to provide flexibility for designers and applicants to meet performance-based and prescriptive security requirements and to apply methods or approaches to achieve the objective of high assurance that activities involving special nuclear materials are not inimical to the common defense and security and do not constitute an unreasonable risk to public health. On December 14, 2016, NEI submitted a white paper on a "Proposed Consequence-Based Physical Security Framework for Small Modular Reactors and Other New Technologies." This paper "... proposes an approach to security that considers the enhanced safety and security incorporated into these designs and provides a more effective and efficient means to protect the public health and safety." In the transmittal letter, NEI requests that "... the NRC establish regulatory positions on this approach and the associated policy and technical issues." NEI submitted a fee waiver request for NRCs review of this white paper.

Disposition: The NRC has approved NEI's fee waiver request and met with NEI on May 3, 2017, to discuss the review of their submittal.

The NRC provided feedback on NEIs white paper in July 2017, and met with NEI again on October 12, 2017. The staff prepared a draft white paper to facilitate stakeholder interactions.

The staff discussed this white paper with NEI and other stakeholders on December 13, 2017.

The staff will consider stakeholder feedback and plans to prepare a SECY paper in 2018 to address this issue.

V. Functional In SECY-93-0092, Issues Pertaining to the Staff Draft Containment Advanced Reactor (PRISM, MHGTR, and PIUS) White Paper Performance and Candu 3 Designs and their Relationship to (11/27/17) 108

Issue Title/Applicability Status References Current Regulatory Requirements, the staff SECY-93-092 Applicability: Non-LWRs proposed to evaluate the acceptability of dated 04/08/93 proposed designs using a standard based upon SRM-SECY containment functional performance rather than 092, dated to rely exclusively on prescriptive containment 07/30/93 design criteria. The staff also informed the Commission that it intended to approach this by SECY-03-0047, comparing containment performance with the dated 03/28/03 accident evaluation criteria. In SRM-SECY SRM-SECY 0092, the Commission approved the staff's 0047, dated recommendation. 06/26/03 SECY-05-0006, Subsequently, in SECY-03-0047, the staff dated 01/07/05 recommended that the Commission approve the use of functional performance requirements to establish the acceptability of a containment or confinement structure (i.e., a non-pressure retaining building may be acceptable provided the performance requirements can be met) and the staff proposed that functional performance requirements be developed. In SRM-SECY 0047, the Commission disapproved the staffs recommendation stating that there was insufficient information at the time for the Commission to prejudge the best options and make a decision on the viability of a confinement building. The Commission directed the staff to develop performance requirements and criteria working closely with industry experts (e.g.,

designers, EPRI, etc.) and other stakeholders regarding options in this area, taking into account such features as core, fuel, and cooling systems design. The Commission also directed the staff to pursue the development of functional performance standards and then submit options and recommendations to the Commission.

In SECY-05-0006, the staff discussed many of the concepts developed in previous communications between the staff and Commission on the topic of functional containment performance and, as directed in SRM-SECY-03-0047, outlined the attributes for a functional containment. The topic of functional containment was also addressed as part of the next-generation nuclear plant (NGNP) project in the context of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. More recently, in light of the broad range of non-light water designs under consideration, the staff has determined that it 109

Issue Title/Applicability Status References would be beneficial to seek Commission direction to support development and possible deployment of advanced reactor technologies.

The staff plans to engage the Commission to confirm whether the Commission direction in SRM-93-0092 should be applied more broadly to additional advanced reactor designs and to propose a risk-informed, performance-based approach to establishing performance criteria for structures, systems, and components and corresponding programs to limit the release of radioactive materials from advanced reactors.

Disposition: The staff has engaged stakeholders on this topic at several public meetings. The staff prepared a draft white paper on functional containment performance to facilitate stakeholder interactions. The staff discussed this white paper with stakeholders on December 14, 2017, and February 1, 2018, and with the ACRS on February 22 and April 5, 2018. The staff will consider ACRS and stakeholder feedback and plans to prepare a SECY paper in 2018 to address this issue.

51. Please provide a list of any unresolved policy issues with regard to the licensing of advanced non-light water reactors. Please include an approximate date for when each issue was first raised, any actions taken or planned to resolve the issue, the milestone schedule, and the projected date for resolution.

See response to question 50. All of the SMR policy issues listed in that response are also applicable to non-light water designs. In addition, there is one non-light water specific issue included on that list: functional containment performance.

52. Please describe the status of preparations to review non-light water reactor applications including a milestone schedule and completion dates.

The agency has developed a vision and strategy to assure NRC readiness to conduct its mission for these technologies effectively and efficiently as described in NRC Vision and Strategy: Safely Achieving Effective and Efficient Non-Light Water Reactor Mission Readiness, which was published in the Federal Register on July 21, 2016, for stakeholder input. The NRC updated this document (ADAMS Accession No. ML16356A670) to reflect stakeholder feedback and made it publicly available in December of 2016.

The NRCs non- LWR vision and strategy has three strategic objectivesenhancing technical readiness, optimizing regulatory readiness, and optimizing communication. The NRC has developed implementation action plans (IAPs) to identify the specific activities the NRC will conduct in the near-term (0-5 years), mid-term (5-10 years), and long-term (beyond 10 years) timeframes to achieve non-LWR readiness. In the fall of 2016, the NRC released its draft near-term IAPs to obtain stakeholder feedback. The staff also developed draft mid- and long-term 110

IAPs, which were released to the public in February of 2017. The staff updated its IAPs to reflect stakeholder feedback in July of 2017 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML17165A069 and ML17164A173).

There are 6 individual strategies addressed in the near-term IAPs. These strategies, and the activities in support of each strategy, are discussed below.

Strategy Activities in support of the strategy

1) Acquire/develop sufficient

• NRC contracted with the Oak Ridge National knowledge, technical Laboratory to develop a 12-module training course on skills, and capacity to Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs). The course provided perform non-LWR background on various MSR concepts presently under regulatory activities development, including history of earlier MSR projects, descriptions of conceptual designs, and expected technical and regulatory challenges. About 90 NRC staff attended the training along with several DOE staff in three separate 2-day sessions in May, August, and November 2017.

• NRC developed models of the competencies required for reviewing advanced reactor designs. Project managers and technical reviewers in NRO are currently in the process of assessing their skills against the models. Supervisors will also be able to complete an independent assessment of their employees skills. Based on assessment results, any skill gaps that may exist can be identified and the system will help the employee identify developmental activities and create an individual development plan to close those gaps.

2) Acquire/develop sufficient

• Staff attended DOE and NRC-sponsored workshops computer codes and tools and technology working groups, sought additional to perform non-LWR information through pre-application interactions, and regulatory reviews focused its training efforts to better understand the reactor systems under development. In the near-term, these efforts are focused on the following areas:

Reactor Kinetics and Criticality, Fuel Performance, Thermal-Fluid Phenomena, Severe Accident Phenomena, Offsite Consequence Analysis, Materials and Component Integrity, and PRA.

• An initial screening of analysis codes for design-basis and beyond-design-basis event simulation was completed, and a suite of tools for further examination and consideration has been identified. The code suite comprises both NRC-developed and DOE-developed codes. Future efforts will evaluate codes in the code suite against analysis requirements.

• A Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) exercise was conducted for molten salt reactors. The 111

Strategy Activities in support of the strategy PIRT focused attention on fuel salt MSRs due to their novel and unique feature of fuel being part of the coolant. The PIRT is considered preliminary in that design specifics are not available, but it is useful in that several phenomena requiring simulation could be identified based on existing information.

• Staff completed a PRA report that summarizes previous work and issues for non-LWRs and identifies several policy decisions that may need to be made for non-LWRs.

3) Develop guidance for a

• In October 2017, the staff issued a preliminary draft of flexible non-LWR A Regulatory Review Roadmap for Non-Light Water regulatory review process Reactors (ADAMS Accession No. ML17279B177),

within the bounds of and discussed it with stakeholders on November 2, existing regulations, 2017. The NRC issued the final regulatory review including the use of roadmap on December 26, 2017 (ADAMS Accession conceptual design No. ML17312B567).

reviews and staged-review processes

• In June 2017, the NRC issued a preliminary draft document, "Nuclear Power Reactor Testing Needs and Prototype Plants for Advanced Reactor Designs,"

to solicit stakeholder feedback (ADAMS Accession No. ML17025A353). This document describes the relevant regulations governing the testing requirements for advanced reactors, describes the process for determining testing needs to meet the NRC's regulatory requirements, clarifies when a prototype plant might be needed and how it might differ from the proposed standard plant design, and describes licensing strategies and options that include the use of a prototype plant to meet the NRC's testing requirements. The NRC addressed stakeholder feedback and issued the final prototype document as part of the Regulatory Review Roadmap on December 26, 2017.

• On February 3, 2017, the NRC issued draft regulatory guide DG-1330, "Guidance for Developing Principal Design Criteria for Non-Light Water Reactors" for formal public comment. The staff briefed the ACRS subcommittee on the draft final regulatory guide on February 7, 2018, and will brief the ACRS full Committee in March 2018. On April 3, 2018, the NRC issued the Final Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.232 (ML17325A611), along with the, "Public Comment Resolution Table" (ML17325A616). The notice of availability of RG 1.232 was published in the Federal Register on April 9, 2018.

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Strategy Activities in support of the strategy

• The NRC is supporting activities related to the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) being led by Southern Company, coordinated by the NEI, and cost-shared by DOE. The LMP's objective is to develop technology-inclusive, risk-informed, and performance based regulatory guidance for licensing non-LWRs for the NRCs consideration and possible endorsement.

The NRC has reviewed four LMP white papers and provided feedback to industry stakeholders:

Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors -

Selection of Licensing Basis Events (ADAMS Accession No. ML17104A254), Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors - Probabilistic Risk Assessment Approach (ADAMS Accession No. ML17158B543), Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors: Safety Classification and Performance Criteria for Structures, Systems, and Components (ADAMS Accession No. ML17290A463), and Modernization of Technical Requirements for Licensing of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactors: Risk-Informed and Performance-Based Evaluation of Defense-in-Depth Adequacy (ADAMS Accession No. ML17354B174). As discussed in the NRC's letter dated February 28, 2018 (ML18047A149), these interactions have helped set the stage for developing more formal guidance. On March 29, 2018, industry submitted a working draft of a consolidated guidance document titled Risk-Informed Performance-Based Guidance for Non-Light Water Reactor Licensing Basis Development. The NRC will continue to engage stakeholders on these topics to resolve the relevant technical and potential policy issues as the NRC considers endorsement of the industry guidance document in a future regulatory guide. The staff also plans to brief the ACRS in June, October and December 2018 on this topic.

4) Facilitate industry codes

• The NRC staff is actively participating in subgroups and standards needed to and working groups associated with the development support the non-LWR life of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel (B&PV) Code, cycle (including fuels and Section III, Division 5. NRC staff is also participating materials) in the Task Group on ASME/NRC Liaison for Division 5 that seeks NRC, DOE, and industry stakeholder input in identifying gaps in ASME B&PV Code Section III, Division 5, which need to be resolved prior to considering endorsement in 10 CFR 50.55a. The staff 113

Strategy Activities in support of the strategy discussed this topic during a public meeting on December 14, 2017. ASME plans to send a letter to the staff confirming that advanced reactor developers support NRC endorsement of the 2017 edition of ASME Section III, Division 5, rather than waiting for a later edition. ASME also plans to submit a technical basis document for the 2017 edition.

• The staff is actively participating on several American Nuclear Society (ANS) standards working groups and consensus committees related to non-LWR safety standards and the joint ASME/ANS non-LWR PRA standard.

• On September 26, 2017, the NRC held the second annual NRC Standards Forum, which was attended by representatives from many standards development organizations, representatives from industry (NEI, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Technology Working Groups for non-LWRs), and representatives from DOE and DOE national labs. A portion of this years standards forum was devoted to non-LWRs with the intent of working with stakeholders to identify new codes and standards needed for non-LWR development and to facilitate the codes and standards development and eventual endorsement by the NRC, as appropriate. A follow-up workshop on advanced reactor standards development is planned for May 2018.

5) Identify and resolve

• The NRCs key activities related to the resolution of technology-inclusive (not policy issues in support of near-term IAP strategy 5 specific to a particular are discussed in response to questions 50 and 51 non-LWR design or above.

category) policy issues that impact regulatory reviews, siting, permitting, and/or licensing of non-LWR nuclear power plants

6) Develop and implement a

• The NRC is conducting public meetings with structured, integrated stakeholders every 4 to 6 weeks. The NRC uses strategy to communicate these stakeholder meetings to solicit input on policy with internal and external and process issues related to the possible licensing stakeholders having and regulation of non-LWR technologies.

interests in non-LWR technologies

• The NRC and DOE hosted a series of three Advanced Non-LWR Workshops. The most recent workshop was held on April 25 and 26, 2017. This series of workshops focused on opening a dialogue between 114

Strategy Activities in support of the strategy key stakeholders to discuss challenges in the commercialization of non-LWR technologies and to discuss possible solutions.

• On November 10, 2016, the NRC and DOE signed a MOU (ADAMS Accession No. ML16215A382) on the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN)

Initiative. GAIN is an initiative that is intended to provide the nuclear energy community with increased access to the technical, regulatory, and financial support necessary to move new or advanced nuclear reactor designs toward commercialization while ensuring the continued safe, reliable, and economic operation of the existing nuclear fleet. As described in the MOU, the NRC is responsible for providing DOE and the nuclear energy community with accurate, current information on the NRCs regulations and licensing processes.

• The NRC will continue to share information with various international groups, including the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Developments Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Generation IV International Forum, and the NRCs international regulatory counterparts. The NRC chairs NEAs ad hoc group for international regulators of non-LWRs known as the Group on the Safety of Advanced Reactors. The purpose of the group is to bring interested regulators together to discuss common interests, practices, and problems, and address both the regulatory interests and research needs.

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