03-27944. Regulatory Guide; Issuance, Availability

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a new guide in its Regulatory Guide Series. This series has been developed to describe and make available to the public such information as methods acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques used by the staff in its review of applications for permits and licenses, and data needed by the NRC staff in its review of applications for permits and licenses.

Regulatory Guide 3.73, “Site Evaluations and Design Earthquake Ground Motion for Dry Cask Independent Spent Fuel Storage and Monitored Retrievable Storage Installations,” provides guidance acceptable to the NRC staff for (1) conducting a detailed evaluation of site area geology and foundation stability, (2) conducting investigations to identify and characterize uncertainty in seismic sources in the site region important for the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis; (3) evaluating and characterizing uncertainty in the parameters of seismic sources; (4) conducting a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for the site; and (5) determining the design earthquake ground motion for the site to satisfy the requirements of NRC's regulations.

Comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion in guides currently being developed or improvements in all published guides are encouraged at any time. Written comments may be submitted to the Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555. Questions on the content of this guide may be directed to Mr. M. Shah, [phone]; email [e-mail].

Regulatory guides are available for inspection or downloading at the NRC's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov under Regulatory Guides and in NRC's Electronic Reading Room (ADAMS System) at the same site. Single copies of regulatory guides may be obtained free of charge by writing the Reproduction and Distribution Services Section, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by fax to [phone], or by e-mail to [e-mail]. Issued guides may also be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) on a standing order basis. Details on this service may be obtained by writing NTIS at 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161; telephone [phone]; http://www.ntis.gov/​. Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, and Commission approval is not required to reproduce them. (5 U.S.C. 552(a))

Dated at Rockville, MD this 22nd day of October 2003.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Ashok C. Thadani,

Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.