NRC Sets April 2027 Sunset Date for Aircraft Impact Assessment Rule 10 CFR 50.150

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has finalized a rule establishing a conditional sunset date of April 8, 2027 for 10 CFR 50.150, the aircraft impact assessment regulation, with the final rule published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. The 2009 regulation required reactor applicants to conduct a design-specific assessment showing that a reactor core would maintain cooling or that containment would remain intact if struck by a large commercial aircraft. The NRC may extend the deadline by up to five additional years if it determines an extension is warranted, following a public comment period on costs and benefits.

The rule follows Executive Order 14270, signed by President Donald Trump, which directed the NRC to issue sunset rules for regulations within no more than five years. The NRC had temporarily withdrawn its proposed sunset amendment to 10 CFR 50.150 in January after receiving six submissions it deemed significant and adverse, including arguments that eliminating the rule would compromise adequate protection of public safety.

Jeremy Groom, acting director of the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, said the rule was considered a safety enhancement rather than a safety necessity when adopted in 2009, telling Nuclear News it "wasn't a requirement that had to be imposed for adequate protection." Groom noted the nuclear energy landscape has changed since 2009, with growing interest in small modular reactors and advanced non-light-water designs, and said enhanced airport and aircraft security measures mean the extreme scenarios envisioned when the rule was written differ from conditions 20-plus years ago. He assessed that the cumulative cost of the rule now outweighs its benefits.