§53.1540. Updating licensing-basis information and determining the need for NRC approval.
10 C.F.R. § 53.1540
Sections 53.1545 through 53.1565 provide the process for a holder of an OL or COL to modify licensing-basis information and to evaluate potential changes to its facilities, procedures, programs, and organizations to determine if NRC approval is required.
Definitions for the purposes of §§ 53.1545 through 53.1565—
Change means a modification or addition to, or removal from, the commercial nuclear plant or procedures that affects a design feature or related functional design criteria, method of performing or controlling the functions of design features, or an evaluation that demonstrates that intended functions will be accomplished.
Departure from a method of evaluation described in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) (as updated) used in establishing the functional design criteria for safety-related structures, systems, or components or in the safety analyses means—
Changing any of the elements of the method described in the FSAR (as updated) unless the results of the analysis are conservative or essentially the same; or
Changing from a method described in the FSAR to another method unless that method has been approved by NRC for the intended application.
Facility as described in the FSAR (as updated) means—
The SSCs that are described in the FSAR (as updated),
The design and performance requirements for such SSCs described in the FSAR (as updated), and
The evaluations or methods of evaluation included in the FSAR (as updated) for such SSCs which demonstrate that their intended function(s) will be accomplished.
Final Safety Analysis Report (as updated) means the FSAR submitted under § 53.1279, § 53.1369 or § 53.1416, as amended and supplemented, and as updated under § 53.1545, as applicable.
Procedures as described in the Final Safety Analysis Report (as updated) means those procedures that contain information described in the FSAR (as updated) such as how SSCs are operated and controlled (including assumed operator actions and response times).
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Authority
Authority: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, secs. 11, 101, 103, 108, 122, 147, 161, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 189, 223, 234 (42 U.S.C. 2014, 2131, 2132, 2133, 2134, 2135, 2138, 2152, 2167, 2169, 2201, 2231, 2232, 2233, 2234, 2235, 2236, 2237, 2239, 2273, 2282); Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, secs. 201, 202, 206, 211 (42 U.S.C. 5841, 5842, 5846, 5851); Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, sec. 306 (42 U.S.C. 10226); National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332); 44 U.S.C. 3504 note; Pub. L. 115-439, 132 Stat. 5571.
Source
Source: 91 FR 15794, Mar. 30, 2026, unless otherwise noted.