Agencies and Commissions July 25, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued Bulletin (BL) 2005-02 to all holders of operating licenses for nuclear power reactors, except those who have permanently ceased operation and have certified that fuel has been removed from the reactor vessel. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this bulletin to: 1. Notify addressees about NRC staff's need for information associated with emergency preparedness (EP) for security-based events at a nuclear power plant; 2. Request addressees provide information to the NRC within 30 days of this bulletin regarding actions taken or planned to be taken in the areas discussed below: a. Security-based emergency classification levels and emergency action levels (EALs), emergency response organization augmentation for security-based events, and a security-based EP drill and exercise program, b. Accelerated NRC notifications and onsite protective measures; 3. If actions regarding the topics covered in this bulletin have not been taken, the addressees are requested to provide a schedule detailing expected completion dates for all pending activities; and 4. Require addressees to provide a written response to the NRC in accordance with 10 CFR 50.54(f). This Federal Register notice is available through the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML051990027.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to issue a generic letter (GL) to: (1) Request that addressees evaluate their facilities to confirm compliance with the existing applicable regulatory requirements in light of the information provided in this generic letter and, if appropriate, take additional actions. Specifically, although Hemyc and MT fire barriers in nuclear power plants (NPPs) may be relied on to protect electrical and instrumentation cables and equipment that provide safe shutdown capability during a fire, recent NRC testing has revealed that both materials failed to provide the protective function intended for compliance with existing regulations, for the configurations tested using the acceptance criteria in Generic Letter (GL) 86-10, Supplement 1, ``Fire Endurance Test Acceptance Criteria for Fire Barrier Systems Used To Separate Redundant Safe Shutdown Trains Within the Same Fire Area.'' (2) Require that addressees submit a written response to the NRC in accordance with NRC regulations in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 50.54(f) (10 CFR 50.54(f)). This Federal Register notice is available through the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML051540292.

This document establishes a docket for consideration of the Postal Service's request for approval of a baseline negotiated service agreement with Bookspan. It identifies key elements of the proposed agreement, which involves Standard Mail letter rates; its relationship to the Capital One Services, Inc. negotiated service agreement; and addresses preliminary procedural matters.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning transportation requirements. A request for public comments was published at 70 FR 28921, May 19, 2005. No comments were received. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations revising the NAC International, Inc., NAC-UMS Universal Storage System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 4 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1015. Amendment No. 4 to the NAC-UMS CoC will modify the cask design by replacing the specific term ``zircaloy'' with the more generic term ``zirconium alloy''; revising the definitions of ``operable'' and ``site specific fuel''; revising vacuum drying pressure and time limits; revising short-term temperature limits and completion times for the heat removal system; clarifying the surface dose rate surveillance; adding a dissolved boron concentration option; deleting a redundant boron concentration administrative control; adding an alternate site-specific design basis earthquake analysis; and incorporating editorial and administrative changes.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, as amended), notice is hereby given that the following meetings of the Humanities Panel will be held at the Old Post Office, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20506.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of Federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The Railroad Retirement Board (Board) amends its regulations to explain the effective date of consolidated employer records that result in the issuance of a joint contribution rate under the experience rating provisions of section 8 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. In addition, as a result of an agency reorganization, there has been a change in the title of the Board employee to whom requests for consolidation should be addressed. The Board amends its regulations to reflect this change.

In accordance with section 610(b)(2) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-199, Division D), the Millennium Challenge Corporation is publishing a detailed summary and text of the Millennium Challenge Compact between the United States of America, acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the Government of the Republic of Cape Verde. Representatives of the United States Government and the Republic of Cape Verde executed the Compact documents on July 4, 2005.