Press Release-98-176, NRC Proposes Revisions to ITS Regulations for Making Changes to Licensed Facilities
| ML003707787 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/28/1998 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Press Release-98-176 | |
| Download: ML003707787 (2) | |
Text
UnitedStatesNuclearRegulatoryCommissionOfficeofPublicAffairsWashington,DC20555Phone301-415-8200Fax301-415-2234Internet:opa@nrc.govNo.98-176FORIMMEDIATERELEASE(Monday,September28,1998)NRCPROPOSESREVISIONSTOITSREGULATIONSFORMAKINGCHANGESTOLICENSEDFACILITIESTheNuclearRegulatoryCommissionisproposingtoreviseseveralsectionsofitsrulesthatdefinetheconditionsunderwhichnuclearpowerplantsandspentfuel storagefacilitylicenseesmaymakechangesintheirfacilitiesorconducttestsand experimentswithoutpriorNRCapproval.CurrentNRCregulations(Parts50,52and72ofTitle10oftheCodeofFederalRegulations)permitsuchlicenseestomakethesechangesandtoconductsuchtestsif theydonotpresentwhattheregulationscallan"unreviewedsafetyquestion"orrequire achangeinthetechnicalspecificationsofthefacility'slicense.Therulechangenow underconsiderationcameaboutastheresultofanNRCstaffreviewofexisting regulatoryprocesses,directedbytheCommissionbecauseofconcernsaboutso-called "50.59"changesatsomeplants.Thestaffconcludedfromthisreviewthat,although existingregulationshavegenerallygivenlicenseesneededflexibility,problemshave arisenfromdifferingruleinterpretationsbytheNRCstaffandthenuclearindustry.Indraftingtheproposedrule,theNRCstaffhasconsideredpubliccommentsreceivedlastyearafterdraftregulatoryguidancewaspublishedonthissubject.Asa result,theamendmentswouldclarifyspecificallywhichchanges,testsorexperiments requireevaluation,andrevisethecriteriathatdeterminewhenNRCapprovalisneeded beforesuchchangescanbemade.Theproposedrulewouldalsoadddefinitionsfor termsthathavebeensubjecttodifferinginterpretations.TheproposedrulewillbepublishedinanupcomingissueoftheFederalRegisterforpubliccommentandwillbeavailableontheNRCHomepageat:www.nrc.gov/NRC/rule.html.Commentsshouldbefiledwithin60daysafterpublication.Theyshouldbesentto:Secretary,U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission,Washington,D.C.20555-0001.
ATTN:RulemakingsandAdjudicationsStaff.Commentsmayalsobefiled electronicallyasdescribedintheFederalRegisternotice.##