Nuclear Regulatory Commission May 18, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently reviewing and updating numerous guides in the agency's Regulatory Guide (RG) Series. This series has been developed to describe and make available to the public 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 license amendments, permits, and licenses. The purpose of the ongoing review and update of the NRC's RGs is to ensure that the RGs contain complete, accurate, and current guidance for use by licensees and prospective applicants. The established regulatory guidance (as set forth in establishing new and revised RGs) provides a consistent approach for the staff to ensure that the regulatory requirements are met and thereby continue to protect the health and safety of the public and the environment. The NRC reviewed all of the approximately 480 RGs and draft RGs (DGs) to determine those that needed to be revised or developed. This resulted in categorizing the RGs and DGs into five groups. The first group contains approximately 30 RGs that needed to be revised or developed by March 2007 to support anticipated new reactor licensing activities later this year. The second group includes RGs that are planned to be revised or developed, and published by December 2008. The third group contains RGs that are planned to be revised or developed, and published by December 2009. The fourth group includes RGs that will be considered for withdrawal. The fifth group contains all remaining RGs that are not planned to be updated by December 2009. The lists of RGs for each of these five groups, including publication schedules and public comment periods, can be found at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room on the agency's public Web site at http:/ /www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/ and in the Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) at ML071230154. The RG status information on the NRC's Web site will be updated periodically. Discussion: Through the years, the NRC has established 10 broad divisions of RGs. RGs in all 10 divisions were considered for updating under this program. The RG divisions can be found at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room on the agency's public Web site at www.nrc.gov/ reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/ and are as follows: Division 1, Power Reactors Division 2, Research and Test Reactors Division 3, Fuels and Materials Facilities Division 4, Environmental and Siting Division 5, Materials and Plant Protection Division 6, Products Division 7, Transportation Division 8, Occupational Health Division 9, Antitrust and Financial Review Division 10, General Solicitation of Comments and Dates: The NRC is soliciting comments on the NRC's proposed prioritization of the groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 RGs. Specifically, comments are solicited for the following questions. Each comment should include supporting basis or rationale to enable the staff to fully understand the point of view being provided. 1. Which, if any, RGs identified as group 3 need to be developed or revised sooner, and thus, should be in group 2? 2. Which, if any, RGs identified as group 2 should not be developed or revised until after some other action is taken, and thus, should be in group 3? 3. Which, if any, RGs identified as groups 2, 3 and 5 are no longer useful or the guidelines are adequately addressed elsewhere and should be withdrawn (added to group 4)? (If the guidelines are addressed elsewhere, please state specifically where they are located.) 4. Which, if any, RGs that are not identified as group 2 or 3 need to be developed or revised by December 2009? (Please include specific reasons.) 5. Which, if any, RGs identified in group 4 should not be considered for withdrawal? (Please provide specific examples which demonstrate the need to maintain the RG.) Comments are requested within 30 days from the date of this Federal Register notice. The list of the RGs in each group and by division can be found at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room on the agency's public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/. The RG status information on the NRC's Web site will be updated periodically. Comment Procedures: Comments should be accompanied by relevant information or supporting data. Please mention RG Prioritization in the subject line of your comments. Comments submitted in writing or in electronic form will be made available to the public in their entirety through the NRC's ADAMS. Personal information will not be removed from your comments. You may submit comments by any one of the following methods: Mail comments to Rulemaking, Directives and Editing Branch, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001 (MS T-6 D59). Hand-deliver comments to Rulemaking, Directives and Editing Branch, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays. Fax comments to Rulemaking, Directives and Editing Branch, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, at (301) 415-5144. E-mail comments to NRCREP@nrc.gov. Submit comments via the NRC's rulemaking Web site at https://ruleforum.llnl.gov. Contact Information: Comments and questions about our rulemaking website should be addressed to Carol A. Gallagher at (301) 415-5905 or by e-mail to CAG@nrc.gov. Contact information for use in submitting comments is provided in the section on Comment Procedures. Comments or questions about the NRC's revision of regulatory guides should be addressed to Jimi T. Yerokun at (301) 415-0585 or by e-mail to JTY@nrc.gov.

The NRC is preparing a submittal to OMB for review of continued approval of information collections under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: 10 CFR Part 4, ``Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Commission Programs''. 2. Current OMB approval number: OMB No. 3150-0053. 3. How often the collection is required: On occasion and annually. 4. Who is required or asked to report Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance provided by the NRC (including Agreement States, Educational Institutions and Other Nonprofit Organizations). 5. The number of annual respondents: 200. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 3,600 hours (3,000 hrs for reporting or 5 hours per response/ 3 responses per year and 600 hours for recordkeeping or 3 hours per recordkeeper). 7. Abstract: Recipients of NRC financial assistance provide data to demonstrate assurance to NRC that they are in compliance with non- discrimination regulations and policies. Submit, by July 17, 2007, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? A copy of the draft supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site: https:// www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Margaret A. Janney (T-5 F52), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7245, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV.

The NRC is preparing a submittal to OMB for review of continued approval of information collections under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: 10 CFR Part 34 Licenses for Radiography and Radiation Safety Requirements for Radiographic Operations. 2. Current OMB approval number: OMB No. 3150-0007. 3. How often the collection is required: Applications for new licenses and amendments may be submitted at any time. Applications for renewal are submitted every 10 years. Reports are submitted as events occur. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Applicants for and holders of specific licenses authorizing the use of licensed radioactive material for radiography. 5. The number of annual respondents: 253 (55 NRC licensees and 198 Agreement State licensees). 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 199,176 hours. The NRC licensees total burden is 43,397 hours (72 reporting hrs [an average of 1.2 hours per response] plus 43,325 recordkeeping hrs [an average of 383 hours per recordkeeper]). The Agreement State licensees total burden is 155,728 hours (269 reporting hrs [an average of 1.4 hour per response] plus 155,459 recordkeeping hrs [an average of 382 hours per recordkeeper]). 7. Abstract: 10 CFR Part 34 establishes radiation safety requirements for the use of radioactive material in industrial radiography. The information in the applications, reports and records is used by the NRC staff to ensure that the health and safety of the public is protected and that licensee possession and use of source and byproduct material is in compliance with license and regulatory requirements. Submit, by July 17, 2007, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? A copy of the draft supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site: https:// www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Margaret A. Janney (T-5 F52), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7245, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV .