Standard Review Plan on Transfer and Amendment of Antitrust License Conditions and Antitrust Enforcement (NUREG-1574, Revision 2)
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Publication Information
Manuscript Completed: November 2007
Date Published: December 2007
Prepared by:
S. Hom and C. Pittiglio
Division of Policy and Rulemaking
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555
Abstract
Beginning Beginning in 1970, section 105.c of the Atomic Energy Act
of 1954, as amended (AEA),
required that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission)
conduct antitrust
reviews of applications to construct or operate facilities licensed under
section 103 of the AEA.
These reviews led to the imposition of antitrust license conditions in
about one-quarter of current
operating licenses. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 eliminated the NRC's
antitrust review
mandate, so no new antitrust conditions will be imposed in new licenses.
However, existing
antitrust license conditions were not affected and thus remain in place,
subject to enforcement,
amendments, and license transfers.
In connection with license transfers, the staff's former practice of
conducting "significant
changes" antitrust reviews was eliminated under the Commission's
Wolf Creek decision in 1999.
However, the disposition of existing antitrust license conditions during
license transfers remains
an ongoing issue. Wolf Creek provided some guidance as to the appropriate
disposition of
antitrust license conditions when a facility license containing such
conditions is transferred.
Outside of the context of license transfers, changed circumstances
of law or fact may provide the
bases to grant an application to amend antitrust license conditions.
Such applications should be
considered by reviewers on a case-by-case basis, with past antitrust
license amendment safety
evaluations as guidance. Particular attention should be paid to whether
there have been
regulatory developments to promote competition in the relevant market
since the antitrust
conditions were first imposed. Also, any comments of the Antitrust
Division of the U.S.
Department of Justice should be carefully considered. Furthermore,
the views of the public,
especially competitors of the licensee, should normally be given some
weight.
The Commission has certain antitrust enforcement responsibilities and
authority. If a court of
competent jurisdiction finds that a licensee has violated the antitrust
laws, the NRC may suspend
or revoke the license or take other action. In addition, the Commission
is to report to the
Attorney General when it appears that any utilization of special nuclear
material or atomic energy
violates the antitrust laws. Furthermore, the Commission may enforce
antitrust license
conditions or revoke the license for a licensee's noncompliance with
the conditions, as well as
impose civil monetary penalties. Under 10 CFR 2.206, the Commission may
take appropriate
enforcement action in response to a petition filed under that section
alleging a licensee's
noncompliance with its antitrust license conditions.
