The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission might not move ahead with a potential rulemaking on security requirements for independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSI).
The agency’s Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to consider the status and “potential discontinuation” of the rulemaking, according to a meeting announcement.
The 12-year-old proceeding is currently in the “pre-rule” phase, according to the NRC. If eventually formulated and approved by the commission, it would update federal regulations for the physical protection of nuclear plants and materials and the licensing requirements for spent fuel storage pads.
Specifically, “the rulemaking would amend the NRC’s regulations to make generically applicable security requirements imposed in security orders issued after the events of September 11, 2001,” the NRC says.
As of April 2019, the NRC counted 65 nuclear reactor sites with a general licensed ISFSI, along with 15 specific licensed storage installations either at or away from a reactor. There were 34 states with at least one ISFSI.
The commission in 2007 signed off on beginning a rulemaking on ISFSI security requirements, as recommended by agency staff. In December 2009, the agency made public its draft regulatory basis for the regulatory update.
“In light of opposition, expressed in comments, on some of the key technical approaches discussed in the draft regulatory basis, the staff sought direction from the Commission concerning the proposed rulemaking,” according to an NRC update from 2013. The commission “directed the staff to continue its assessment of the threat against ISFSIs, engage stakeholders, develop draft guidance, and provide a supplemental paper … to evaluate whether changes in the proposed rulemaking’s direction are necessary.”
That update appears to be the most recent posted on this proceeding to the federal rulemaking website, www.regulations.gov.
The meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at NRC Three White Flint North, 3WFN – 1C05, 11601 Landsdown St. in Rockville, Md. A webinar will also be available: The meeting number is 18775461569, password 33797.
