OMB files this
comment in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.11(c). This OMB action is not
an approval to conduct or sponsor an information collection under
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. If OMB has assigned this ICR a
new OMB Control Number, the OMB Control Number will not appear in
the active inventory. For future submissions of this information
collection, reference the OMB Control Number provided. OMB is
withholding approval at this time. Prior to publication of the
final rule, the agency should provide a summary of any comments
related to the information collection and their response, including
any changes made to the ICR as a result of comments. In addition,
the agency must enter the correct burden estimates. This action has
no effect on any current approvals.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
10/31/2014
36 Months From Approved
10/31/2014
46,176
0
46,176
4,488,602
0
4,488,602
1,810,380
0
1,810,380
PROPOSED RULE: Performance-Based
Emergency Core Cooling Systems Cladding Acceptance Criteria. The
NRC is proposing to amend its regulations to revise the acceptance
criteria for the emergency core cooling system for light-water
nuclear power reactors as currently required by 10 CFR part 50. The
rule would establish a 5-year staged implementation approach to
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the migration to the
new ECCS requirements. The vendors would also propose post-quench
ductility limits by either selecting analytical limits provided in
Figure 2 of draft regulatory guide DG-1263, "Establishing
Analytical Limits for Zirconium-Based Alloy Cladding," using an
NRC-approved experimental approach to obtain the post-quench
ductility limits, or using an experimental approach developed by
the vendor to obtain the post-quench ductility limits. Those
ductility limits which are developed via an experimental method
would be submitted to the NRC via a topical report for NRC
approval. The DG-1262, "Testing for Post Quench Ductility,"
provides guidance on an acceptable testing approach for developing
post-quench ductility. The DG-1263 provides a methodology for using
test results, generated from DG-1262 or an alternate NRC-approved
experimental approach, to establish and support a new
cladding-specific analytical limit. The vendors would also obtain
post-quench ductility analytical methods by either selecting
analytical limits provided in a regulatory guide, using an
NRC-approved experimental approach, or using an experimental
approach developed by the vendor. Those PQD limits developed via an
experimental method would be submitted to the NRC via a topical
report. The vendors would also perform long-term cooling tests to
determine the long-term cooling limits for each of the nine
cladding alloys. In addition, vendors would perform initial
breakaway testing. The licensees would report the initial breakaway
results to the NRC via their license amendment request. Those
licensees that meet the new requirements without new analyses or
model revisions would complete any necessary engineering
calculations, update their plant UFSAR, and provide a letter report
to the NRC documenting compliance. Those licensees that would
require new analyses or model revisions to demonstrate compliance
would be required to submit a new LOCA analysis of record. The rule
would also require licensees to conduct periodic breakaway testing,
and include those results in the yearly ECCS report. Lastly, the
rule would add a requirement to report errors in ECR to the NRC.
This would be submitted within the same yearly ECCS report. The
rule would include a provision allowing entities to use an
alternative risk-informed approach to evaluate the effects of
debris for long-term cooling. If an entity voluntarily chooses to
use this approach, they would need to submit an application for NRC
review and approval, report all errors and changes in their
plant-specific PRA, and conduct periodic updates to their
PRA.
The current Part 50 burden is
46,176 responses and 4,488,602 hours. The proposed rule would
increase this burden by a total of 290.33 responses and 61,130.95
hours (rounded to 290 responses and 61,131 hours), making the new
Part 50 total 4,549,733 hours and 46,466 hours The proposed rule
would revise ECCS acceptance criteria to reflect recent research
findings which identified new embrittlement mechanisms for fuel
rods with zirconium alloy cladding under loss-of-coolant accident
(LOCA) conditions. This action is necessary to ensure an acceptable
level of fuel rod cladding post-quench ductility (PQD) following a
postulated loss-of-coolant accident, and thus to ensure the
adequate protection of public health and safety. This burden is
associated with one-time and recurring costs to include results of
periodic breakaway testing in the yearly ECCS submittals required
under the proposed rule's § 50.46c(m)(1) (current rule's §
50.46(a)(3)(ii)). This burden is justified in light of the safety
importance of the proposed rule. The proposed rule adds a
recordkeeping requirement to update the risk informed alternative.
However, licensees will not begin to perform those updates until
Year 6. As such, they are not calculated in this clearance period.
Additionally, the proposed rule reduces the number of exemption
requests filed under § 50.12. This results in an annual
recordkeeping burden reduction). Overall, the proposed rule would
result in a one-time annualized burden of 64,067 hours in the first
three years to implement the changes that would revise the
acceptance criteria for the emergency core cooling system for
light-water nuclear power reactors. Due to the phased
implementation schedule for the proposed rule, one-time burdens
would continue to be incurred until year 6. The annual, recurring
changes resulting from the proposed rule represent an overall
reduction in burden of 2,936 hours annually. Following the
implementation phase, the industry will see a reduced burden for
ECCS requirements in 10 CFR 50.46c compared to the current
requirements under 10 CFR 50.46.
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.
OMBSchedule50 46c.pptx
Draft Reg Guide DG-1263.pdf
50.46c SS for proposed rule.docx
10 CFR Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities