Document: NUREG-0800
Document ID: ac43f632-9db1-4857-9f56-bfba45965456
Document Type: srp
Title: * These are modifications to a plant’s design, operations, or other activities that require NRC approval. These modifica
Source: NUREG-0800
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0232/ML023250195.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 19
Section ID: 19
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
information reveals an unforeseen hazard or a substantially greater potential for a known hazard to occur, such as identification of an issue that substantially increases risk. In such situations, the NRC has the statutory authority to require licensee action above and beyond existing regulations to maintain the level of protection necessary to avoid undue risk to public health and safety. Section 182.a of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and as implemented by 10 CFR 2.102 gives the NRC the authority to require the submittal of information in connection with a license amendment request if NRC has reason to question adequate protection of public health and safety. The licensee may decline to submit such information, but it would risk having the amendment request denied if NRC cannot find that the requested amendment provides adequate protection of public health and safety. Under unusual circumstances that could introduce significant and unanticipated risks, the NRC staff reviewers would assume the burden of demonstrating that the presumption of adequate protection is not supported by the bases for the existing staff positions despite the fact that currently specified regulatory requirements are met. Instances in which license amendment requests meet all regulatory requirements yet raise significant risk concerns are rare. The process used for identifying those situations in which risk implications are appropriate to consider and for deciding if undue risk exists is depicted in Figure 1. This process can be used in the review of both licensee-initiated, risk-informed license amendment requests, as well as license amendment requests in which the licensee chooses to not submit risk information (i.e., non-risk-informed requests). License amendment requests will be screened for potential risk implications as part of the license amendment review process. Office-level license amendment review procedures provide guidance on which license amendment requests should