47272 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 173 / Monday, September 8, 1997 / Proposed Rules

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 50

RIN 3150–AF75

Definition of Safety-Related Structures,

Systems, and Components; Technical

Amendment

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory

Commission is amending its regulations

to correct an error in the language of

several sections in the regulations

governing nuclear power plant licensing

that define the term, ‘‘safety-related

structures, systems, and components.’’

These definitions are inconsistent with

the definition in regulations applicable

to the siting of nuclear power plants and

the Commission’s longstanding practice

and interpretation of that term.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule

must be received on or before October

8, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments to:

Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555–

0001, Attention: Rulemakings and

Adjudications Staff. Hand deliver

comments to 11555 Rockville Pike,

Maryland, between 7:30 am and 4:15

pm on Federal workdays.

For information on submitting

comments electronically, see the

discussion under Electronic Access in

the Supplementary Information Section.

Copies of any comments received may

be examined at the NRC Public

Document Room, 2120 L Street NW

(Lower Level), Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Geary S. Mizuno, Office of General

Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555–

0001, telephone (301) 415–1639; e-mail

GSM@nrc.gov, or Clark Prichard, Office

of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555–0001, telephone

(301) 415–6203; e-mail CWP@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For

additional information, see the direct

final rule published in the Rules and

Regulations Section of this Federal

Register.

Procedural Background

Because the NRC considers these

amendments to be of a corrective nature,

do not involve any change in existing

policy or otherwise constitute a new

policy, clarify the original intent of the

Commission and therefore can be

considered to be interpretive, the

proposed rule is being published

concurrently as a direct final rule. The

direct final rule will become effective on

November 7, 1997. However, if the NRC

receives significant adverse comments

on the direct final rule by October 8,

1997, the NRC will publish a document

that withdraws the direct final rule. If

the direct final rule is withdrawn, the

NRC will address the comments

received in response to the proposed

revisions in a subsequent final rule. The

NRC will not initiate a second comment

period on this action in the event the

direct final rule is withdrawn.

Electronic Access

Comments may be submitted

electronically, in either ASCII text or

Word Perfect format (version 5.1), by

calling the NRC Electronic Bulletin

Board on FedWorld or connecting to the

NRC interactive rulemaking web site,

‘‘Rulemaking Forum.’’ The bulletin

board may be accessed using a personal

computer, a modem, and one of the

commonly available communications

software packages, or directly via

Internet. Background documents on the

rulemaking are also available for

downloading and viewing on the

bulletin board.

If using a personal computer and

modem, the NRC subsystem on

FedWorld can be accessed directly by

dialing the toll-free number: 1–800–

303–9672. Communications software

parameters should be set as follows:

parity to none, data bits to 8, and stop

bits to 1 (N,8,1). Using ANSI or VT–100

terminal emulation, the NRC

rulemaking subsystems can then be

accessed by selecting the ‘‘Rules Menu’’

option from the ‘‘NRC Main Menu.’’ For

further information about options

available for NRC at FedWorld, consult

the ‘‘Help/Information Center’’ from the

‘‘NRC Main Menu.’’ Users will find the

‘‘FedWorld Online User’s Guides’’

particularly helpful. Many NRC

subsystems and databases also have a

‘‘Help/Information Center’’ option that

is tailored to the particular subsystem.

The NRC subsystem on FedWorld can

also be accessed by a direct-dial phone

number for the main FedWorld BBS:

703–321–3339; Telnet via Internet:

fedworld.gov (192.239.93.3); File

Transfer Protocol (FTP) via

Internet:ftp:fedworld.gov

(192.239.92.205); and World Wide Web

using: http://www.fedworld.gov (this is

the Uniform Resource Locator (URL)).

If using a method other than the tollfree number to contact FedWorld, access

the NRC subsystem from the main

FedWorld menu by selecting ‘‘F—

Regulatory, Government Administration

and State Systems,’’ then selecting ‘‘A—

Regulatory Information Mall.’’ At that

point, a menu will be displayed that has

an option ‘‘A—U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission’’ that will take you to the

NRC Online Main Menu. You can also

go directly to the NRC Online area by

typing ‘‘/go nrc’’ at a FedWorld

command line. If you access NRC from

FedWorld’s Main Menu, then you may

return to FedWorld by selecting the

‘‘Return to FedWorld’’ option from the

NRC Online Main Menu. However, if

you access NRC at FedWorld by using

NRC’s toll-free number, then you will

have full access to all NRC systems, but

you will not have access to the main

FedWorld system.

If you contact FedWorld using Telnet,

you will see the NRC area and menus,

including the Rules menu. Although

you will be able to download

documents and leave messages, you will

not be able to write comments or upload

files (comments). If you contact

FedWorld using FTP, all files can be

accessed and downloaded but uploads

are not allowed; all you will see is a list

of files without descriptions (normal

Gopher look). An index file listing all

files within a subdirectory, with

descriptions, is included. There is a 15-

minute time limit for FTP access.

Although FedWorld can be accessed

through the World Wide Web, like FTP

that mode only provides access for

downloading files and does not display

the NRC Rules menu.

You may also access the NRC’s

interactive rulemaking web site through

the NRC home page (http://

www.nrc.gov). This site provides the

same access as the FedWorld bulletin

board, including the facility to upload

comments as files (any format), if your

web browser supports that function.

For more information on NRC bulletin

boards, call Mr. Arthur Davis, Systems

Integration and Development Branch,

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Telephone: 301–415–5780; e-mail:

AXD3@nrc.gov. For information about

the interactive rulemaking site, contact

Ms. Carol Gallagher, (301) 415–6215; email CAG@nrc.gov.

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 50

Antitrust, Classified information,

Criminal penalties, Fire protection,

Intergovernmental relations, Nuclear

power plants and reactors, Radiation

protection, Reactor siting criteria,

Reporting and recordkeeping

requirements.

For the reasons set out in the

preamble and under the authority of the

Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended,

the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974,

as amended, and 5 U.S.C. 553, the NRC
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 173 / Monday, September 8, 1997 / Proposed Rules 47273

proposes to adopt the following

amendments to 10 CFR Part 50.

PART 50—DOMESTIC LICENSING OF

PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION

FACILITIES

1. The authority citation for Part 50

continues to read as follows:

Authority: Secs. 102, 103, 104, 105, 161,

182, 183, 186, 189, 68 Stat. 936, 937, 938,

948, 953, 954, 955, 956, as amended, sec.

234, 83 Stat. 1244, as amended (42 U.S.C.

2132, 2133, 2134, 2135, 2201, 2232, 2233,

2236, 2239, 2282); secs. 201, as amended,

202, 206, 88 Stat. 1242, as amended, 1244,

1246 (42 U.S.C. 5841, 5842, 5846).

Section 50.7 also issued under Pub. L. 95–

601, sec. 10, 92 Stat. 2951 (42 U.S.C. 5851).

Section 50.10 also issued under secs. 101,

185, 68 Stat. 955 as amended (42 U.S.C. 2131,

2235), sec. 102, Pub. L. 91–190, 83 Stat. 853

(42 U.S.C. 4332). Sections 50.13, and

50.54(dd), and 50.103 also issued under sec.

108, 68 Stat. 939, as amended (42 U.S.C.

2138). Sections 50.23, 50.35, 50.55, and 50.56

also issued under sec. 185, 68 Stat. 955 (42

U.S.C. 2235). Sections 50.33a, 50.55a and

Appendix Q also issued under sec. 102, Pub.

L. 91–190, 83 Stat. 853 (42 U.S.C. 4332).

Sections 50.34 and 50.54 also issued under

sec. 204, 88 Stat. 1245 (42 U.S.C. 5844).

Sections 50.58, 50.91, and 50.92 also issued

under Pub. L. 97–415, 96 Stat. 2073 (42

U.S.C. 2239). Section 50.78 also issued under

sec. 122, 68 Stat. 939 (42 U.S.C. 2152).

Sections 50.80–50.81 also issued under sec.

184, 68 Stat. 954, as amended (42 U.S.C.

2234). Appendix F also issued under sec.

187, 68 Stat. 955 (42 U.S.C. 2237).

2. In § 50.2, the definition of safetyrelated structures, systems, and

components is revised to read as

follows:

§ 50.2 Definitions.

* * * * *

Safety-related structures, systems, and

components means those structures,

systems, and components that are relied

upon to remain functional during and

following design basis events to assure:

(1) The integrity of the reactor coolant

pressure boundary;

(2) The capability to shut down the

reactor and maintain it in a safe

shutdown condition; or

(3) The capability to prevent or

mitigate the consequences of accidents

which could result in potential offsite

exposures comparable to the applicable

guideline exposures set forth in

§ 50.34(a)(1) or § 100.11 of this chapter,

as applicable.

* * * * *

3. In § 50.49, paragraph (b)(1)(i)(B) is

revised to read as follows:

§ 50.49 Environmental qualification of

electric equipment important to safety for

nuclear power plants.

* * * * *

(b) * * *

(1) * * *

(i) * * *

(B) The capability to shut down the

reactor and maintain it in a safe

shutdown condition; or

* * * * *

4. In § 50.65, paragraph (b)(1) is

revised to read as follows:

§ 50.65 Requirements for monitoring the

effectiveness of maintenance at nuclear

power plants.

* * * * *

(b) * * *

(1) Safety-related structures, systems,

and components that are relied upon to

remain functional during and following

design basis events to ensure the

integrity of the reactor coolant pressure

boundary, the capability to shut down

the reactor and maintain it in a safe

shutdown condition, or the capability to

prevent or mitigate the consequences of

accidents that could result in potential

offsite exposure comparable to the

guidelines in § 50.34(a)(1) or § 100.11 of

this chapter, as applicable.

* * * * *

Dated at Rockville, MD, this 5th day of

August 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

L. Joseph Callan,

Executive Director for Operations.

[FR Doc. 97–23598 Filed 9–5–97; 8:45 am]

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