Fitness-for-Duty Programs for New Nuclear Power Plant Construction Sites, 70898-70899 [2014-28063]

Download as PDF 70898 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 2014 / Notices B. Submitting Comments Please include Docket ID NRC–2014– 0232 in the subject line of your comment submission, in order to ensure that the NRC is able to make your comment submission available to the public in this docket. The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC posts all comment submissions at https:// www.regulations.gov as well as entering the comment submissions into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or contact information. If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS. tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES II. Discussion On October 23, 2014, the NRC published for comment draft RIS 2014– XX. The purpose of draft RIS 2014–XX, ‘‘Applicability of ASME Code Case N– 770–1 As Conditioned In 10 CFR [Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations] 50.55a, ‘Codes and Standards,’ To Branch Connection Butt Welds,’’ is to inform addressees about reactor coolant system Alloy 82/182 branch connection dissimilar metal nozzle welds that may be of a butt weld configuration and therefore require inspection under 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(F). The RIS, if issued in final form, would be used by all holders of an operating license or construction permit for a pressurized water nuclear power reactor under 10 CFR part 50, ‘‘Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities,’’ except those who have permanently ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel. The draft RIS explains that these entities should review this information for applicability to their Alloy 600 management plan to ensure all applicable butt welds are being inspected. The public comment period was originally scheduled to close on December 8, 2014. The NRC has decided to extend the public comment period to allow more time for members of the VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:58 Nov 26, 2014 Jkt 235001 public to submit their comments. The deadline for submitting comments is extended to December 22, 2014. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of November 2014. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Sheldon D. Stuchell, Chief, Generic Communications Branch, Division of Policy and Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 2014–28122 Filed 11–28–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2014–0253] Fitness-for-Duty Programs for New Nuclear Power Plant Construction Sites Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Draft regulatory guide; request for comment. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG–5036, ‘‘Fitness-for-Duty [FFD] Programs at New Reactor Construction Sites.’’ This DG provides new guidance for implementing fitness for duty requirements at nuclear power plant construction sites. DATES: Submit comments by January 27, 2015. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date. Although a time limit is given, comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion in guides currently being developed or improvements in all published guides are encouraged at any time. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods (unless this document describes a different method for submitting comments on a specific subject): • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2014–0253. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–287–3422; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual(s) listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: 3WFN 06A–A44M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 For additional direction on accessing information and submitting comments, see ‘‘Accessing Information and Submitting Comments’’ in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wesley W. Held, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, telephone: 301–415–1583, email: wesley.held@nrc.gov, or Richard A. Jervey, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone: 301–251–7404, email: richard.jervey@nrc.gov. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2014– 0253 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this document, by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2014–0253. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–287–3422; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual(s) listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the NRC Library at https://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The draft regulatory guide is available electronically in ADAMS under Accession No. ML14205A141. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. B. Submitting Comments Please include Docket ID NRC–2014– 0253 in the subject line of your comment submission, in order to ensure that the NRC is able to make your comment submission available to the public in this docket. E:\FR\FM\28NON1.SGM 28NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 229 / Friday, November 28, 2014 / Notices tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at https:// www.regulations.gov as well as enters the comment submissions into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or contact information. If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS. II. Additional Information The NRC is issuing for public comment a DG in the NRC’s ‘‘Regulatory Guide’’ series. This series was developed to describe and make available to the public such information as methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the NRC’s regulations, techniques that the staff uses in evaluating specific problems or postulated accidents, and data that the staff needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. The DG, entitled, ‘‘Fitness-for-Duty Programs at New Reactor Construction Sites,’’ is temporarily identified by its task number, DG–5036. This guidance is provided to ensure the effective and consistent implementation of the requirements in subpart K, ‘‘FFD Programs for Construction,’’ of part 26, ‘‘Fitness-for-Duty Programs,’’ in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). Part 26 requires certain individuals involved in the construction of nuclear power plants to be fit-forduty. The requirements in part 26 are prescriptive in a number of areas, such as drug and alcohol testing; however, in other areas, such as those associated with subpart K, ‘‘FFD Program for Construction,’’ the regulations contain less prescriptive, performance-based requirements. The performance-based regulations in subpart K enable licensees, applicants, and other entities to develop, implement, and/or maintain site-specific (or fleet-wide) FFD programs in a manner that best suits their needs while still meeting regulatory requirements. However, this flexibility, without regulatory guidance, VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:58 Nov 26, 2014 Jkt 235001 can challenge consistent and effective rule implementation. For example, a licensee can implement sanctions for FFD policy violations that are markedly more or less severe than sanctions for an equivalent violation at another licensee’s construction site. This DG endorses the methodologies described in industry guidance document Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 06–06, ‘‘Fitness for Duty Program Guidance for New Nuclear Power Plant Construction Sites,’’ revision 6, dated April 2013 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13093A340). III. Backfitting and Issue Finality This DG, if finalized, would provide guidance on the methods acceptable to the NRC staff for complying with the NRC’s regulations associated with FFD programs of licensees or other entities during construction of new power reactors. The guide would apply to certain current and future applicants for, and holders of, power reactor licenses and construction permits under 10 CFR part 50 and power reactor licenses and early site permits under 10 CFR part 52. Issuance of DG–5036, if finalized, would not constitute backfitting under 10 CFR part 50 and would not otherwise be inconsistent with the issue finality provisions in 10 CFR part 52. As discussed in the ‘‘Implementation’’ section of DG–5036, the NRC has no current intention to impose the DG, if finalized, on current holders of 10 CFR part 50 operating licenses or 10 CFR part 52 combined licenses. This DG, if finalized, could be applied to applications for certain 10 CFR part 50 operating licenses or construction permits and 10 CFR part 52 combined licenses and early site permits. Such action would not constitute backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109 or be otherwise inconsistent with the applicable issue finality provision in 10 CFR part 52, inasmuch as such applicants are not within the scope of entities protected by 10 CFR 50.109 or the relevant issue finality provisions in 10 CFR part 52. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of November, 2014. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Thomas H. Boyce, Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. [FR Doc. 2014–28063 Filed 11–26–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 70899 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2014–0001] Sunshine Act Meeting December 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2014; January 5, 2015. PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. STATUS: Public and Closed. DATE: Week of December 1, 2014 There are no meetings scheduled for the week of December 1, 2014. Week of December 8, 2014—Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the week of December 8, 2014. Week of December 15, 2014—Tentative Tuesday, December 16, 2014 9:00 a.m. Update on Research and Test Reactor Initiatives (Public Meeting); (Contact: Alexander Adams, 301– 415–1127) This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov/. Thursday, December 18, 2014 9:30 a.m. Briefing on Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity, and Small Business Programs (Public Meeting); (Contact: Larniece McKoy Moore, 301–415–1942) This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address—https://www.nrc.gov/. Week of December 22, 2014—Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the week of December 22, 2014. Week of December 29, 2014—Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the week of December 29, 2014. Week of January 5, 2015—Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the week of January 5, 2015. * * * * * The schedule for Commission meetings is subject to change on short notice. For more information or to verify the status of meetings, contact Glenn Ellmers at (301) 415–0442 or via email at Glenn.Ellmers@nrc.gov. * * * * * The NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can be found on the Internet at: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ public-meetings/schedule.html. * * * * * The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities where appropriate. If you E:\FR\FM\28NON1.SGM 28NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70898-70899]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28063]


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

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2014-0253]


Fitness-for-Duty Programs for New Nuclear Power Plant 
Construction Sites

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Draft regulatory guide; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for 
public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-5036, ``Fitness-for-Duty 
[FFD] Programs at New Reactor Construction Sites.'' This DG provides 
new guidance for implementing fitness for duty requirements at nuclear 
power plant construction sites.

DATES: Submit comments by January 27, 2015. Comments received after 
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC 
is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before 
this date. Although a time limit is given, comments and suggestions in 
connection with items for inclusion in guides currently being developed 
or improvements in all published guides are encouraged at any time.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
(unless this document describes a different method for submitting 
comments on a specific subject):
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2014-0253. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-287-
3422; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact 
the individual(s) listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
of this document.
     Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, 
Mail Stop: 3WFN 06A-A44M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001.
    For additional direction on accessing information and submitting 
comments, see ``Accessing Information and Submitting Comments'' in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wesley W. Held, Office of Nuclear 
Security and Incident Response, telephone: 301-415-1583, email: 
wesley.held@nrc.gov, or Richard A. Jervey, Office of Nuclear Regulatory 
Research, telephone: 301-251-7404, email: richard.jervey@nrc.gov. U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2014-0253 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information regarding this document. You may 
obtain publicly-available information related to this document, by any 
of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2014-0253. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-287-
3422; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact 
the individual(s) listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section 
of this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the NRC 
Library at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the 
search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and then select ``Begin Web-
based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's 
Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The draft regulatory guide 
is available electronically in ADAMS under Accession No. ML14205A141.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

B. Submitting Comments

    Please include Docket ID NRC-2014-0253 in the subject line of your 
comment submission, in order to ensure that the NRC is able to make 
your comment submission available to the public in this docket.

[[Page 70899]]

    The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact 
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your 
comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at https://www.regulations.gov as well as enters the comment submissions into 
ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove 
identifying or contact information.
    If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons 
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to 
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be 
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove such information before making the comment submissions available 
to the public or entering the comment submissions into ADAMS.

II. Additional Information

    The NRC is issuing for public comment a DG in the NRC's 
``Regulatory Guide'' series. This series was developed to describe and 
make available to the public such information as methods that are 
acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the 
NRC's regulations, techniques that the staff uses in evaluating 
specific problems or postulated accidents, and data that the staff 
needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses.
    The DG, entitled, ``Fitness-for-Duty Programs at New Reactor 
Construction Sites,'' is temporarily identified by its task number, DG-
5036. This guidance is provided to ensure the effective and consistent 
implementation of the requirements in subpart K, ``FFD Programs for 
Construction,'' of part 26, ``Fitness-for-Duty Programs,'' in Title 10 
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). Part 26 requires certain 
individuals involved in the construction of nuclear power plants to be 
fit-for-duty. The requirements in part 26 are prescriptive in a number 
of areas, such as drug and alcohol testing; however, in other areas, 
such as those associated with subpart K, ``FFD Program for 
Construction,'' the regulations contain less prescriptive, performance-
based requirements. The performance-based regulations in subpart K 
enable licensees, applicants, and other entities to develop, implement, 
and/or maintain site-specific (or fleet-wide) FFD programs in a manner 
that best suits their needs while still meeting regulatory 
requirements. However, this flexibility, without regulatory guidance, 
can challenge consistent and effective rule implementation. For 
example, a licensee can implement sanctions for FFD policy violations 
that are markedly more or less severe than sanctions for an equivalent 
violation at another licensee's construction site. This DG endorses the 
methodologies described in industry guidance document Nuclear Energy 
Institute (NEI) 06-06, ``Fitness for Duty Program Guidance for New 
Nuclear Power Plant Construction Sites,'' revision 6, dated April 2013 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13093A340).

III. Backfitting and Issue Finality

    This DG, if finalized, would provide guidance on the methods 
acceptable to the NRC staff for complying with the NRC's regulations 
associated with FFD programs of licensees or other entities during 
construction of new power reactors. The guide would apply to certain 
current and future applicants for, and holders of, power reactor 
licenses and construction permits under 10 CFR part 50 and power 
reactor licenses and early site permits under 10 CFR part 52. Issuance 
of DG-5036, if finalized, would not constitute backfitting under 10 CFR 
part 50 and would not otherwise be inconsistent with the issue finality 
provisions in 10 CFR part 52. As discussed in the ``Implementation'' 
section of DG-5036, the NRC has no current intention to impose the DG, 
if finalized, on current holders of 10 CFR part 50 operating licenses 
or 10 CFR part 52 combined licenses.
    This DG, if finalized, could be applied to applications for certain 
10 CFR part 50 operating licenses or construction permits and 10 CFR 
part 52 combined licenses and early site permits. Such action would not 
constitute backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109 or be otherwise 
inconsistent with the applicable issue finality provision in 10 CFR 
part 52, inasmuch as such applicants are not within the scope of 
entities protected by 10 CFR 50.109 or the relevant issue finality 
provisions in 10 CFR part 52.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of November, 2014.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thomas H. Boyce,
Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2014-28063 Filed 11-26-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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