Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 179 / Monday, September 16, 2024 / Notices 75593 

History, for the Media Projects: 

Production Grants program, submitted 

to the Division of Public Programs. 

18. Date: October 29, 2024 

This video meeting will discuss 

applications on the topic of Indigenous 

Studies, for the Humanities Collections 

and Reference Resources grant program, 

submitted to the Division of 

Preservation and Access. 

19. Date: October 30, 2024 

This video meeting will discuss 

applications on the topic of U.S. 

History, for the Humanities Collections 

and Reference Resources grant program, 

submitted to the Division of 

Preservation and Access. 

20. Date: October 30, 2024 

This video meeting will discuss 

applications on the topic of World 

History, for the Media Projects: 

Production Grants program, submitted 

to the Division of Public Programs. 

21. Date: October 31, 2024 

This video meeting will discuss 

applications on the topics of Arts and 

Culture, for the Public Humanities 

Projects: Exhibitions (Implementation) 

grant program, submitted to the Division 

of Public Programs. 

Because these meetings will include 

review of personal and/or proprietary 

financial and commercial information 

given in confidence to the agency by 

grant applicants, the meetings will be 

closed to the public pursuant to sections 

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6) of title 5, 

U.S.C., as amended. I have made this 

determination pursuant to the authority 

granted me by the Chair’s Delegation of 

Authority to Close Advisory Committee 

Meetings dated April 15, 2016. 

Dated: September 10, 2024. 

Jessica Graves, 

Paralegal Specialist, National Endowment for 

the Humanities. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20920 Filed 9–13–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7536–01–P 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[NRC–2024–0001] 

Sunshine Act Meetings 

TIME AND DATE: Weeks of September 16, 

23, and 30, and October 7, 14, 21, 2024. 

The schedule for Commission meetings 

is subject to change on short notice. The 

NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can 

be found on the internet at: https://

www.nrc.gov/public-involve/publicmeetings/schedule.html. 

PLACE: The NRC provides reasonable 

accommodation to individuals with 

disabilities where appropriate. If you 

need a reasonable accommodation to 

participate in these public meetings or 

need this meeting notice or the 

transcript or other information from the 

public meetings in another format (e.g., 

Braille, large print), please notify Anne 

Silk, NRC Disability Program Specialist, 

at 301–287–0745, by videophone at 

240–428–3217, or by email at 

Anne.Silk@nrc.gov. Determinations on 

requests for reasonable accommodation 

will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

STATUS: Public. 

Members of the public may request to 

receive the information in these notices 

electronically. If you would like to be 

added to the distribution, please contact 

the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 

Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC 

20555, at 301–415–1969, or by email at 

Betty.Thweatt@nrc.gov or 

Samantha.Miklaszewski@nrc.gov. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: 

Week of September 16, 2024 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of September 16, 2024. 

Week of September 23, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of September 23, 2024. 

Week of September 30, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of September 30, 2024. 

Week of October 7, 2024—Tentative 

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 

10:00 a.m. Meeting with the 

Organization of Agreement States 

and the Conference of Radiation 

Control Program Directors (Public 

Meeting) (Contact: Jeffrey Lynch: 

301–415–5041) 

Additional Information: The meeting 

will be held in the Commissioners’ 

Hearing Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, 

Rockville, Maryland. The public is 

invited to attend the Commission’s 

meeting in person or watch live via 

webcast at the Web address—https://

video.nrc.gov/. 

Week of October 14, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of October 14, 2024. 

Week of October 21, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of October 21, 2024. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

For more information or to verify the 

status of meetings, contact Wesley Held 

at 301–287–3591 or via email at 

Wesley.Held@nrc.gov. 

The NRC is holding the meetings 

under the authority of the Government 

in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b. 

Dated: September 11, 2024. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Wesley W. Held, 

Policy Coordinator, Office of the Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21064 Filed 9–12–24; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket Nos. 52–025 and 52–026; NRC– 

2024–0155] 

Southern Nuclear Operating Company; 

Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 

3 and 4; Exemption 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) is granting an 

exemption in response to a request 

dated March 22, 2024, as supplemented 

by letter dated August 14, 2024, from 

Southern Nuclear Operating Company, 

Inc. (SNC, the licensee), seeking an 

exemption from specific regulations that 

require periodic updates of the Vogtle 

Electric Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4, 

Updated Final Safety Analysis Reports. 

DATES: The exemption was issued on 

September 9, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID 

NRC–2024–0155 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–2024–0155. Address 

questions about Docket IDs in 

Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 

telephone: 301–415–0624; email: 

Stacy.Schumann@nrc.gov. For technical 

questions, contact the individual 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 

PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. The SNC 

exemption request dated March 22, 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
75594 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 179 / Monday, September 16, 2024 / Notices 

1Appendix D to 10 CFR part 52, Sections X.B.2 

and X.B.3.c require submissions of USFAR at 

intervals required by 10 CFR 50.71. 

2024, and the supplemental letter dated 

August 14, 2024, are available in 

ADAMS under Accession Nos. 

ML24085A711 and ML24227A595, 

respectively. 

• 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 PDR.Resource@nrc.gov 

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: John 

Lamb, Office of Nuclear Reactor 

Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 

0001, telephone: 301–415–3100, email: 

John.Lamb@nrc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of 

the exemption is attached. 

Dated: September 11, 2024. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

John Lamb, 

Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing 

Branch 2–1, Division of Operating Reactor 

Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor 

Regulation. 

Attachment—Exemption 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

Docket Nos. 52–025 and 52–026 

Southern Nuclear Operating Company 

Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 3 and 

4; Exemptions 

I. Background 

Southern Nuclear Operating Company 

(SNC, the licensee) is the holder of Combined 

License Nos. NPF–91 and NPF–92 for the 

Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle), 

Units 3 and 4, respectively. The licenses 

provide, among other things, that the licensee 

is subject to all rules, regulations, and orders 

of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC, the Commission) now or hereafter in 

effect. These facilities consist of two 

pressurized-water reactors located at the 

licensee’s site in Burke County, Georgia, 

respectively. 

II. Request/Action 

In accordance with section 50.71 of title 10 

of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), 

‘‘Maintenance of records, making of reports,’’ 

paragraph (e)(4) states, in part, that 

‘‘Subsequent revisions [to the Updated Final 

Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) submitted as 

part of the original license application] must 

be filed annually or 6 months after each 

refueling outage provided the interval 

between successive updates [to the UFSAR] 

does not exceed 24 months.’’ The regulation 

at Appendix D to 10 CFR part 52, Section 

X.B.2, regarding Final Safety Analysis Report 

(FSAR) updates, requires that, ‘‘An applicant 

or licensee who references this appendix 

shall submit updates to its DCD [design 

control document], which reflect the generic 

changes to and plant-specific departures from 

the generic DCD made under Section VIII 

[Processes for Changes and Departures] of 

this appendix. These updates must be filed 

under the filing requirements applicable to 

final safety analysis report updates in 10 CFR 

52.3 and 50.71(e).’’ The regulation at 

Appendix D to 10 CFR part 52, Section 

X.B.3.c, requires that, ‘‘After the Commission 

makes the finding required by 10 CFR 

52.103(g), the reports and updates to the 

plant-specific DCD must be submitted, along 

with updates to the site-specific portion of 

the final safety analysis report for the facility, 

at the intervals required by 10 CFR 

50.59(d)(2) and 50.71(e)(4), respectively, or at 

shorter intervals as specified in the license.’’ 

By letter dated March 22, 2024 

(Agencywide Documents Access and 

Management System (ADAMS) Accession 

No. ML24085A711), as supplemented by 

letter dated August 14, 2024 (ML24227A595), 

SNC requested that the due date for submittal 

of the Vogtle, Units 3 and 4, UFSAR be by 

June 30 of every odd-numbered year, 

provided the interval between successive 

updates does not exceed 24 months. 

III. Discussion 

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, ‘‘Specific 

exemptions,’’ the NRC may, upon application 

by any interested person or upon its own 

initiative, grant exemptions from the 

requirements of 10 CFR part 50, ‘‘Domestic 

Licensing of Production and Utilization 

Facilities,’’ including 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4) 

when: (1) the exemptions are authorized by 

law, will not present an undue risk to the 

public health and safety, and are consistent 

with the common defense and security; and 

(2) special circumstances are present. Under 

10 CFR 50.12(a)(2), special circumstances 

include, among other things, whenever 

application of the regulation in the particular 

circumstances would not serve, or is not 

necessary to achieve, the underlying purpose 

of the rule. The regulation at 10 CFR 52.7 

indicates consideration of requests for 

exemption from requirements of the 

regulations of other parts in 10 CFR, which 

are applicable by virtue of 10 CFR part 52, 

shall be governed by the exemption 

requirements of those parts. Here, the 

exemption requested from 10 CFR part 50 is 

applicable by virtue of Appendix D to 10 CFR 

part 52, Appendix D, Sections X.B.2 and 

X.B.3.c, which incorporates the requirements 

of 10 CFR 50.71(e). Therefore, the 

Commission’s consideration of requests for 

exemptions from the regulations in part 52 

will be governed by 10 CFR 50.12. 

A. Exemptions Are Authorized by Law 

The regulation at 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4) 

requires revisions to UFSARs to be filed 

annually or 6 months after each refueling 

outage, provided the interval between 

successive updates does not exceed 24 

months.1 The underlying purpose of the 

regulation is to ensure that the licensee 

periodically updates its UFSAR so that the 

UFSAR remains up-to-date and accurately 

reflects the plant design and operation. The 

proposed exemption would change the 

current UFSAR submittal schedule for 

Vogtle, Units 3 and 4, to a calendar-based 

schedule that would not exceed the 

maximum 24 months between successive 

updates as required by 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4). 

Submitting the UFSAR updates for Vogtle, 

Units 3 and 4, as proposed by June 30 of the 

odd year continues to meet the intent of the 

regulation and maintaining UFSAR 

information up-to-date. The NRC staff has 

determined that granting the licensee’s 

proposed exemptions will not result in a 

violation of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 

as amended, or the Commission’s 

regulations. Therefore, these exemptions are 

authorized by law. 

B. The Exemptions Present No Undue Risk to 

Public Health and Safety 

The underlying purpose of 10 CFR 

50.71(e)(4) is to ensure that licensees 

periodically update their UFSARs so that the 

UFSARs remain up-to-date and accurately 

reflect the plant design and operation. The 

NRC has determined by rule that an update 

frequency not exceeding 24 months between 

successive updates is acceptable for 

maintaining up-to-date UFSAR content. 

While the regulation requires, in part, that 

UFSAR updates be submitted ‘‘annually or 6 

months after each refueling outage,’’ it allows 

the submission of such updates on a different 

schedule, ‘‘provided the interval between 

successive updates does not exceed 24 

months.’’ The requested exemptions also 

meet the underlying purpose of the rule for 

regulatory burden reduction. Additionally, 

based on the nature of the requested 

exemption and the requirement that updates 

will not exceed 24 months from the last 

submittal as described in this notice, no new 

accident precursors are created by the 

exemption; therefore, neither the probability 

nor the consequences of postulated accidents 

are increased. In conclusion, the requested 

exemptions do not result in any undue risk 

to the public health and safety. 

C. The Exemptions Are Consistent With the 

Common Defense and Security 

The requested exemptions from 10 CFR 

50.71(e)(4) and Appendix D to 10 CFR part 

52, Sections X.B.2 and X.B.3.c, would allow 

SNC to submit its periodic updates to the 

Vogtle, Units 3 and 4, UFSAR by June of oddnumbered years, not to exceed 24 months 

from the last submittal. Neither the 

regulation nor the proposed exemption has 

any relation to security issues. Therefore, the 

common defense and security is not 

impacted by the exemption. 

D. Special Circumstances 

Special circumstances, in accordance with 

10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), are present whenever 

application of the regulation in the particular 

circumstances would not serve the 

underlying purpose of the rule or is not 

necessary to achieve the underlying purpose 

of the rule. The underlying purpose of the 

rule is to ensure that an updated FSAR will 

be available to be used in subsequent reviews 

or activities concerning that facility 

performed by the licensee, the Commission, 

and other interested parties—with the 

original reporting requirement set such that 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 179 / Monday, September 16, 2024 / Notices 75595 

subsequent revisions shall be filed no less 

frequently than annually. (45 FR 30614; May 

9, 1980). The rule change promulgated in 

August 1992 (57 FR 39358; August 31, 1992) 

was intended to provide a reduction in 

regulatory burden by providing licensees 

with the option to submit FSAR updates once 

per refueling outage, not to exceed 24 months 

between successive updates, instead of 

annually. The rule change promulgated in 

1992 provided the second option to submit 

the FSAR updates on a frequency not to 

exceed 24 months, tied to the refueling cycle 

upon the basis that the majority of the facility 

design changes are affected during the 

refueling outage and, therefore, the use of the 

refueling cycle provides for a current plant 

status document that is coordinated with 

plant changes. Currently, Vogtle, Units 3 and 

4, submit a combined UFSAR for each site 

every 18 months, not to exceed 24 months 

from the last submittal. 

SNC stated in the letter dated August 14, 

2024: 

With respect to decoupling the reporting 

frequency from refueling outages as 

discussed in the statements of consideration, 

in order to reduce outage time, the majority 

of facility design changes are no longer 

implemented during refueling outages, 

separating the implementation of the 

‘‘majority of facility design changes’’ from 

refueling outages. Thus, associating the 

updates with a refueling outage is no longer 

necessary to meet the underlying purpose of 

the regulation, and providing updates on a 

periodic basis will continue to provide the 

updated information to the NRC on a timely 

basis. Therefore, the application of the 

regulation is not necessary to achieve the 

underlying purpose of the rule. 

Tying the processing and submittal of the 

UFSAR to the refueling cycle is not necessary 

to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule 

because the majority of the facility design 

changes are not implemented during 

refueling outages. Therefore, as the licensee 

will be providing updated FSARs on a 

periodic, timely basis, consistent with the 

maximum 24-month interval between 

submittals as required by the regulation, the 

underlying purpose of the rule will still be 

met, which is to ensure that an updated 

FSAR will be available for use in subsequent 

reviews or activities concerning Vogtle Units 

3 and 4. Therefore, special circumstances 

exist under 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) in that 

application of the requirements in these 

particular circumstances are not necessary to 

achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. 

Pursuant to 10 CFR 52.7, the Commission’s 

consideration of the request for exemptions 

from Appendix D to 10 CFR part 52, Sections 

X.B.2 and X.B.3.c. are governed by the 

exemption requirements of 10 CFR part 50, 

and as special circumstances are present for 

the exemption for 10 CFR 50.71(e), special 

circumstances are also present for the 

exemptions from Appendix D to 10 CFR part 

52, Sections X.B.2 and X.B.3.c. 

E. Environmental Considerations 

With respect to the impact of the 

exemptions on the quality of the human 

environment, the NRC has determined that 

the issuance of the exemptions discussed 

herein meets the eligibility criteria for 

categorical exclusion from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement, set forth in 

10 CFR 51.22(c)(25). 

Under 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25), the granting of 

an exemption from the requirements of any 

regulation of 10 CFR chapter I (which 

includes 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4), and Appendix D 

to 10 CFR part 52, Sections X.B.2, and 

X.B.3.c) is an action that is a categorical 

exclusion, provided that certain specified 

criteria are met. The basis for NRC’s 

determination is provided in the following 

evaluation of the requirements in 10 CFR 

51.22(c)(25)(i)–(vi). 

Requirements in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(i) 

To qualify for a categorical exclusion under 

10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(i), the exemption must 

involve no significant hazards consideration. 

The criteria for determining whether an 

action involves a significant hazards 

consideration are found in 10 CFR 50.92. The 

proposed action involves only a schedule 

change regarding the submission of an 

update to the UFSAR. As set forth in that 

regulation, there are no significant hazard 

considerations because granting the 

exemptions would not: (1) involve a 

significant increase in the probability or 

consequences of an accident previously 

evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a 

new or different kind of accident from any 

accident previously evaluated; or (3) involve 

a significant reduction in a margin of safety. 

Requirements in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(ii) 

There is no significant change in the types 

or significant increase in the amounts of any 

effluents that may be released offsite. The 

proposed action involves only a schedule 

change, which is administrative in nature, 

and does not involve any changes in the 

types or increase in the amounts of any 

effluents that may be released offsite. 

Requirements in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(iii) 

There is no significant increase in 

individual or cumulative public or 

occupational radiation exposure. Since the 

proposed action involves only a schedule 

change, which is administrative in nature, it 

does not contribute to any significant 

increase in individual or cumulative public 

or occupational radiation exposures. 

Requirements in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(iv) 

There is no significant construction 

impact. Since the proposed action involves 

only a schedule change related to the timing 

for submittal of UFSAR updates, which is 

administrative in nature, it does not involve 

any construction impact. 

Requirements in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(v) 

There is no significant increase in the 

potential for or consequences from 

radiological accidents. The proposed action 

involves only a schedule change related to 

the timing for submittal of UFSAR updates, 

which is administrative in nature and does 

not impact the potential for or consequences 

from radiological accidents. 

Requirements in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(vi) 

The requirements from which the 

exemption is sought involve recordkeeping, 

reporting, scheduling, or other requirements 

of an administrative, managerial, or 

organizational nature. The proposed action 

involves recordkeeping, reporting, and 

scheduling requirements, and other 

requirements of an administrative, 

managerial, or organizational nature because 

it is associated with the schedule for 

submittal of UFSAR updates pursuant to 10 

CFR 50.71(e)(4) and meets that regulation’s 

requirement that the interval between 

successive updates does not exceed 24 

months. 

Based on the previously noted 

requirements, the NRC staff concludes that 

the proposed exemptions meet the eligibility 

criteria for the categorical exclusion set forth 

in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25). Therefore, in 

accordance with 10 CFR 51.22(b), no 

environmental impact statement or 

environmental assessment need be prepared 

in connection with the NRC’s issuance of 

these exemptions. 

IV. Conclusions 

Accordingly, the Commission has 

determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR part 

50.12, the requested exemptions are 

authorized by law, will not present an undue 

risk to public health and safety, and are 

consistent with the common defense and 

security. Also, special circumstances, 

pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), are 

present. Therefore, the NRC hereby grants 

SNC exemptions from the requirements of 10 

CFR 50.71(e)(4) and 10 CFR part 52, 

Appendix D, Sections X.B.2 and X.B.3.c to 

allow SNC to file its periodic updates to the 

Vogtle, Units 3 and 4, UFSAR by June 30 of 

odd-numbered years, not to exceed 24 

months from the last submittal. 

The exemptions are effective upon 

issuance. 

Dated: September 9, 2024, 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

/RA/ 

Jamie Pelton, Deputy Director, 

Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20972 Filed 9–13–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION 

[Docket No. CP2024–631; Order No. 7492] 

Competitive Postal Products 

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Commission is 

recognizing a recently filed Postal 

Service document with the Commission 

concerning changes in rates of general 

applicability for Competitive products. 

This notice informs the public of the 

filing, invites public comment, and 

takes other administrative steps. 

DATES: Comments are due: September 

25, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments 

electronically via the Commission’s 


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