Announcement of a Proposed Process Change Regarding the Review of Research and Test Reactor License Renewal Applications; Notice of Public Meeting, 24049-24050 [E9-11984]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 98 / Friday, May 22, 2009 / Notices
Issued at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th
day of May 2009.
E. Roy Hawkens,
Chief Administrative Judge, Atomic Safety
and Licensing Board Panel.
[FR Doc. E9–11985 Filed 5–21–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[NRC 2009–0214]
Announcement of a Proposed Process
Change Regarding the Review of
Research and Test Reactor License
Renewal Applications; Notice of Public
Meeting
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of stakeholder meeting
regarding a proposed process change for
the renewal of research and test reactor
licenses.
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is proposing a
streamlined review process for license
renewal applications (LRAs) for
research and test reactor (RTR) licenses
with the objective of expeditiously
resolving the backlog of LRAs while
maintaining safety standards. Draft
Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) proposed
to be implemented will be published for
public review prior to the meeting on
the NRC Public Meeting Schedule Web
site, https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/
public-meetings/index.cfm.
DATES: A public meeting for
stakeholders will be held June 4, 2009,
commencing at 1 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Legacy Hotel and Meeting Center,
1775 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD
20852.
erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alexander Adams Jr., Division of Policy
and Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555–0001, telephone (301) 415–
1127, e-mail alexander.adams@nrc.gov;
or Marcus Voth, Division of Policy and
Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555–
0001, telephone (301) 415–1210, e-mail
marcus.voth@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
At the present time 21 of the 32 RTRs
licensed to operate in the United States
have LRAs before the NRC. Several
issues have contributed to the large
backlog, including NRC licensing
VerDate Nov<24>2008
14:18 May 21, 2009
Jkt 217001
staffing levels, emergent issues, limited
licensee resources, existing license
infrastructure, regulatory requirements,
and the broad scope of the RTR license
renewal process as discussed in SECY–
08–0161, ‘‘Review of Research and Test
Reactor License Renewal Applications,’’
dated October 24, 2008. In a staff
requirements memorandum (SRM)
dated March 26, 2009, the staff was
directed to streamline the current
license renewal process incorporating
concepts discussed in SECY–08–0161
among other measures. These
documents can be found on the NRC
Agencywide Documents Access and
Management system (ADAMS) under
accession numbers ML0825501403 and
ML0908501591, respectively. The staff
is presently developing proposed
guidance along with the rationale for the
focused license renewal process for
RTRs.
The traditional process currently
being used for reviewing LRAs is to
perform a full review based on the
standard review plan for RTRs, NUREG–
1537, ‘‘Guidelines for Preparing and
Reviewing Applications for the
Licensing of Non-Power Reactors, Part
2,’’ February 1996. The standard review
plan addresses all of the topics required
to be addressed in applications by 10
CFR 50.33 and 50.34, the same process
as used for an initial license issuance.
The staff is proposing to continue this
full review process for those LRAs well
into the renewal review process and for
RTRs licensed for power levels equal to
or greater than 2 megawatts. The staff
proposes to apply the new focused
review process to the remaining LRAs in
the backlog.
Two public meetings were held to
discuss formulation of the proposed
process with stakeholders, the first on
September 15, 2008, and a second on
March 25, 2009. In each meeting the
staff presented aspects of the proposed
streamlined review process and
addressed questions from the public.
Objectives of the Focused Review
Process for RTR License Renewal
The objective of the focused review
process for license renewal is to provide
a process that ensures that applications
are properly evaluated, documented,
and implemented in accordance with
the following goals:
• To ensure the continued health and
safety of the public and protection of the
environment,
• To provide public confidence in the
regulatory oversight process,
• To propose an effective, efficient,
and timely method of processing the
existing LRA backlog,
PO 00000
Frm 00066
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
24049
• To develop, document, and
implement Interim Staff Guidance (ISG)
for a focused review process,
• To acknowledge the safe operating
histories of RTRs demonstrated over the
facility lifetime documented in reports
of periodic NRC inspections, and
• To meet requirements of Section
104.c of the Atomic Energy Act calling
for ‘‘* * * only such minimum amount
of regulation of the licensee as the
Commission finds will permit the
common defense and security to protect
the health and safety of the public and
will permit the conduct of widespread
and diverse research and development.’’
The staff is proposing that a focused
approach be implemented for those
facilities in the current LRA backlog that
have been reviewed in the past and
found to have low risk to the public
health and safety. ISG is being prepared
that will define a focused review
process which meets regulatory
requirements and the goals stated above
while taking credit for previous reviews
of structures, systems, and components.
Likewise, a Safety Evaluation Report
will be prepared that contains fewer
than the entire 18 topics addressed in
the standard review plan but at a
minimum will address the three areas
most critical to safety; reactor design
and operation, accident analysis, and
technical specifications. The staff is
proposing that the ISG not be applied in
the following two situations.
First, the staff proposes that the
traditional full review process be used
for RTRs licensed for greater than 2
megawatts. The licensed maximum
thermal power levels of the RTRs range
from 5 watts to 20 megawatts. The staff
routinely uses a graded approach to
apply regulations commensurate with
the risk of licensed RTRs. A longstanding demarcation used by the staff
has required additional regulatory
attention to RTRs licensed for 2
megawatts or greater. Part of the
technical basis for this threshold is that
reactor power is related to the potential
fission product inventory which in turn
determines the potential dose
consequence of an accident.
Second, the review of some LRAs
which are currently nearing completion
using the traditional full review process
will continue to be performed in that
manner rather than using the ISG to
allow for the efficient use of staff
resources. In implementing the
proposed ISG the staff may find that one
or more exemptions to certain
regulations may be required. If a need
for an exemption should arise it is
proposed to be processed using existing
provisions in the regulations for
granting exemptions.
E:\FR\FM\22MYN1.SGM
22MYN1
24050
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 98 / Friday, May 22, 2009 / Notices
Follow-on Actions
During implementation of the
streamlined review process the staff will
be considering other regulatory
improvements to the RTR LRA process.
Specific areas being considered are
requirements for maintaining a
periodically updated facility Safety
Analysis Report and the requirement for
earlier submittal of a LRA, allowing
time for the licensee to make revisions
in the event the NRC determines that
the content of the application does not
meet the regulatory requirement.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day
of May 2009.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kathryn M. Brock,
Chief, Research and Test Reactor Branch A,
Division of Policy and Rulemaking, Office
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E9–11984 Filed 5–21–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY
CORPORATION
Proposed Submission of Information
Collection for OMB Review; Comment
Request; Qualified Domestic Relations
Orders Submitted to PBGC
erowe on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation.
ACTION: Notice of intent to request
extension of OMB approval of
information collection.
SUMMARY: Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation (‘‘PBGC’’) intends to
request that the Office of Management
and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) extend approval,
under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of
the collection of information in PBGC’s
booklet, Qualified Domestic Relations
Orders & PBGC (OMB control number
1212–0054; expires August 31, 2009).
The booklet provides guidance on how
to submit a qualified domestic relations
order (a ‘‘QDRO’’) to PBGC. This notice
informs the public of PBGC’s intent and
solicits public comment on the
collection of information.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by
July 21, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted by any of the following
methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the Web
site instructions for submitting
comments.
• E-mail:
paperwork.comments@pbgc.gov.
• Fax: 202–326–4224.
• Mail or Hand Delivery: Legislative
and Regulatory Department, Pension
VerDate Nov<24>2008
14:18 May 21, 2009
Jkt 217001
Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005–
4026.
PBGC will make all comments
available on its Web site at https://
www.pbgc.gov.
Copies of the collections of
information may be obtained without
charge by writing to the Disclosure
Division of the Office of the General
Counsel of PBGC at the above address
or by visiting that office or calling 202–
326–4040 during normal business
hours. (TTY and TDD users may call the
Federal relay service toll-free at 1–800–
877–8339 and ask to be connected to
202–326–4040.) The current QDRO
booklet is available on PBGC’s Web site
at https://www.pbgc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jo
Amato Burns, Attorney, Legislative and
Regulatory Department, Pension Benefit
Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20005–4026, 202–
326–4024. (For TTY/TDD users, call the
Federal relay service toll-free at 1–800–
877–8339 and ask to be connected to
202–326–4024.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A defined
benefit pension plan that does not have
enough money to pay benefits may be
terminated if the employer responsible
for the plan faces severe financial
difficulty, such as bankruptcy, and is
unable to maintain the plan. In such an
event, PBGC becomes trustee of the plan
and pays benefits, subject to legal limits,
to plan participants and beneficiaries.
The benefits of a pension plan
participant generally may not be
assigned or alienated. Title I of ERISA
provides an exception for domestic
relations orders that relate to child
support, alimony payments, or marital
property rights of an alternate payee (a
spouse, former spouse, child, or other
dependent of a plan participant). The
exception applies only if the domestic
relations order meets specific legal
requirements that make it a qualified
domestic relations order.
When PBGC is trustee of a plan, it
reviews submitted domestic relations
orders to determine whether the order is
qualified before paying benefits to an
alternate payee. The requirements for
submitting a domestic relations order
and the contents of such orders are
established by statute. The models and
the guidance provided by PBGC assist
parties by making it easier for them to
comply with ERISA’s QDRO
requirements in plans trusteed by PBGC;
they do not create any additional
requirements and result in a reduction
of the statutory burden.
OMB has approved the collection of
information in PBGC’s booklet,
PO 00000
Frm 00067
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders &
PBGC under control number 1212–0054
through August 31, 2009. PBGC intends
to request that OMB extend its approval
for another three years. An agency may
not conduct or sponsor, and a person is
not required to respond to, a collection
of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
PBGC estimates that it will receive
895 domestic relations orders each year
from prospective alternate payees and
participants. PBGC further estimates
that the total average annual burden of
this collection of information will be
2085 hours and $496,302.
PBGC is soliciting public comments
to—
• Evaluate whether the proposed
collections of information are necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collections of information,
including the validity of the
methodologies and assumptions used;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
• Minimize the burden of the
collections of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology,
e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 19th day of
May 2009.
John H. Hanley,
Director, Legislative and Regulatory
Department, Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation.
[FR Doc. E9–12021 Filed 5–21–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7709–01–P
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
[Disaster Declaration #11707 and #11708]
North Dakota Disaster Number ND–
00016
AGENCY: U.S. Small Business
Administration.
ACTION: Amendment 3.
SUMMARY: This is an amendment of the
Presidential declaration of a major
disaster for the State of North Dakota
(FEMA–1829–DR), dated 04/10/2009.
Incident: Severe storms and flooding.
Incident Period: 03/13/2009 and
continuing.
E:\FR\FM\22MYN1.SGM
22MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 98 (Friday, May 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24049-24050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11984]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC 2009-0214]
Announcement of a Proposed Process Change Regarding the Review of
Research and Test Reactor License Renewal Applications; Notice of
Public Meeting
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of stakeholder meeting regarding a proposed process
change for the renewal of research and test reactor licenses.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing a
streamlined review process for license renewal applications (LRAs) for
research and test reactor (RTR) licenses with the objective of
expeditiously resolving the backlog of LRAs while maintaining safety
standards. Draft Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) proposed to be
implemented will be published for public review prior to the meeting on
the NRC Public Meeting Schedule Web site, https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm.
DATES: A public meeting for stakeholders will be held June 4, 2009,
commencing at 1 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Legacy Hotel and Meeting
Center, 1775 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexander Adams Jr., Division of
Policy and Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone
(301) 415-1127, e-mail alexander.adams@nrc.gov; or Marcus Voth,
Division of Policy and Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, telephone (301) 415-1210, e-mail marcus.voth@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
At the present time 21 of the 32 RTRs licensed to operate in the
United States have LRAs before the NRC. Several issues have contributed
to the large backlog, including NRC licensing staffing levels, emergent
issues, limited licensee resources, existing license infrastructure,
regulatory requirements, and the broad scope of the RTR license renewal
process as discussed in SECY-08-0161, ``Review of Research and Test
Reactor License Renewal Applications,'' dated October 24, 2008. In a
staff requirements memorandum (SRM) dated March 26, 2009, the staff was
directed to streamline the current license renewal process
incorporating concepts discussed in SECY-08-0161 among other measures.
These documents can be found on the NRC Agencywide Documents Access and
Management system (ADAMS) under accession numbers ML0825501403 and
ML0908501591, respectively. The staff is presently developing proposed
guidance along with the rationale for the focused license renewal
process for RTRs.
The traditional process currently being used for reviewing LRAs is
to perform a full review based on the standard review plan for RTRs,
NUREG-1537, ``Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for
the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors, Part 2,'' February 1996. The
standard review plan addresses all of the topics required to be
addressed in applications by 10 CFR 50.33 and 50.34, the same process
as used for an initial license issuance. The staff is proposing to
continue this full review process for those LRAs well into the renewal
review process and for RTRs licensed for power levels equal to or
greater than 2 megawatts. The staff proposes to apply the new focused
review process to the remaining LRAs in the backlog.
Two public meetings were held to discuss formulation of the
proposed process with stakeholders, the first on September 15, 2008,
and a second on March 25, 2009. In each meeting the staff presented
aspects of the proposed streamlined review process and addressed
questions from the public.
Objectives of the Focused Review Process for RTR License Renewal
The objective of the focused review process for license renewal is
to provide a process that ensures that applications are properly
evaluated, documented, and implemented in accordance with the following
goals:
To ensure the continued health and safety of the public
and protection of the environment,
To provide public confidence in the regulatory oversight
process,
To propose an effective, efficient, and timely method of
processing the existing LRA backlog,
To develop, document, and implement Interim Staff Guidance
(ISG) for a focused review process,
To acknowledge the safe operating histories of RTRs
demonstrated over the facility lifetime documented in reports of
periodic NRC inspections, and
To meet requirements of Section 104.c of the Atomic Energy
Act calling for ``* * * only such minimum amount of regulation of the
licensee as the Commission finds will permit the common defense and
security to protect the health and safety of the public and will permit
the conduct of widespread and diverse research and development.''
The staff is proposing that a focused approach be implemented for
those facilities in the current LRA backlog that have been reviewed in
the past and found to have low risk to the public health and safety.
ISG is being prepared that will define a focused review process which
meets regulatory requirements and the goals stated above while taking
credit for previous reviews of structures, systems, and components.
Likewise, a Safety Evaluation Report will be prepared that contains
fewer than the entire 18 topics addressed in the standard review plan
but at a minimum will address the three areas most critical to safety;
reactor design and operation, accident analysis, and technical
specifications. The staff is proposing that the ISG not be applied in
the following two situations.
First, the staff proposes that the traditional full review process
be used for RTRs licensed for greater than 2 megawatts. The licensed
maximum thermal power levels of the RTRs range from 5 watts to 20
megawatts. The staff routinely uses a graded approach to apply
regulations commensurate with the risk of licensed RTRs. A long-
standing demarcation used by the staff has required additional
regulatory attention to RTRs licensed for 2 megawatts or greater. Part
of the technical basis for this threshold is that reactor power is
related to the potential fission product inventory which in turn
determines the potential dose consequence of an accident.
Second, the review of some LRAs which are currently nearing
completion using the traditional full review process will continue to
be performed in that manner rather than using the ISG to allow for the
efficient use of staff resources. In implementing the proposed ISG the
staff may find that one or more exemptions to certain regulations may
be required. If a need for an exemption should arise it is proposed to
be processed using existing provisions in the regulations for granting
exemptions.
[[Page 24050]]
Follow-on Actions
During implementation of the streamlined review process the staff
will be considering other regulatory improvements to the RTR LRA
process. Specific areas being considered are requirements for
maintaining a periodically updated facility Safety Analysis Report and
the requirement for earlier submittal of a LRA, allowing time for the
licensee to make revisions in the event the NRC determines that the
content of the application does not meet the regulatory requirement.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day of May 2009.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kathryn M. Brock,
Chief, Research and Test Reactor Branch A, Division of Policy and
Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E9-11984 Filed 5-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
