[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 166 (Thursday, August 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52067-52068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21156]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2015-0195]


Inservice Inspection of Ungrouted Tendons in Prestressed Concrete 
Containments

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Regulatory guide; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing 
Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.35, ``Inservice Inspection of Ungrouted Tendons 
in Prestressed Concrete Containments.'' The regulatory guide is being 
withdrawn because of changes in NRC regulations, which render the RG 
obsolete. The withdrawal does not affect the licensing bases of current 
licensees approved to use RG 1.35.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2015-0195 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0195. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
of this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, 
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. The 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this Notice (if 
that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a 
document is referenced.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Herrity, telephone: 301-415-
2351, email: [email protected] and Edward O'Donnell, telephone: 
301-415-3317, email: [email protected]. Both are staff of the 
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC is withdrawing Regulatory Guide 1.35 
because it has been superseded by changes in NRC regulations as set 
forth in section 50.55a of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(10 CFR), ``Codes and Standards.'' The change in the regulations 
provides more complete and more up to date guidance.
    The withdrawal of RG 1.35 does not alter any prior or existing 
licensing commitments based on its use. Although a regulatory guide is 
withdrawn, its use in existing licenses is still valid, and changes to 
the licenses can be accomplished using other regulatory products. 
Withdrawal of a regulatory guide means that the RG no longer provides 
useful information or has been superseded by other guidance, 
technological innovations, congressional actions, or other events. A 
withdrawn RG should not be used for future NRC licensing activities.
    Since RG 1.35 was last revised in 1990, ASME Boiler and Pressure 
Vessel Code Section XI, Subsection IWL was issued. This subsection 
addresses the examination and repair/replacement of the reinforced 
concrete and the post-tensioning systems of concrete containments. The 
NRC incorporated the requirements of the 1992 Edition of the ASME 
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code with the 1992 Addenda of Subsection IWL 
into its regulations, with specified modifications and limitations, in 
an amendment to section 50.55a, which was published in the Federal 
Register on August 8, 1996 (61 FR 41303). The rulemaking also required 
that all nuclear power plants in the United States develop and 
implement a containment inspection program in accordance with Section 
XI,

[[Page 52068]]

Subsection IWL (as applicable for the type of containment) by September 
9, 2001. Subsequent, NRC amendments to 10 CFR 50.55a have incorporated 
by reference later editions of Subsection IWL, with modifications and 
limitations which continue to address issues addressed by RG 1.35.
    The guidance provided in RG 1.35 has been incorporated into later 
revisions of Subsection IWL, or preserved in 10 CFR 50.55a. As a 
result, RG 1.35 has become redundant and is no longer needed.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of August, 2015.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thomas H. Boyce,
Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2015-21156 Filed 8-26-15; 8:45 am]
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