Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 12d6ebda-d515-49c2-b332-a2a2ef5aba3d
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Guidance for Changes During Construction for New Nuclear Power Plants Being Constructed Under a Combined License Referencing a Certified Design Under 10 CFR Part 52 + HISTORY - HISTORY 04/2020 – DG-1321 , Proposed Revision 0
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1934/ML19340B290.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.237
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
” of changes subject to amendments, in an integrated fashion. The Commission did modify the Section VIII.B.5 “50.59-like change process” in the 2006 AP1000 design certification rule (10 CFR Part 52, Appendix D, “Design Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design”) (Ref. 10) to replace the term “unreviewed safety question” with the more specific criteria specified in the 1999 rulemaking to replace that term in 10 CFR 50.59. While not relevant to this discussion, the AP1000 design certification rule also defined a new term, “change to a method of evaluation,” consistent with the corresponding changes in the 1999 10 CFR 50.59 rule. In 2007, the Commission amended 10 CFR Part 52, including amendments to Section VIII.B.5 in each design certification appendix to incorporate the same changes included in the AP1000 design certification rule (Ref. 11). However, the 2007 10 CFR Part 52 comprehensive amendment left Section VIII.B.5.a in each 10 CFR Part 52 appendix certifying a standard design unchanged. Specifically, section VIII.B.5.a of each such 10 CFR Part 52 appendix continues to include the phrase “without prior NRC approval,” which differs from the new text added to 10 CFR 50.59(c)(1) and (2) in 1999 quoted above with respect to implementation. This unchanged text in Section VIII.B.5.a of each 10 CFR Part 52 appendix certifying a standard design is consistent with the Commission’s position stated in the 1997 ABWR design certification rulemaking cited above. In July 2015, the NRC issued COL-ISG-025 to provide guidance on the use of a PAR process available to combined license holders through a license condition included in every COL issued as of the date of issuance of DG-1321. The PAR process is an elective process by which a combined license holder can opt to submit a request to the NRC seeking a determination on whether the NRC objects to the licensee proceeding with construction changes, subject to strict conditions, before the agency completes