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In a display of adaptability, the rule takes into sharp focus the unique technological advancements and nuanced characteristics intrinsic to Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and other emerging technologies.

The rule’s core essence lies in its meticulously designed emergency preparedness framework, characterized by an all-encompassing, technology-embracing, and consequence-driven approach. At its heart, this framework features a methodology to determine the scope of the offsite emergency planning zone encircling a facility. An innovative aspect surfaces in its potential utility for SMR and new technology applicants and licensees, offering a dynamic performance-based alternative to the traditional offsite radiological emergency planning criteria.

Casting its regulatory net wider, the rule’s purview extends to SMRs and a range of technological variants, encompassing non-light-water reactors, pioneering research and test reactors, and specialized medical radioisotope facilities. Yet, a distinctive hallmark is the exemption of certain entities: large light-water reactors boasting a thermal capacity exceeding 1000 MW, fuel cycle facilities, and presently operational research and test reactors. This subgroup shall remain subject to the existing regulatory paradigms.