Regulatory analysis for final rule on nuclear power plant license renewal

This regulatory analysis provides the supporting information for the final rule (10 CFR Part 54) that defines the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's requirements for renewing the operating licenses of commercial nuclear power plants. A set of four specific alternatives for the safety review of license renewal applications is defined and evaluated. These are: Alternative A-current licensing basis; Alternative B-extension of Alternative A to require assessment and managing of aging; Alternative C -- extension of Alternative B to require assessment of design differences against selected new-plant standards using probabilistic risk assessment; and Alternative D -- extension of Alternative B to require compliance with all new-plant standards. A quantitative comparison of the four alternatives in terms of impact-to-value ratio is presented, and Alternative B is the most cost-beneficial safety review alternative