In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320, OMB is withholding approval at this time. Prior to
publication of the final rule, the agency must submit to OMB a
summary of all comments related to the information collection
contained in the proposed rule and the agency response. The agency
should clearly indicate any changes made to the information
collection as a result of these comments.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
06/30/2010
06/30/2010
06/30/2010
45,517
0
45,517
5,211,667
0
5,211,667
255,446
0
255,446
10 CFR 50, "Alernate Fracture
Toughness Requirements for Protection Against Pressurized Thermal
Shock Events (10 CFR 50.61 and 50.61a)," Proposed Rule The NRC is
proposing to amend its regulations to provide updated fracture
toughness requirements for protection against pressurized thermal
shock (PTS) events for pressurized water reactor (PWR) pressure
vessels. The proposed rule would provide new PTS requirements based
on updated analysis methods. This action is necessary because the
existing requirements are based on unnecessarily conservative
probablistic fracture mechanics analyses. This action would reduce
regulatory burden for licensees, specifically those licensees that
expect to exceed the existing requirements befor the expiration of
their licenses. These new requirements would be voluntarily
utilized by any PWR licensee as an alternative to complying with
the existing requirements. The collections would be initially
required for PWR licensees utilizing the requirements of 10 CFR
50.61a as a voluntary alternative to the requirements of 10 CFR
50.61. The collections would also be required, after voluntary
implementation of the new 50,61a, when any change is made to the
design or operation of the facility that effects the calculated
RTmax-x value. The collections would also be required during the
scheduled periodic ultrasonic examination of beltline
welds.
The NRC is proposing to amend
its regulations in 10 CFR Part 50.61, to provide updated fracture
toughness requirements for protection against pressurized thermal
shock (PTS) events for pressurized water reactor (PWR) pressure
vessels. These amended regulations will be captured in the new 10
CFR 50.61a. The proposed rule would require new PTS requirements
based on updated analysis methods. This action is being taken
because the existing requirements are based on unnecessarily
conservative probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses. This action
would reduce a regulatory burden for licensees, specifically those
licensees that expect to exceed the existing requirements before
the expiration of their licenses. These new requirements would be
voluntarily utilized by any PWR licensees as an alternative to
complying with the existing requirements. The requirements in 10
CFR 50.16a will only apply to those licensees that voluntarily
choose compliance with this section as an alternative to compliance
with the requirements specified in 10 CFR 50.61. Of the 69
currently operating PWRs, the staff projects that eight reactor
vessels could exceed the screening criteria specified in 10 CFR
50.61 during their extended (60 year) lifetimes. The NRC expects
that each of these licensees will elect to apply the less stringent
embrittlement correlations and screening criteria in 10 CFR 50.61a
rather than applying the compensatory measures of 10 CFR
50.61(b)(3) through (b)(7). The NRC assumes that, subsequent to the
effective date of the final rule, one operating reactor licensee
per year will choose to comply with 10 CFR 50.61a for the following
eight years. Thus, in the three years following the effective date
of this rule, three operating reactors would be affected by the RT
MAX-X assessment; none would perform the flux reduction analyses,
and none would perform the reactor vessel thermal annealing. The
estimated number of annual respondents is expected to be one and
the number of annual responses to the NRC is expected to be two
(one response for the RT MAX-X assessment and one response for the
analysis of ASME BPV inservice ultrasonic testing results).
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
FractureToughnessThermalShockPR061008SS.doc
10 CFR Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities