In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for 3
years. Upon resubmission, the agency has committed to a rigorous
reevaluation of their burden estimate, including reevaluating
estimation through direct feedback from respondents. In particular,
in relation to comments received, NRC has committed to evaluating
the burden increase and any issues with duplication in information
collection due to the requirement for embedded flaws violating the
sizing criteria.
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 mew 10
CFR 50.61a. The final 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 50.61a 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 PWR's, the staff projects that eight reactor
vessels could exceed the screening criteria specified in 10 CFR
50.61 during their extended (60 year) lifetime. 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). Because it could take approximately up
to 3 years to prepare the package for initial submittal to the NRC,
the NRC estimates that only one licensee is expected to apply
during the initial 3 year clearance period. The NRC assumes that, 3
years 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, one operating reactor
would be affected by the RT max-x assessment and inservice testing
and none would perform the flux reduction analyses nor the reactor
vessel thermal annealing. Therefore, the estimated number of annual
respondents is expected to be 0.333 per year and each respondent
would provide two responses (i.e., one for the RT max-x assessment
and one for the analysis of ASME Code 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.
10 CFR Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities