Home > Nuclear Reactors > New Reactors > Regulations, Guidance, and Communications

Regulations, Guidance, and Communications for New Reactors

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducts its new reactor licensing activities through a combination of regulatory requirements and regulatory guidance. The applicable regulatory requirements are found in Chapter I of Title 10, "Energy," of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Chapter I is divided into Parts 1 through 199. Regulatory guidance is generally contained in regulatory guides, interim staff guidance, standard review plans, office instructions, and review standards. For detail, see the following topics on this page:

• Governing Regulations
• Existing Guidance Documents
• Ongoing Rulemaking and Regulatory Guidance Development
• Enhancing the Environmental Review Process
• Other Resources

Governing Regulations

Of the NRC's existing regulations, the following are most relevant to the design, siting, construction, and operation of new commercial nuclear power facilities:

• 10 CFR Part 51, "Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions"
• 10 CFR Part 52, "Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants"

Existing Guidance Documents

Regulatory Guides (RGs), which the NRC issues in 10 broad divisions, provide guidance to licensees and applicants on implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques used by the NRC staff in evaluating specific problems or postulated accidents, and data needed by the staff in its review of applications for permits or licenses. Of these guides, the following are most relevant to the design, siting, construction, and operation of new commercial nuclear power facilities:

• RG 1.206, "Regulatory Guide for Combined License Applications for Nuclear Power Plants"
• Division 4 Regulatory Guides (Environmental and Siting Topics)

The NRC's Interim Staff Guidance Associated with Combined License (COL) and Design Certification (DC) Applications for New Reactors also provides valuable insights for prospective applicants and other agency stakeholders.

The following guidance documents may also be useful to prospective applicants and other stakeholders:

• NUREG-0800, "Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants"
• NUREG-1555, "Standard Review Plan for Environmental Reviews for Nuclear Power Plants"
• Office Instruction NRO-REG-100, "Acceptance Review Process for Design Certification and Combined License Applications"
• Review Standard RS-002, "Guidance for Processing Applications for Early Site Permits"

Ongoing Rulemaking and Regulatory Guidance Development

The NRC is proposing several changes to its regulations that will affect the design, licensing, and operation of new reactors. These and other proposed rule changes, as well as changes to associated NRC regulatory guides, are accessible through the Rulemaking page. In addition, the following external links are particularly relevant to new reactors:

• Consideration of Aircraft Impacts for New Nuclear Power Reactor Designs
• Power Reactor Security Requirements

Enhancing the Environmental Review Process

Under the NRC's regulations in 10 CFR Part 52 and in accordance with the applicable provisions of 10 CFR Part 51, which are the NRC regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the NRC is required to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) as part of its review of an early site permit (ESP) or combined license (COL) application. Currently, the NRC staff estimates that the environmental review process will take approximately 24 months. This includes scoping, issuance of the draft EIS, a comment period, and issuance of the final EIS. The NRC staff currently conducts its environmental reviews using NUREG-1555, "Environmental Standard Review Plan" (ESRP). However, the NRC is also considering alternatives for Enhancing the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Environmental Review Process.

Other Resources

For additional information, see the following related resources:

• Guidance for Electronic Submittals of applications or related documents
• Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2008-01, "Process for Scheduling Acceptance Reviews Based on Notification of Applicant Submission Dates for Early Site Permits, Combined Licenses, and Design Certifications and Process for Determining Budget Needs For Fiscal Year 2010"
• Other Related Documents for New Reactors
• Regulations, Guidance, and Communications for Operating Reactors

Privacy Policy | Site Disclaimer
Wednesday, January 07, 2009