12.240. We are concerned here with an “evolutionary” or “advanced” plant as described in Chapters 13 and 15, as no new plants of current design are likely to be built. Since standardization is a major feature of all new plants, it is practical to certify a standard design based on a comprehensive safety analysis report. The amount of information required is formidable and is normally contained in many volumes. It is comparable to what has been required in a Final Safety Analysis Report in an application for an operating license. A complete description of the plant must be included. The safety analysis describes the response of the system to a wide range of accident situations. Details of operation plans, test programs, and tech­nical specifications are to be provided. The technical specifications list limits to be placed on all process variables. In particular, the core peaking factors as determined by emergency core cooling criteria are specified.

12.241. Review by the NRC staff of the Application for Design Cer­tification is a lengthy process which normally includes requests by the staff to the applicant for additional information. It may be necessary to resolve issues by amending the application. In addition, the application is evaluated by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safety (ACRS), a statutory body of up to 15 specialists in reactor physics, engineering, materials sciences, and other areas related to reactor safety. Finally, after approval is rec­ommended, public hearings are to be held. In the past, an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board would be specially convened for this purpose.