104240 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 245 / Friday, December 20, 2024 / Notices 

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 comment 

submissions are not routinely edited to 

remove such information before making 

the comment submissions available to 

the public or entering the comment into 

ADAMS. 

II. Background 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35), the NRC is requesting 

public comment on its intention to 

request the OMB’s approval for the 

information collection summarized as 

follows. 

1. The title of the information 

collection: NRC Form 531, Request for 

Taxpayer Identification Number. 

2. OMB approval number: 3150–0188. 

3. Type of submission: Extension. 

4. The form number, if applicable: 

NRC Form 531. 

5. How often the collection is required 

or requested: Licensees are only 

required to submit once. 

6. Who will be required or asked to 

respond: NRC Form 531 is used to 

collect taxpayer identification numbers 

(TINs) and information sufficient to 

identify the licensee or applicant for 

licenses, certificates, approvals, and 

registrations. 

7. The estimated number of annual 

responses: 150. 

8. The estimated number of annual 

respondents: 150. 

9. The estimated number of hours 

needed annually to comply with the 

information collection requirement or 

request: 37.5. 

10. Abstract: The Debt Collection 

Improvement Act of 1996 requires that 

agencies collect TINs from individuals 

who do business with the Government, 

including contractors and recipients of 

credit, licenses, permits, and benefits. 

The TIN will be used to process all 

electronic payments (refunds) made to 

licensees by electronic funds transfer by 

the Department of the Treasury. The 

Department of the Treasury will use the 

TIN to determine whether the refund 

can be used to administratively offset 

any delinquent debts reported to the 

Treasury by other Government agencies. 

In addition, the TIN will be used to 

collect and report to the Department of 

the Treasury any delinquent 

indebtedness arising out of the 

licensee’s or applicant’s relationship 

with the NRC. 

III. Specific Requests for Comments 

The NRC is seeking comments that 

address the following questions: 

1. Is the proposed collection of 

information necessary for the NRC to 

properly perform its functions? Does the 

information have practical utility? 

Please explain your answer. 

2. Is the estimate of the burden of the 

information collection accurate? Please 

explain your answer. 

3. Is there a way to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected? 

4. How can the burden of the 

information collection on respondents 

be minimized, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology? 

Dated: December 17, 2024. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

David Cullison, 

NRC Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief 

Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30393 Filed 12–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket No. 52–020; NRC–2024–0199] 

Framatome Inc.; Application for 

Standard Design Certification of the 

U.S. EPR; Exemption 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) is issuing an 

exemption in response to an April 17, 

2024, letter from Framatome Inc. 

(Framatome), which requested an 

extension to the exemption from 

regulatory requirements regarding the 

annual reports required by regulations 

(hereafter ‘‘required report’’) for the U.S. 

EPR standard design certification 

application for the years 2024–2028. 

The regulation for which exemption is 

sought covers emergency core cooling 

systems (ECCS) for light-water nuclear 

power reactors. Staff review of the U.S. 

EPR standard design certification 

application was suspended in April 

2015 at the request of the applicant. 

Framatome committed to submit the 

required report before any request to 

reactivate the U.S. EPR review. 

Framatome further committed to 

providing an update to the required 

report, or taking other appropriate 

action, as necessary, no later than 

December 31, 2028. The NRC staff 

reviewed this request and determined 

that it is appropriate to grant the 

exemption in accordance with the 

regulations as the request does not 

present an undue risk to public health 

or safety and is consistent with the 

common defense and security; 

furthermore, special circumstances 

exist. 

DATES: The exemption is effective on 

December 9, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID 

NRC–2024–0199 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–2024–0199. Address 

questions about Docket IDs 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. 

• 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: 

Ricky Vivanco, Project Manager, Office 

of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 

Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone: 

301–415–0021; email: Ricky.Vivanco@

nrc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of 

the exemption is attached. 

Dated: December 16, 2024. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 245 / Friday, December 20, 2024 / Notices 104241 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Michele Sampson, 

Director, Division of New and Renewed 

Licenses, Office of Nuclear Reactor 

Regulation. 

Attachment—Exemption. 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

Docket No. 52–020 

Framatome Inc. 

Application for Standard Design 

Certification of the U.S. EPR 

I. Background 

By letter dated December 11, 2007, 

Areva NP Inc. (Areva) (now Framatome 

Inc. (Framatome)) submitted to the NRC 

an application for standard design 

certification of the U.S. EPR (ADAMS 

Accession No. ML073520305). 

Following an acceptance review, the 

NRC docketed the application (Docket 

No. 52–020) in a letter dated February 

25, 2008 (ADAMS Accession No. 

ML080380357). By letter dated July 17, 

2014 (ADAMS Accession No. 

ML14209A053), Areva submitted 

Revision 7 to the standard design 

certification application. By letter dated 

February 25, 2015 (ADAMS Accession 

No. ML15061A130), Areva requested 

that the NRC suspend review of the U.S. 

EPR standard design certification 

application. By letter dated June 30, 

2020 (ADAMS Accession No. 

ML20188A219), Framatome requested 

an exemption from the annual reporting 

requirements of 10 CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii) 

stating in part that ‘‘. . . given that the 

NRC’s review of the U.S. EPR DCA 

[design certification application] has 

been suspended and remains 

suspended, Framatome requests an 

exemption from the requirement to 

submit annual reports required by 10 

CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii) for the next five 

years (2020–2024).’’ Federal Register 

Notice (FRN) 2020–21811 granted this 

exemption requested by Framatome on 

September 29, 2020. By letter dated 

April 17, 2024 (ADAMS Accession No. 

ML24114A037), Framatome requested 

an extension to the exemption from the 

annual reporting requirements of 10 

CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii) stating in part that 

‘‘. . . given that the NRC’s review of the 

DCA [design certification application] 

remains suspended. Specifically, 

Framatome requests an exemption from 

the requirement to submit annual 

reports to the DCA during the years 

2024 through 2028.’’ 

II. Request/Action 

Section 50.46(a)(1)(i) of 10 CFR, in 

part, provides requirements for models 

used in calculations regarding ECCS 

performance following postulated loss 

of coolant accidents. Section 

50.46(a)(3)(iii) requires that an applicant 

for a standard design certification report 

any change or error found in such ECCS 

performance models, including the 

nature of the change or error and its 

estimated effect on the limiting ECCS 

analysis, at least annually. 

In a letter dated April 17, 2024 

(ADAMS Accession No. ML24114A037), 

Framatome requested an extension of 

the exemption from the reporting 

requirements of 10 CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii) 

for the years 2024 through 2028. 

Framatome has committed to submit the 

required report before requesting to 

reactivate the U.S. EPR review. They 

have committed to updating the 

required report, or taking other 

appropriate action, no later than 

December 31, 2028. 

III. Discussion 

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the 

Commission may, upon application by 

any interested person or upon its own 

initiative, grant exemptions from the 

requirements of 10 CFR part 50, 

including 10 CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii), when: 

(1) the exemptions are authorized by 

law, will not present an undue risk to 

public health or safety, and are 

consistent with the common defense 

and security; and (2) special 

circumstances are present. As relevant 

to the requested exemption, special 

circumstances exist if: (1) 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 (10 CFR 

50.12(a)(2)(ii)); or (2) compliance would 

result in undue hardship or other costs 

that are significantly in excess of those 

contemplated when the regulation was 

adopted, or that are significantly in 

excess of those incurred by others 

similarly situated (10 CFR 

50.12(a)(2)(iii)). 

Framatome is seeking the exemption 

for the years 2024 through 2028. 

Framatome has committed to updating 

the 10 CFR 50.46 report or taking other 

appropriate action, as necessary, no 

later than December 31, 2028. 

No Undue Risk to Public Health and 

Safety 

The purpose of 10 CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii) 

is to provide for timely notification of 

the nature and estimated effect of any 

errors or changes in the limiting ECCS 

analysis. Because the review of the U.S. 

EPR standard design certification 

application has been suspended at the 

applicant’s request, any report 

submitted under 10 CFR 50.46 would 

not be reviewed by the staff until such 

time as the review of the design 

certification is reactivated. The 

requested exemption is administrative 

and deals only with the schedule for 

reports which would not be reviewed. 

Because the exemption applies only to 

an application, not to a licensed entity, 

this exemption has no safety 

implications and introduces nothing 

that could adversely impact public 

health. Under the proposed exemption, 

any further review of the U.S. EPR 

standard design certification application 

will not resume until Framatome 

submits the required report. Design 

certification cannot occur until the 

NRC’s review of the application is 

completed and a final safety evaluation 

report is issued. Based on the nature of 

the requested exemption as described 

above, no new accident precursors or 

accident scenarios are introduced or 

created by the exemption; therefore, 

neither the probability nor the 

consequences of postulated accidents 

are increased and there is no undue risk 

to public health and safety. The request 

for an exemption has no bearing on 

public health and safety and, therefore, 

poses no undue risk to public health 

and safety. 

Consistent With Common Defense and 

Security 

The requested exemption would 

relieve Framatome of the requirement to 

submit annual reports required by 10 

CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii) for the years 2024 

through 2028. The applicant has 

committed to submit a 10 CFR 50.46 

report before submitting any request for 

the NRC to resume reviewing the U.S. 

EPR design certification application and 

to update the required report, or take 

other appropriate action, no later than 

December 31, 2028. This schedule 

change has no relation to security 

issues; therefore, the common defense 

and security is not impacted. 

Special Circumstances 

Special circumstances, in accordance 

with 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2), are present 

under the circumstances relevant to the 

requested exemption. Generally, special 

circumstances are present if: (1) 

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 (10 CFR 

50.12(a)(2)(ii)); or (2) if compliance 

would result in undue hardship or other 

costs that are significantly in excess of 

those contemplated when the regulation 

was adopted, or that are significantly in 

excess of those incurred by others 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
104242 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 245 / Friday, December 20, 2024 / Notices 

similarly situated (10 CFR 

50.12(a)(2(iii)). 

The underlying purpose of 10 CFR 

50.46(a)(3)(iii) is to ensure that the NRC 

receives timely notification of the nature 

and estimated effect of errors or changes 

in the limiting ECCS analysis. A 

thorough understanding of ECCS 

performance is critical to the staff’s 

review; however, since review of the 

U.S. EPR standard design certification 

application has been suspended at the 

applicant’s request, any report filed 

under 10 CFR 50.46 would not be 

reviewed until such time as the design 

certification review is reactivated. 

Framatome has committed to submit the 

required report before requesting that 

the NRC reactivate its review of the 

design certification. Submitting a report 

under 50.46(a)(3)(iii) before the 

resumption of any review of the design 

certification is sufficient to meet the 

underlying purpose of the regulation. 

Submitting annual reports for the years 

2024 through 2028 while the review is 

suspended is not necessary to meet the 

underlying purpose of the regulation. 

The preparation of reports required by 

10 CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii) is time 

consuming and requires resources to 

review and document the condition 

reports for any change to or error in an 

acceptable evaluation model or in the 

application of such a model. As such, 

requiring Framatome to submit annual 

10 CFR 50.46 reports that would not be 

reviewed would be to subject them to an 

undue hardship that is significantly in 

excess of those contemplated when the 

regulation was adopted. 

For the above stated reasons, special 

circumstances are present under 10 CFR 

50.12(a)(2)(ii) and 10 CFR 50.12(2)(iii). 

Eligibility for Categorical Exclusion 

From Environmental Review 

With respect to the exemption’s 

impact on the quality of the human 

environment, the NRC has determined 

that this specific exemption request is 

eligible for categorical exclusion as 

identified in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25) 

provided that: 

(i) There is no significant hazards 

consideration; 

The criteria for determining whether 

there is no significant hazards 

consideration are found in 10 CFR 

50.92(c). The proposed action involves 

only a schedule change regarding the 

submission of a report on errors or 

changes in the ECCS analysis for a 

standard design certification application 

review which is currently suspended. 

Therefore, there is no significant 

hazards consideration because granting 

the proposed exemption 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. 

(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 to be made in the 

types or significant increase in the 

amounts of effluents that may be 

released offsite. 

(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 

occupational or public radiation 

exposure. 

(iv) There is no significant 

construction impact; 

The proposed action involves only a 

schedule change which is 

administrative in nature; the application 

is for a standard design certification the 

review of which is suspended until 

further notice. No application for 

construction or operation has been filed. 

Accordingly, the proposed action does 

not involve any construction impact. 

(v) There is no significant increase in 

the potential for or consequences from 

radiological accidents; 

The proposed action involves only a 

schedule change which is 

administrative in nature and does not 

impact the probability or consequences 

of accidents. 

(vi) The requirements from which an 

exemption is sought involve: 

(1) Reporting requirements; 

The exemption request involves 

submitting a report required by 10 CFR 

50.46(a)(3)(iii); 

and 

(2) Scheduling requirements; 

The proposed exemption relieves the 

applicant from submitting the required 

reports for the years 2024 through 2028. 

IV. Conclusion 

Accordingly, the Commission has 

determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 

50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by 

law, will not present an undue risk to 

the public health and safety, and is 

consistent with the common defense 

and security. Also, special 

circumstances, as defined by 10 CFR 

50.12(a)(2), are present. Therefore, the 

Commission hereby grants Framatome 

an extension to the exemption from the 

reporting requirements of 10 CFR 

50.46(a)(3)(iii) until December 31, 2028. 

This exemption provides that 

Framatome shall submit a report under 

10 CFR 50.46(a)(3)(iii) before making 

any request that the NRC resume its 

review of the U.S. EPR standard design 

certification application and that 

Framatome shall update that report or 

take other appropriate actions no later 

than December 31, 2028. 

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22, the 

Commission has determined that the 

exemption request meets the applicable 

categorical exclusion criteria set forth in 

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

this exemption will not have a 

significant effect on the quality of the 

human environment. 

This exemption is effective upon 

issuance. 

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day 

of December 2024. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Michele Sampson, 

Director, Division of New and Renewed 

Licenses, Office of Nuclear Reactor 

Regulation. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30365 Filed 12–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 

Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory 

Committee 

Virtual Public Meeting 

AGENCY: Office of Personnel 

Management. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: According to the provisions of 

section 10 of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, notice is hereby given 

that a virtual meeting of the Federal 

Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee 

will be held on Thursday, January 9, 

2025. There will be no in-person 

gathering for this meeting. 

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory 

Committee is composed of a Chair, five 

representatives from labor unions 

holding exclusive bargaining rights for 

Federal prevailing rate employees, and 

five representatives from Federal 

agencies. 

The Committee’s primary 

responsibility is to review the Prevailing 

Rate System and other matters pertinent 

to establishing prevailing rates, and 

from time to time advise the Office of 

Personnel Management. 

Annually, the Chair compiles a report 

of pay issues discussed and concluded 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1