No FEAR Act Notice, 70441-70442 [E6-20444]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 232 / Monday, December 4, 2006 / Notices The entire meeting will be open to public attendance. The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Thursday, December 14, 2006–8:30 a.m. until the conclusion of business. Friday, December 15, 2006–8:30 a.m. until the conclusion of business. The Subcommittee will review the PRA for General Electric’s next generation simplified boiling water reactor, the ESBWR. The Subcommittee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff and industry regarding this matter. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, Mr. Eric A. Thornsbury, (Telephone: 301–415– 8716) five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Electronic recordings will be permitted. Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained by contacting the Designated Federal Official between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (ET). Persons planning to attend this meeting are urged to contact the above named individual at least two working days prior to the meeting to be advised of any potential changes to the agenda. Dated: November 28, 2006. Michael R. Snodderly, Branch Chief, ACRS/ACNW. [FR Doc. E6–20411 Filed 12–1–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Maximum 40-Year Licensing Terms for Certain Fuel Cycle Facilities Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice. mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has established a new policy extending the maximum license term for certain 10 CFR Part 70 fuel cycle licensees who are required to submit Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA) summaries for approval. Such license terms are being extended from the current 10-year period to a 40-year period, on the next renewal of the affected license. The NRC is also extending the maximum license term to a 40-year period for new 10 CFR Part 70 license applicants, where the applicant VerDate Aug<31>2005 11:51 Dec 01, 2006 Jkt 211001 is required to submit an ISA summary for approval. The 10-year term has been a matter of policy and practice since 1990 (55 FR 24948; June 19, 1990); it is not codified in the regulations. The NRC added Subpart H requirements to 10 CFR part 70 on September 18, 2000 (65 FR56211). The Subpart H requirements apply to licensees possessing greater than a critical mass of special nuclear material. Under Subpart H, both new applicants and existing licensees are required to conduct an ISA and submit an ISA summary to the NRC for approval. An ISA is a systematic analysis to identify facility and external hazards; potential accident sequences, including likelihood and consequences; and items relied on for safety to prevent potential accidents or mitigate the consequences. Licensees are required to keep their ISAs up-to-date. In addition to the initial ISA summary, licensees must submit the following information to the NRC: certain facility changes for the NRC’s approval; annual summaries of facility changes that did not need the NRC’s preapproval; and annual updates to the ISA summaries. Before the Subpart H requirements were implemented, the NRC relied on the 10-year license renewal as the main opportunity to review the facility safety basis. Now, along with the annual updates of the ISA summaries, the NRC is conducting more frequent reviews of the licensees’ facility safety basis. Through the annual update of the ISA summaries, the NRC is kept informed of changes due to material degradation and aging throughout the lifetime of a facility. Thus, the Subpart H requirements permit the NRC to continue to support safe operations of licensed facilities on an ongoing basis, regardless of the duration of the license. On August 24, 2006, the NRC staff provided the Commission with a paper, SECY–06–0186, ‘Increasing Licensing Terms for Certain Fuel Cycle Facilities,’ which recommended that the Commission approve a maximum license term of 40 years for certain fuel cycle facilities. The paper provided the basis for the staff’s recommendation, including a description of the link with 10 CFR Part 70 reviews and a discussion of consistency with the NRC strategic goals for safety and effectiveness. In response to SECY–06–0186, the Commission issued a staff requirements memorandum (SRM) establishing the new policy described above. The Commission also approved of license terms for less than 40 years, on a caseby-case basis, where there are concerns with safety risk to the facility or in cases involving a new process or technology. PO 00000 Frm 00082 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 70441 SECY–06–0186 and the SRM on SECY–06–0186 are available in the NRC’s Public Document Room or electronically from the ADAMS Publicly Available Records (PARS) component on the NRC Web site, https:// www.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Breeda Reilly, Project Manager, Fuel Manufacturing Branch, Fuel Facility Licensing Directorate, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Telephone: (301) 415–8103; fax: (301) 415–5955; email: bmr@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 21st day of November, 2006. For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Gary S. Janosko, Deputy Director, Fuel Facility Licensing Directorate, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. E6–20412 Filed 12–1–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT No FEAR Act Notice Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: Pursuant to 29 CFR part 724, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has implemented Title II of the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR Act) of 2002, concerning OPM’s obligation (along with other Federal agencies) to provide notice to all its employees, former employees, and applicants for Federal employment about the rights and remedies available under the applicable Federal Antidiscrimination Laws and Whistleblower Protection Laws. OPM’s No FEAR Act notice is available on OPM’s Web site at https://www.opm.gov/ about_opm/nofear/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen T. Shih, Chief, Center for Equal Employment Opportunity, by telephone at (202) 606–2460, by facsimile at (202) 606–1841, or by e-mail at eeo@opm.gov. No FEAR Act Notice On May 15, 2002, Congress enacted the ‘‘Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002,’’ which is now known as the No FEAR Act. One purpose of the Act E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM 04DEN1 70442 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 232 / Monday, December 4, 2006 / Notices mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES is to ‘‘require that Federal agencies be accountable for violations of antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws.’’ Pub. L. 107–174, Summary. In support of this purpose, Congress found that ‘‘agencies cannot be run effectively if those agencies practice or tolerate discrimination.’’ Pub. L. 107– 74, Title I, General Provisions, section 101(1). The Act also requires this agency to provide this notice to Federal employees, former Federal employees and applicants for Federal employment to inform you of the rights and protections available to you under Federal antidiscrimination, whistleblower protection and retaliation laws. Antidiscrimination Laws A Federal agency cannot discriminate against an employee or applicant with respect to the terms, conditions or privileges of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status or political affiliation. Discrimination on these bases is prohibited by one or more of the following statutes: 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), 29 U.S.C. 206(d), 29 U.S.C. 631, 29 U.S.C. 633a, 29 U.S.C. 791 and 42 U.S.C. 2000e–16. If you believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability, you must contact an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) counselor within 45 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action, or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the action, before you can file a formal complaint of discrimination with your agency. See, e.g., 29 CFR 1614. If you believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, you must either contact an EEO counselor as noted above or give notice of intent to sue to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory action. If you are alleging discrimination based on marital status or political affiliation, you may file a written complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) (see contact information below). In the alternative (or in some cases, in addition), you may pursue a discrimination complaint by filing a grievance through your agency’s administrative or negotiated grievance procedures, if such procedures apply and are available. Whistleblower Protection Laws A Federal employee with authority to take, direct others to take, recommend or approve any personnel action must VerDate Aug<31>2005 11:51 Dec 01, 2006 Jkt 211001 not use that authority to take or fail to take, or threaten to take, a personnel action against an employee or applicant because of disclosure of information by that individual that is reasonably believed to evidence violations of law, rule or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; an abuse of authority; or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, unless disclosure of such information is specifically prohibited by law and such information is specifically required by Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs. Retaliation against an employee or applicant for making a protected disclosure is prohibited by 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(8). If you believe that you have been the victim of whistleblower retaliation, you may file a written complaint (Form OSC–11) with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel at 1730 M Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 20036–4505 or online through the OSC Web site—https://www.osc.gov. Retaliation for Engaging in Protected Activity A Federal agency cannot retaliate against an employee or applicant because that individual exercises his or her rights under any of the Federal antidiscrimination or whistleblower protections laws listed above. If you believe that you are the victim of retaliation for engaging in protected activity, you must follow, as appropriate, the procedures described in the Antidiscrimination Laws and Whistleblower Protection Laws sections or, if applicable, the administrative or negotiated grievance procedures in order to pursue any legal remedy. Disciplinary Actions Under the existing laws, each agency retains the right, where appropriate, to discipline a Federal employee who has engaged in discriminatory or retaliatory conduct, up to and including removal. If OSC has initiated an investigation under 5 U.S.C. 1214, however, according to 5 U.S.C. 1214(f), agencies must seek approval from the Special Counsel to discipline employees for, among other activities, engaging in prohibited retaliation. Nothing in the No FEAR Act alters existing laws or permits an agency to take unfounded disciplinary action against a Federal employee or to violate the procedural rights of a Federal employee who has been accused of discrimination. Additional Information For further information regarding the No FEAR Act regulations, refer to 5 CFR PO 00000 Frm 00083 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 724, as well as the appropriate offices within your agency (e.g., Center for Equal Employment Opportunity, Center for Human Capital Management Services, or Office of General Counsel). OPM’s specific antidiscrimination policies relating to equal employment opportunity and prohibited personnel practices have been physically and electronically posted throughout OPM. Additional information regarding Federal antidiscrimination, whistleblower protection and retaliation laws can be found at the EEOC Web site—https://www.eeoc.gov and the OSC Web site—https://www.osc.gov. Existing Rights Unchanged Pursuant to section 205 of the No FEAR Act, neither the Act nor this notice creates, expands or reduces any rights otherwise available to any employee, former employee or applicant under the laws of the United States, including the provisions of law specified in 5 U.S.C. 2302(d). U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Linda M. Springer, Director. [FR Doc. E6–20444 Filed 12–1–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6325–54–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Submissions for OMB Review; Comment Request Upon written request, copies available from: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Filings and Information Services, Washington, DC 20549. Extensions: Form F–7, OMB Control No. 3235–0383, SEC File No. 270–331. Form F–8, OMB Control No. 3235–0378, SEC File No. 270–332. Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget these requests for extension of the previously approved collections of information discussed below. Form F–7 (17 CFR 239.37) may be used to register under the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77a et seq.) securities offered for cash upon exercise of rights that are granted to its existing shareholders of the registrant to purchase or subscribe such securities. The information collected is intended to ensure that the information required to be filed by the Commission permits E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM 04DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 232 (Monday, December 4, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70441-70442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20444]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


No FEAR Act Notice

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to 29 CFR part 724, the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) has implemented Title II of the Notification and 
Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR Act) 
of 2002, concerning OPM's obligation (along with other Federal 
agencies) to provide notice to all its employees, former employees, and 
applicants for Federal employment about the rights and remedies 
available under the applicable Federal Antidiscrimination Laws and 
Whistleblower Protection Laws. OPM's No FEAR Act notice is available on 
OPM's Web site at https://www.opm.gov/about_opm/nofear/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen T. Shih, Chief, Center for 
Equal Employment Opportunity, by telephone at (202) 606-2460, by 
facsimile at (202) 606-1841, or by e-mail at eeo@opm.gov.

No FEAR Act Notice

    On May 15, 2002, Congress enacted the ``Notification and Federal 
Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002,'' which is now 
known as the No FEAR Act. One purpose of the Act

[[Page 70442]]

is to ``require that Federal agencies be accountable for violations of 
antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws.'' Pub. L. 107-
174, Summary. In support of this purpose, Congress found that 
``agencies cannot be run effectively if those agencies practice or 
tolerate discrimination.'' Pub. L. 107-74, Title I, General Provisions, 
section 101(1).
    The Act also requires this agency to provide this notice to Federal 
employees, former Federal employees and applicants for Federal 
employment to inform you of the rights and protections available to you 
under Federal antidiscrimination, whistleblower protection and 
retaliation laws.

Antidiscrimination Laws

    A Federal agency cannot discriminate against an employee or 
applicant with respect to the terms, conditions or privileges of 
employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, 
age, disability, marital status or political affiliation. 
Discrimination on these bases is prohibited by one or more of the 
following statutes: 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), 29 U.S.C. 206(d), 29 U.S.C. 
631, 29 U.S.C. 633a, 29 U.S.C. 791 and 42 U.S.C. 2000e-16. If you 
believe that you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the 
basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability, you 
must contact an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) counselor within 45 
calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action, or, in the case of 
a personnel action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of 
the action, before you can file a formal complaint of discrimination 
with your agency. See, e.g., 29 CFR 1614. If you believe that you have 
been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, you 
must either contact an EEO counselor as noted above or give notice of 
intent to sue to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) 
within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory action. If you are 
alleging discrimination based on marital status or political 
affiliation, you may file a written complaint with the U.S. Office of 
Special Counsel (OSC) (see contact information below). In the 
alternative (or in some cases, in addition), you may pursue a 
discrimination complaint by filing a grievance through your agency's 
administrative or negotiated grievance procedures, if such procedures 
apply and are available.

Whistleblower Protection Laws

    A Federal employee with authority to take, direct others to take, 
recommend or approve any personnel action must not use that authority 
to take or fail to take, or threaten to take, a personnel action 
against an employee or applicant because of disclosure of information 
by that individual that is reasonably believed to evidence violations 
of law, rule or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; 
an abuse of authority; or a substantial and specific danger to public 
health or safety, unless disclosure of such information is specifically 
prohibited by law and such information is specifically required by 
Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense 
or the conduct of foreign affairs.
    Retaliation against an employee or applicant for making a protected 
disclosure is prohibited by 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(8). If you believe that 
you have been the victim of whistleblower retaliation, you may file a 
written complaint (Form OSC-11) with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel 
at 1730 M Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 20036-4505 or online 
through the OSC Web site--https://www.osc.gov.

Retaliation for Engaging in Protected Activity

    A Federal agency cannot retaliate against an employee or applicant 
because that individual exercises his or her rights under any of the 
Federal antidiscrimination or whistleblower protections laws listed 
above. If you believe that you are the victim of retaliation for 
engaging in protected activity, you must follow, as appropriate, the 
procedures described in the Antidiscrimination Laws and Whistleblower 
Protection Laws sections or, if applicable, the administrative or 
negotiated grievance procedures in order to pursue any legal remedy.

Disciplinary Actions

    Under the existing laws, each agency retains the right, where 
appropriate, to discipline a Federal employee who has engaged in 
discriminatory or retaliatory conduct, up to and including removal. If 
OSC has initiated an investigation under 5 U.S.C. 1214, however, 
according to 5 U.S.C. 1214(f), agencies must seek approval from the 
Special Counsel to discipline employees for, among other activities, 
engaging in prohibited retaliation. Nothing in the No FEAR Act alters 
existing laws or permits an agency to take unfounded disciplinary 
action against a Federal employee or to violate the procedural rights 
of a Federal employee who has been accused of discrimination.

Additional Information

    For further information regarding the No FEAR Act regulations, 
refer to 5 CFR 724, as well as the appropriate offices within your 
agency (e.g., Center for Equal Employment Opportunity, Center for Human 
Capital Management Services, or Office of General Counsel). OPM's 
specific antidiscrimination policies relating to equal employment 
opportunity and prohibited personnel practices have been physically and 
electronically posted throughout OPM. Additional information regarding 
Federal antidiscrimination, whistleblower protection and retaliation 
laws can be found at the EEOC Web site--https://www.eeoc.gov and the OSC 
Web site--https://www.osc.gov.

Existing Rights Unchanged

    Pursuant to section 205 of the No FEAR Act, neither the Act nor 
this notice creates, expands or reduces any rights otherwise available 
to any employee, former employee or applicant under the laws of the 
United States, including the provisions of law specified in 5 U.S.C. 
2302(d).

    U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Linda M. Springer,
Director.
 [FR Doc. E6-20444 Filed 12-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-54-P
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