ROCKVILLE, Md., April 11 Federal regulators will require future U.S. nuclear plants to update safety reviews every four years as part of new changes to the reactor licensing process.The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Wednesday it has approved the final rule for issuance of "Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants." The final rule language, covering permits, design certification and a new Combined Operating and Licensing Application procedure, is to be published in the Federal Register later this year.Jerry Wilson, senior policy analyst at the NRC, said this final rule is the culmination of years of effort to update the NRC's licensing processes for new nuclear power plants."The commission directed in its staff requirements memorandum that the licensees update and maintain probabilistic risk assessments for the life of their nuclear plant," Wilson said. The plants will have to comply with the "latest accepted industry standards" in the PRA updates every four years "to aid the NRC in monitoring the safety of future nuclear power plants." He said current plants would also have to start using similar safety assessments.Copyright 2007 by UPI
