Entergy Operations Inc.; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2; License Amendment Application

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) is considering issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-6, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the licensee), for operation of Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2 (ANO-2). The proposed amendment would revise the technical specifications (TSs) for ANO-2, by modifying the note associated with Surveillance Requirement (SR) 4.1.3.1.2 to permit Control Element Assembly (CEA) 29 to be excluded from exercising for the remainder of Cycle 32. This change would allow CEA 29 to remain out of the exercising surveillance until the planned refueling outage 2R32, currently scheduled for September 2027.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 214 (Friday, November 6, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 214 (Friday, November 6, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70099-70102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22711]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-368; NRC-2026-5215]


Entergy Operations Inc.; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2; License 
Amendment Application

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Opportunity to comment, request a hearing, and petition for 
leave to intervene.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) 
is considering issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating 
License No. NPF-6, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the 
licensee), for operation of Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2 (ANO-2). The 
proposed amendment would revise the technical specifications (TSs) for 
ANO-2, by modifying the note associated with Surveillance Requirement 
(SR) 4.1.3.1.2 to permit Control Element Assembly (CEA) 29 to be 
excluded from exercising for the remainder of Cycle 32. This change 
would allow CEA 29 to remain out of the exercising surveillance until 
the planned refueling outage 2R32, currently scheduled for September 
2027.

DATES: Submit comments by November 20, 2026. Request for a hearing or 
petitions for leave to intervene must be filed by January 5, 2027.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods; 
however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website.
    <bullet> Federal rulemaking website: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and search for Docket ID NRC-2026-5215. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> to Bridget Curran; 
telephone: 301-415-1003; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d795a5beb3b0b2a3f994a2a5a5b6b997b9a5b4f9b0b8a1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="591b2b303d3e3c2d771a2c2b2b383719372b3a773e362f">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. For technical 
questions, contact the individual listed in the For Further Information 
Contact section of this document.
    <bullet> Mail comments to: Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, Mail Stop: TWFN-5-A85, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Guidance and Publications Branch.
    For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting 
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: M. Elena Herrera, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-8208; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#612c001308004f29041313041300210f13024f060e17"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e0ad81928981cea8859292859281a08e9283ce878f96">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2026-5215 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain 
publicly available information related to this action by any of the 
following methods:
    <bullet> Federal Rulemaking website: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and search for Docket ID NRC-2026-5215.
    <bullet> NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html">https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html</a>. To begin the search, select ``Begin ADAMS Public Search.'' 
For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room 
(PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 301-415-4737, or by email 
to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#afffebfd81fdcadcc0daddcccaefc1ddcc81c8c0d9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e5b5a1b7cbb780968a90978680a58b9786cb828a93">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. The license amendment request to exclude 
exercising CEA 29 from SR 4.1.3.1.2 is available in ADAMS under 
Accession No. ML26260A338, and a supplement to the license amendment 
request is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML26281A182.
    <bullet> NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies 
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an 
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6b3b2f3945390e18041e19080e2b051908450c041d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4b1b0f1965192e38243e39282e0b253928652c243d">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

B. Submitting Comments

    The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website (<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>). Please 
include Docket ID NRC-2026-5215 in your comment submission.
    The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact 
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your 
comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at 
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> as well as enter the comment submissions 
into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove identifying or contact information.
    If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons 
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to 
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be 
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove such information before making the comment submissions available 
to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS.

II. Introduction

    The NRC is considering issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility 
Operating License No. NPF-6, issued to Entergy, for operation of ANO-2, 
located in Pope County, Arkansas.
    The proposed amendment would revise the technical specifications 
for ANO-2 by modifying the note associated with SR 4.1.3.1.2 to permit 
CEA 29 to be excluded from exercising for the remainder of Cycle 32. 
This change would allow CEA 29 to remain out of the exercising 
surveillance until the planned refueling outage 2R32, currently 
scheduled for September 2027.
    Pursuant to the requirements of sections 50.91 and 50.92 of title 
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), the licensee requested 
approval of the amendment under exigent circumstances. In its 
application, the licensee explained that it submitted this application 
under exigent circumstances due to the need for NRC review and, if 
pertinent requirements are met, approval of the amendment before the 
next required surveillance date, scheduled for December 16, 2026, to 
avoid a required plant shutdown and to prevent an unnecessary transient 
or reactivity excursion while deferring CEA 29 repair until the planned 
refueling outage 2R32.
    Before any issuance of the proposed license amendment, the NRC will 
need to make the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as 
amended (the Act), and NRC's regulations.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6), for amendments to be granted under 
exigent circumstances, the NRC has made a proposed determination that 
the license amendment request involves no significant hazards 
consideration (NSHC). Under the NRC's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, this 
means that operation

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of the facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1) 
involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an 
accident previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new 
or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; 
or (3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As 
required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of 
the issue of NSHC, which is presented below:
    (1) Does the proposed amendment involve a significant increase in 
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
    Response: No.
    One function of the CEAs is to provide a means of rapid negative 
reactivity addition into the core. This occurs upon receipt of a signal 
from the Reactor Protection System (RPS). This function will continue 
to be accomplished with the approval of the proposed change. Typically, 
once per 184 days, each CEA is moved at least five inches to ensure the 
CEA is free to move. CEA 29 remains trippable (free to move) as 
illustrated by startup during spring of 2026 and during power 
restoration following installation of the temporary modification in 
June 2026. However, due to failure of the pull-down coil, future 
exercising of the CEA could result in the CEA inadvertently inserting 
into the core during CEA movement. Undesired operation of a CEA, which 
includes a CEA drop event, is an abnormal occurrence and has been 
previously evaluated as part of the ANO-2 accident analysis. 
Inadvertent CEA insertion will result in a reactivity transient and 
power reduction and could lead to a reactor shutdown if the CEA is 
deemed to be unrecoverable. The proposed change would minimize the 
potential for inadvertent insertion of CEA 29 into the core by 
maintaining the CEA in place. The proposed change will not affect the 
CEAs ability to insert fully into the core upon receipt of a reactor 
trip signal.
    No additional modifications are proposed to the RPS or associated 
Control Element Drive Mechanism Control System (CEDMCS) logic regarding 
the ability of CEA 29 to remain available for immediate insertion due 
to a trip signal. The accident mitigation features of the plant are not 
affected by the proposed amendment. Because CEA 29 remains trippable, 
no additional reactivity considerations need to be taken into 
consideration. Nevertheless, Entergy has evaluated the reactivity 
consequences associated with failure of CEA 29 to insert upon a reactor 
trip in accordance with TS requirements for Shutdown Margin (SDM) and 
has determined that SDM requirements would be met should such an event 
occur at any time during the remainder of Cycle 32 operation.
    Therefore, this change does not involve a significant increase in 
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
    (2) Does the proposed amendment create the possibility of a new or 
different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated?
    Response: No.
    CEA 29 remains trippable. The proposed change will not introduce 
any new design changes or systems that can prevent the CEA from 
performing its specified safety function. As discussed previously, CEA 
mis-operation has been previously evaluated in the ANO-2 accident 
analysis. Furthermore, SDM has been shown to remain within limits 
should an event occur at any time during the remainder of operating 
Cycle 32 such that CEA 29 fails to insert into the core upon receipt of 
a reactor trip signal. Therefore, this change does not create the 
possibility of a new or different kind of accident from an accident 
previously evaluated.
    (3) Does the proposed amendment involve a significant reduction in 
a margin of safety?
    Response: No.
    SR 4.1.3.1.2 is intended to verify CEAs are free to move (i.e., not 
mechanically bound). The physical and electrical design of the CEAs, 
and past operating experience provides high confidence that CEAs remain 
trippable whether or not exercised during each SR interval. Excluding 
further exercising of CEA 29 for the remainder of Cycle 32 operation 
does not directly relate to the potential for CEA binding to occur. No 
mechanical binding has been previously experienced at ANO-2. In 
addition, Entergy has concluded that required SDM will be maintained 
should CEA 29 fail to insert following a reactor trip at any point 
during the remainder of Cycle 32 operation.
    Therefore, this change does not involve a significant reduction in 
a margin of safety.
    The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on 
this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are 
satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the 
license amendment request involves a NSHC.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6), where the Commission finds 
that exigent circumstances exist, in that a licensee and the Commission 
must act quickly and that time does not permit the Commission to 
publish a Federal Register notice allowing 30 days for prior public 
comment, and it also determines that the amendment involves NSHCs, it 
can issue a Federal Register notice providing notice of an opportunity 
for hearing and allowing at least two weeks from the date of the notice 
for prior public comment. Therefore, in accordance with 10 CFR 
50.91(a)(6)(i)(A), the NRC staff is providing a 14-day notice period 
for public comment.
    The NRC is seeking public comments on this proposed determination 
that the license amendment request involves NSHC. Any comments received 
within 14 days after the date of publication of this notice will be 
considered in making any final determination.
    Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the 
expiration of the 14-day notice period. However, if circumstances 
change during the notice period, such that failure to act in a timely 
way would result, for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility, 
the Commission may issue the license amendment before the expiration of 
the notice period, provided that its final determination is that the 
amendment involves NSHC. The final determination will consider all 
public and State comments received. The Commission expects that the 
need to take this action will occur very infrequently.

III. Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave To 
Intervene

    Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, any 
person (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may 
file a request for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene 
(petition) with respect to the action. Petitions shall be filed in 
accordance with the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and 
Procedure'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult 10 CFR 
2.309. If a petition is filed, the Commission or a presiding officer 
will rule on the petition and, if appropriate, a notice of a hearing 
will be issued.
    Petitions must be filed no later than 60 days from the date of 
publication of this notice in accordance with the filing instructions 
in the ``Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)'' section of this document. 
Petitions and motions for leave to file new or amended contentions that 
are filed after the deadline will not be entertained absent a 
determination by the presiding officer that the filing demonstrates 
good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i) 
through (iii).
    If a hearing is requested, and the Commission has not made a final

[[Page 70101]]

determination on the issue of NSHC, the Commission will make a final 
determination on the issue of NSHC, which will serve to establish when 
the hearing is held. If the final determination is that the license 
amendment request involves NSHC, the Commission may issue the amendment 
and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the request for a 
hearing. Any hearing would take place after issuance of the amendment. 
If the final determination is that the license amendment request 
involves a significant hazards consideration, then any hearing held 
would take place before the issuance of the amendment unless the 
Commission finds an imminent danger to the health or safety of the 
public, in which case it will issue an appropriate order or rule under 
10 CFR part 2.
    A State, local governmental body, Federally recognized Indian 
Tribe, or designated agency thereof, may submit a petition to the 
Commission to participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(h) no later 
than 60 days from the date of publication of this notice. 
Alternatively, a State, local governmental body, Federally recognized 
Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof, may participate as a non-
party under 10 CFR 2.315(c).
    For information about filing a petition and about participation by 
a person not a party under 10 CFR 2.315, see ADAMS Accession No. 
ML20340A053 (<a href="https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20340A053">https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML20340A053</a>) and the NRC's public website 
(<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate">https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate</a>).

IV. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)

    All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including 
documents filed by an interested State, local governmental body, 
Federally recognized Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof that 
requests to participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in 
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302. The E-Filing process requires 
participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the 
internet, or in some cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media, 
unless an exemption permitting an alternative filing method, as further 
discussed, is granted. Detailed guidance on electronic submissions is 
located in the ``Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC'' 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13031A056), and on the NRC's public website 
(<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html">https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html</a>).
    To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10 
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the 
Office of the Secretary by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7a321f1b0813141d543e1519111f0e3a140819541d150c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="95ddf0f4e7fcfbf2bbd1faf6fef0e1d5fbe7f6bbf2fae3">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, or by 
telephone at 301-415-1677, to: (1) request a digital identification 
(ID) certificate, which allows the participant (or their counsel or 
representative) to digitally sign submissions and access the E-Filing 
system for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise 
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition or 
other adjudicatory document (even in instances in which the 
participant, or their counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-
issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the 
Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the proceeding if the 
Secretary has not already established an electronic docket.
    Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is 
available on the NRC's public website (<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html">https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html</a>). After a digital ID certificate is 
obtained and a docket is created, the participant must submit 
adjudicatory documents in the Portable Document Format. Guidance on 
submissions is available on the NRC's public website (<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html">https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html</a>). A filing is 
considered complete at the time the document is submitted through the 
NRC's E-Filing system. To be timely, an electronic filing must be 
submitted to the E-Filing system no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the due 
date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps 
the document and sends the submitter an email confirming receipt of the 
document. The E-Filing system also distributes an email that provides 
access to the document to the NRC's Office of the General Counsel and 
any others who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish 
to participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the 
document on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and 
other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for 
and receive a digital ID certificate before adjudicatory documents are 
filed in order to obtain access to the documents via the E-Filing 
system.
    A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC's Electronic 
Filing Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC's 
public website (<a href="https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html">https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html</a>), by 
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f8b5abb0bcd6aa9d8b978d8a9b9db8968a9bd69f978e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ffb2acb7bbd1ad9a8c908a8d9c9abf918d9cd1989089">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, or by a toll-free call at 1-866-672-
7640. The NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9 a.m. 
and 6 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Participants who believe that they have good cause for not 
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in 
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing 
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and 
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper 
format. Such filings must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 
2.302(b)-(d). Participants filing adjudicatory documents in this manner 
are responsible for serving their documents on all other participants. 
Participants granted an exemption under 10 CFR 2.302(g)(2) must still 
meet the electronic formatting requirement in 10 CFR 2.302(g)(1), 
unless the participant also seeks and is granted an exemption from 10 
CFR 2.302(g)(1).
    Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in the 
NRC's electronic hearing docket, which is publicly available on the 
NRC's public website (<a href="https://ehd.nrc.gov">https://ehd.nrc.gov</a>), unless otherwise excluded 
pursuant to an order of the presiding officer. If you do not have an 
NRC-issued digital ID certificate as previously described, click 
``cancel'' when the link requests certificates and you will be 
automatically directed to the NRC's electronic hearing docket where you 
will be able to access any publicly available documents in a particular 
hearing docket. Participants are requested not to include personal 
privacy information such as social security numbers, home addresses, or 
personal phone numbers in their filings, unless an NRC regulation or 
other law requires submission of such information. With respect to 
copyrighted works, except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose 
of the adjudicatory filings and would constitute a Fair Use 
application, participants should not include copyrighted materials in 
their submission.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the 
application for license amendment dated September 17, 2026, as 
supplemented by letter dated October 8, 2026 (ADAMS Accession Nos. 
ML26260A338 and ML26281A182, respectively).
    Attorney for licensee: Susan Raimo, Associate General Counsel, 
Nuclear, 101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001.
    NRC Branch Chief: Hip[oacute]lito Gonz[aacute]lez.
    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.

    Dated: November 4, 2026.


[[Page 70102]]


    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Maria Herrera Torres,
Project Manager, Operating Reactor Licensing Branch 4, Division of 
Licensing 1, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2026-22711 Filed 11-5-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P


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