Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 5810150e-ee20-4cd1-b72f-6e918a603f73
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Applications for Nuclear Power Plants (Rev. 1)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1523/ML15233A056.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.206
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
future applicants and allows the retirement of DC/COL-ISG-011. An applicant for a COL or DC may choose to finalize licensing-basis information at a point during the licensing review and then defer any subsequent licensing-basis information changes or additions until after the licensing or certification process is complete. The licensing-basis specified for final review before licensing and certification has been referred to as a “freeze point,” and the process has been used by both COL and DC applicants. When a licensing-basis freeze point is defined, the licensing or certification decision will be based on the information that has been provided to the NRC on or before the applicant established freeze point. NRC reviews can take many months to complete. Having the applicant define a licensing-basis freeze point has supported the staff’s ability to establish a predictable schedule for completion of the later phases of the reviews, thereby increasing the efficiency and reliability of the review process. An applicant for a DC or COL is not required to define a freeze point, and the rationale for defining a freeze point may not be sufficient in future reviews to support this choice. Although this guidance is also applies to ESPs, the concept of a freeze point has primarily been associated with COL and DC applications. For DCs, using a freeze point in the generic design review results in significant challenges because any revisions after the DC involve either additional rulemakings or departures on multiple COLs that reference the DC. This regulatory topic preserves key guidance from the retired DC/COL-ISG-011 and focuses on criteria that would identify changes that are inappropriate to defer beyond licensing or certification and, therefore, would require a change to the licensing basis. Although a freeze point does not directly relate to COLAs that reference a DC with errors identified after certification, the guidance provided on safety significance applies and