(a) Applicants for a combined license under this subpart, or any amendment to a combined license, may include in the application a request for an exemption from one or more of the Commission's regulations.

(1) If the request is for an exemption from any part of a referenced design certification rule, the Commission may grant the request if it determines that the exemption complies with any exemption provisions of the referenced design certification rule, or with §52.63 if there are no applicable exemption provisions in the referenced design certification rule.

(2) For all other requests for exemptions, the Commission may grant a request if it determines that the exemption complies with §52.7.

(b) An applicant for a combined license who has filed an application referencing an early site permit issued under subpart A of this part may include in the application a request for a variance from one or more site characteristics, design parameters, or terms and conditions of the permit, or from the site safety analysis report. In determining whether to grant the variance, the Commission shall apply the same technically relevant criteria as were applicable to the application for the original or renewed site permit. Once a construction permit or combined license referencing an early site permit is issued, variances from the early site permit will not be granted for that construction permit or combined license.

(c) An applicant for a combined license who has filed an application referencing a nuclear power reactor manufactured under a manufacturing license issued under subpart F of this part may include in the application a request for a departure from one or more design characteristics, site parameters, terms and conditions, or approved design of the manufactured reactor. The Commission may grant a request only if it determines that the departure will comply with the requirements of 10 CFR 52.7, and that the special circumstances outweigh any decrease in safety that may result from the reduction in standardization caused by the departure.

(d) Issuance of a variance under paragraph (b) or a departure under paragraph (c) of this section is subject to litigation during the combined license proceeding in the same manner as other issues material to that proceeding.