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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 92609-92610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26937]

[[Page 92609]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Parts 1, 2, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 30, 40, 50, 51, 53, 
70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 95, 140, 150, 170, and 171

[NRC-2019-0062]
RIN 3150-AK31

Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for 
Advanced Reactors

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On October 31, 2024, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) solicited comments on the part 53 proposed rulemaking, which 
would revise the NRC's regulations by adding a risk-informed, 
performance-based, and technology-inclusive regulatory framework for 
commercial nuclear plants in response to the Nuclear Energy Innovation 
and Modernization Act (NEIMA). The public comment period was originally 
scheduled to close on December 30, 2024. The NRC has decided to extend 
the public comment period to allow more time for members of the public 
to develop and submit their comments and for the NRC staff to engage 
with stakeholders on the proposed rule language.

DATES: The due date of comments requested in the document published on 
October 31, 2024 (89 FR 86918), is extended. Comments should be filed 
no later than February 28, 2025. Comments received after this date will 
be considered, if it is practical to do so, but the NRC is able to 
ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2019-0062. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Helen Chang; telephone: 301-415-3228; 
email: [email protected]. For technical questions contact the 
individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     Email comments to: [email protected]. If you do 
not receive an automatic email reply confirming receipt, then contact 
us at 301-415-1677.
     Fax comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission at 301-415-1101.
     Mail comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Rulemakings and 
Adjudications Staff.
     Hand deliver comments to: 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. eastern time, Federal 
workdays; telephone: 301-415-1677.
    You can read a plain language description of this proposed rule at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NRC-2019-0062. For additional 
direction on obtaining information and submitting comments, see 
``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Beall, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301-415-3874; email: 
[email protected]; or Anders Gilbertson, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation, telephone: 301-415-1541; email: [email protected]. 
Both are staff of the U.S. NRC, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2019-0062 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain 
publicly available information related to this action by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2019-0062.
     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, 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, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

B. Submitting Comments

    The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website (https://www.regulations.gov). Please 
include Docket ID NRC-2019-0062 in your comment submission. To 
facilitate NRC review, please distinguish between comments on the 
proposed rule and comments on the proposed guidance.
    The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact 
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your 
comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at 
https://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions 
into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove identifying or contact information.
    If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons 
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to 
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be 
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove such information before making the comment submissions available 
to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS.

II. Discussion

    On October 31, 2024, the NRC solicited comments on the ``Risk-
Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced 
Reactors'' proposed rule (also known as ``part 53''). This proposed 
rule responds to NEIMA by creating an alternative regulatory framework 
for licensing future commercial nuclear plants. The new alternative 
requirements and implementing guidance would adopt technology-inclusive 
approaches and use risk-informed and performance-based techniques to 
ensure an equivalent level of safety to that of operating commercial 
nuclear plants while providing flexibility for licensing and regulating 
a variety of technologies and designs for commercial nuclear reactors. 
The public comment period was originally scheduled to close on December 
30, 2024. The NRC has decided to extend the public comment period on 
this document until February 28, 2025, to allow more time for members 
of the public to submit their comments and for the NRC staff to engage 
with stakeholders on the proposed rule language.

[[Page 92610]]

    The NRC may post materials related to this document, including 
public comments, on the Federal rulemaking website at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2019-0062. In addition, the 
Federal rulemaking website allows members of the public to receive 
alerts when changes or additions occur in a docket folder. To 
subscribe: (1) navigate to the docket folder (NRC-2019-0062); (2) click 
the ``Dockets'' link; (3) click the part 53 rulemaking link; (4) click 
the ``Subscribe'' link; (5) enter your email address in the pop-up 
window and click on the ``Subscribe'' link.

    Dated: November 14, 2024.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Melissa Ralph,
Deputy Director, Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial 
Support, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2024-26937 Filed 11-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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