NuScale Small Modular Reactor Design Certification

Published date24 August 2021
Citation86 FR 47251
Record Number2021-18071
SectionProposed rules
CourtNuclear Regulatory Commission
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 161 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)]
                [Proposed Rules]
                [Pages 47251-47252]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2021-18071]
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                NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                10 CFR Part 52
                [NRC-2017-0029]
                RIN 3150-AJ98
                NuScale Small Modular Reactor Design Certification
                AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
                ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.
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                SUMMARY: On July 1, 2021, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
                issued for public comment proposed amendments to its regulations to
                certify the NuScale standard design for a small modular reactor. The
                public comment period was originally scheduled to close on August 30,
                2021. The NRC has decided to extend the public comment period by an
                additional 45 days to allow more time for members of the public to
                develop and submit their comments.
                DATES: The comment period for the document published on July 1, 2021
                (86 FR 34999) is extended. Comments should be filed no later than
                October 14, 2021. Comments received after this date will be considered,
                if it is practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure
                consideration only for comments received on or before this date.
                ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods
                (unless the document published on July 1, 2021, describes a different
                method for submitting comments on a specific subject); however, the NRC
                encourages electronic comment submission through the Federal rulemaking
                website:
                 Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0029. Address
                questions about NRC Docket IDs to Dawn Forder; telephone: 301-415-3407;
                email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact the
                individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
                this document.
                 Email comments to: [email protected]. If you do
                not receive an automatic email reply confirming receipt, then contact
                us at 301-415-1677.
                 For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting
                comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Andrukat, Office of Nuclear
                Material Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301-415-361, email:
                [email protected], and Carolyn Lauron, Office of Nuclear Reactor
                Regulation, telephone: 301-415-2736, email: [email protected].
                Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,
                DC 20555-0001.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
                A. Obtaining Information
                 Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2017-0029 when contacting the NRC
                about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain
                publicly available information related to this action by any of the
                following methods:
                 Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0029.
                 NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
                (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the
                ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS
                Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public
                Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 301-415-4737,
                or by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for
                each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the
                first time that it is mentioned in this document.
                 Attention: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
                of public documents, is currently closed. You may submit your request
                to the PDR via email at [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209
                between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday, except Federal
                holidays.
                 Attention: The Technical Library, which is located at Two
                White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, is
                open by appointment only. Interested parties may make appointments to
                examine documents by contacting the NRC Technical Library by email at
                [email protected] between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (ET), Monday through
                Friday, except Federal holidays.
                B. Submitting Comments
                 The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the
                Federal Rulemaking website (https://www.regulations.gov). Please
                include Docket ID NRC-2017-0029 in your comment submission.
                 The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact
                information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your
                comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at
                https://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions
                into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to
                remove identifying or contact information.
                 If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons
                for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to
                include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be
                publicly disclosed in their comment submission.
                [[Page 47252]]
                Your request should state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment
                submissions to remove such information before making the comment
                submissions available to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS.
                I. Discussion
                 On July 1, 2021, the NRC solicited comments on the proposed NuScale
                small modular reactor design certification. The NRC proposed amendments
                to its regulations so that applicants or licensees intending to
                construct and operate a NuScale standard design may do so by
                referencing the design certification rule. The public comment period
                was originally scheduled to close on August 30, 2021.
                 On July 27, 2021, the NRC received a public comment (ADAMS
                Accession No. ML21209A763) requesting that the comment period for the
                proposed rule be extended by an additional 90 days. The request states
                that due to the large volume of related documents that need to be
                reviewed, additional time is needed to submit comments. No specific
                basis was given for requesting an additional 90 days to prepare
                comments.
                 The NRC seeks to ensure that the public has a reasonable
                opportunity to provide the NRC with comments on this proposed action.
                The NRC acknowledges that the rulemaking documents contain a
                significant amount of information. However, the NRC is also responsible
                for deciding whether to issue a design certification within a
                reasonable time. Accordingly, to balance these interests, the NRC has
                decided to extend the comment period for the proposed rule for an
                additional 45 days. A 45-day extension provides a reasonable
                opportunity for all stakeholders to review these documents and to
                develop informed comments on these documents, while not unduly delaying
                the NRC's final decision on the design certification.
                 The NRC has decided to extend the public comment period for the
                proposed rule until October 14, 2021, to allow more time for members of
                the public to submit their comments.
                 Dated: August 17, 2021.
                 For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
                Annette L. Vietti-Cook,
                Secretary of the Commission.
                [FR Doc. 2021-18071 Filed 8-23-21; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
                

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