NRC LOOKING AT CHANGES TO REACTOR LICENSE RENEWAL PROCESS

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering updating its rulemaking process for power reactor license renewals in anticipation of an upcoming wave of renewal applications, according to a policy issue options paper released last week by the NRC staff.  With an aging reactor fleet, this potential update would create clearer guidance in the rulemaking to ensure durability and “age-related maintenance” of the reactor in the license renewal process. According to the staff’s preferred option in this rule review, “Under this option, the staff would develop a more explicit requirement for maintaining the effectiveness of aging-management activities and a new requirement for reporting aging-related degradation after a license is renewed,” the staff said. “This option also includes a proposal to explore reducing the time that a licensee may submit an application for subsequent license renewal before the expiration of an existing license.” The paper also said that the staff believes the current license renewal process can handle the upcoming applications, but an update could make the process more forward easier.