[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 6, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 8065-8066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02286]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Parts 50 and 52
[NRC-2022-2015]
Interim Staff Guidance: Material Compatibility for Non-Light
Water Reactors
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Final guidance; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing
Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DANU-ISG-2023-01 ``Material Compatibility
for non-Light Water Reactors.'' The purpose of this ISG is to assist
the NRC staff in reviewing certain applications for construction and
operation of non-light water reactor designs, including power and non-
power reactors.
DATES: This guidance is effective on February 6, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2022-2015 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2022-2015. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann;
telephone: 301-415-0624; email: [email protected]. For technical
questions, contact the individuals listed in the ``For Further
Information Contact'' section of this document.
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.
NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meg Audrain, telephone: 301-415-2133;
email: [email protected] and Rebecca Ober, telephone: 301-287-
9299; email: [email protected]. Both are staff of the Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
As part of its review of non-light-water reactor applications, the
NRC determines whether materials proposed to be used will allow
components to fulfill design requirements for the design life, or that
adequate surveillance and monitoring programs are in place. The NRC
regulations in part 50 and part 52 of title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) include requirements for material qualification
and performance monitoring. The NRC endorsed American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code Section III, Division 5, ``High
Temperature Reactors'' (Section III-5), with conditions, in Revision 2
of Regulatory Guide 1.87, ``Acceptability of ASME Code, Section III,
Division 5, `High Temperature Reactors,' '' (ADAMS Accession No.
ML22101A263).
II. Discussion
The purpose of this ISG, ``Material Compatibility for Non-Light
Water Reactors, DANU-ISG-2023-01'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML23188A178),
is to aid the NRC staff reviewing non-light-water reactor applications
for a construction permit or operating license under 10 CFR part 50 or
for a design certification, combined license,
[[Page 8066]]
standard design approval, or manufacturing license under 10 CFR part 52
that propose to use materials allowed under Section III-5. Section III-
5 specifies the mechanical properties and allowable stresses to be used
for design of components in high temperature reactors. Because Section
III-5 states that it does not provide methods to evaluate deterioration
that may occur in service as a result of corrosion, mass transfer
phenomena, radiation effects, or other material instabilities, this ISG
identifies information that the NRC staff should consider as part of
its review of a non-light-water reactor application to review
applicable design requirements, including qualification and monitoring
programs for safety-significant structures, systems, and components.
III. Additional Information
Draft DANU-ISG-2023-01 ``Material Compatibility for Non-Light Water
Reactors'' was published in the Federal Register for public comment on
March 7, 2023, (88 FR 14186) with a 60-day comment period. The NRC
received fifteen public comments from private citizens and industry
organizations. The NRC staff's evaluation and resolution of the public
comments are documented in Appendix A to the ISG in ADAMS under
Accession No. ML23188A178.
IV. Congressional Review Act
DANU-ISG-2023-01 ``Material Compatibility for Non-Light Water
Reactors'' is a rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act (5
U.S.C. 801-808). However, the Office of Management and Budget has not
found it to be a major rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act.
Dated: January 31, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Steven T. Lynch,
Chief, Advanced Reactor Policy Branch, Division of Advanced Reactors
and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2024-02286 Filed 2-5-24; 8:45 am]
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