No FEAR Act Notice, 14439-14440 [2011-6076]

Download as PDF jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 51 / Wednesday, March 16, 2011 / Notices documents over the Internet, or in some cases to mail copies on electronic storage media. Participants may not submit paper copies of their filings unless they seek an exemption in accordance with the procedures described below. To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least ten (10) days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the Office of the Secretary by e-mail at hearing.docket@nrc.gov, or by telephone at 301–415–1677, to request (1) a digital ID certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or representative) to digitally sign documents and access the E-Submittal server for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a request or petition for hearing (even in instances in which the participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRCissued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the hearing in this proceeding if the Secretary has not already established an electronic docket. Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is available on NRC’s public Web site at https:// www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/ apply-certificates.html. System requirements for accessing the ESubmittal server are detailed in NRC’s ‘‘Guidance for Electronic Submission,’’ which is available on the agency’s public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/ site-help/e-submittals.html. Participants may attempt to use other software not listed on the Web site, but should note that the NRC’s E-Filing system does not support unlisted software, and the NRC Meta System Help Desk will not be able to offer assistance in using unlisted software. If a participant is electronically submitting a document to the NRC in accordance with the E-Filing rule, the participant must file the document using the NRC’s online, Web-based submission form. In order to serve documents through the NRC’s E-Filing system, users will be required to install a Web browser plug-in from the NRC Web site. Further information on the Web-based submission form, including the installation of the Web browser plug-in, is available on the NRC’s public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/sitehelp/e-submittals.html. Once a participant has obtained a digital ID certificate and a docket has been created, the participant can then submit a request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene. Submissions VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:56 Mar 15, 2011 Jkt 223001 should be in Portable Document Format (PDF) in accordance with NRC guidance available on the NRC public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html. A filing is considered complete at the time the documents are submitted through the NRC’s E-Filing system. To be timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the E-Filing system no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps the document and sends the submitter an e-mail notice confirming receipt of the document. The E-Filing system also distributes an email notice that provides access to the document to the NRC Office of the General Counsel and any others who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish to participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the documents on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for and receive a digital ID certificate before a hearing request/ petition to intervene is filed so that they can obtain access to the document via the E-Filing system. A person filing electronically using the agency’s adjudicatory E-Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC Meta System Help Desk through the ‘‘Contact Us’’ link located on the NRC Web site at https:// www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html, by e-mail at MSHD.Resource@nrc.gov, or by a tollfree call at 866–672–7640. The NRC Meta System Help Desk is available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding government holidays. Participants who believe that they have a good cause for not submitting documents electronically must file a motion, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper format. Such filings must be submitted by: (1) First class mail addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service to the Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff. Participants filing a document in this manner are responsible for serving the document on all other participants. Filing is considered complete by firstclass mail as of the time of deposit in PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 14439 the mail, or by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service upon depositing the document with the provider of the service. A presiding officer, having granted an exemption request from using E-Filing, may require a participant or party to use E-Filing if the presiding officer subsequently determines that the reason for granting the exemption from use of E-Filing no longer exists. Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in NRC’s electronic hearing docket which is available to the public at https:// ehd1.nrc.gov/EHD/, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the Commission, or the presiding officer. Participants are requested not to include personal privacy information, such as social security numbers, home addresses, or home phone numbers in their filings, unless an NRC regulation or other law required submission of such information. With respect to copyrighted works, except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the adjudicatory filings and would constitute a Fair Use application, participants are requested not to include copyrighted materials in their submission. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of March 2011. For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Keith I. McConnell, Deputy Director, Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery Licensing Directorate, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs. [FR Doc. 2011–6128 Filed 3–15–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P RECOVERY ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY BOARD [Doc. No. 11–002] No FEAR Act Notice Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (Board) is providing notice to its employees, former employees, and applicants for Board employment about the rights and remedies available to them under the Federal antidiscrimination, whistleblower protection, and retaliation laws. This notice fulfills the Board’s initial notification under the Notification and Federal Employee SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\16MRN1.SGM 16MRN1 14440 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 51 / Wednesday, March 16, 2011 / Notices Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR Act or Act), as implemented by Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations 5 CFR part 724. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Dure, General Counsel, by mail at Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006, or by telephone at (202) 254– 7900. Additional information can be found at the Board’s Web site at https://www.recovery.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. See Public Law 107–174, codified at 5 U.S.C. 2301 note. One purpose of the Act is to ‘‘require that Federal agencies be accountable for violations of antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws.’’ Public Law 107–174, Summary. In support of this purpose, Congress found that ‘‘agencies cannot be run effectively if those agencies practice or tolerate discrimination.’’ Public Law 107–174, Title I, General Provisions, section 101(1). The Act also requires this agency to provide this notice to its employees, former employees and applicants for Board employment to inform you of the rights and protections available to you under Federal antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws. jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES 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, 2 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 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:56 Mar 15, 2011 Jkt 223001 noted above or give notice of intent to sue to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 calendar 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 or fail to take, a personnel action against an employee or applicant because of disclosures 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 disclosures 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 protection 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. PO 00000 Frm 00072 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Disciplinary Actions Under the existing laws, each agency retains the right, where appropriate, to discipline a Federal employee for conduct that is inconsistent with Federal Antidiscrimination and Whistleblower Protection Laws up to and including removal. If OSC has initiated an investigation under 5 U.S.C. 1214, however, agencies must seek approval from OSC 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 part 724, as well as the appropriate offices within your agency (e.g., human resources office or legal office). Additional information regarding Federal antidiscrimination 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). Ivan J. Flores, Paralegal Specialist, Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. [FR Doc. 2011–6076 Filed 3–15–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6821–15–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Proposed Collection; Comment Request Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 20549–0213. Extension: Form 40–F; OMB Control No. 3235– 0381; SEC File No. 270–335. 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’’) is soliciting comments E:\FR\FM\16MRN1.SGM 16MRN1

Agencies

Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14439-14440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6076]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

RECOVERY ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY BOARD

[Doc. No. 11-002]


No FEAR Act Notice

AGENCY: Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (Board) is 
providing notice to its employees, former employees, and applicants for 
Board employment about the rights and remedies available to them under 
the Federal antidiscrimination, whistleblower protection, and 
retaliation laws. This notice fulfills the Board's initial notification 
under the Notification and Federal Employee

[[Page 14440]]

Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR Act or Act), as 
implemented by Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations 5 CFR 
part 724.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Dure, General Counsel, by 
mail at Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, 1717 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006, or by 
telephone at (202) 254-7900. Additional information can be found at the 
Board's Web site at https://www.recovery.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. See Public Law 
107-174, codified at 5 U.S.C. 2301 note. One purpose of the Act is to 
``require that Federal agencies be accountable for violations of 
antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws.'' Public Law 107-
174, Summary. In support of this purpose, Congress found that 
``agencies cannot be run effectively if those agencies practice or 
tolerate discrimination.'' Public Law 107-174, Title I, General 
Provisions, section 101(1).
    The Act also requires this agency to provide this notice to its 
employees, former employees and applicants for Board employment to 
inform you of the rights and protections available to you under Federal 
antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection 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, 2 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 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 calendar 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 or fail to take, a 
personnel action against an employee or applicant because of 
disclosures 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 
disclosures 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 protection 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 for conduct that is 
inconsistent with Federal Antidiscrimination and Whistleblower 
Protection Laws up to and including removal. If OSC has initiated an 
investigation under 5 U.S.C. 1214, however, agencies must seek approval 
from OSC 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 part 724, as well as the appropriate offices within your 
agency (e.g., human resources office or legal office). Additional 
information regarding Federal antidiscrimination 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).

Ivan J. Flores,
Paralegal Specialist, Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.
[FR Doc. 2011-6076 Filed 3-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6821-15-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.