Department of Energy March 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE or Department) proposes to revise the regulation governing the standards for medical, physical performance, training, and access authorizations for protective force (PF) personnel employed by contractors providing security services to the Department. The existing version of this regulation was promulgated in 1993 and substantial portions of the regulation date to the mid- 1980s. Since 1993 DOE policy has placed greater reliance upon technology, vehicular response, and increased firepower and, correspondingly, has reduced its reliance upon the ability of PF personnel to perform the running tasks required in the current regulation. Furthermore, this shift in emphasis has placed a greater premium upon the retention of mature, tactically experienced, and technically sophisticated personnel, particularly since these personnel represent a considerable investment by DOE in security background investigations and training. The proposed revisions bring DOE PF medical and physical readiness requirements in line with these tactical and organizational priorities. The proposed revisions reduce the exposure of the PF population to injuries related to physical readiness testing. They would create a PF readiness classification designed specifically to encourage the retention of experienced personnel. The revisions would further ensure that PF personnel would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis on their ability to perform the essential functions of their positions without posing a direct threat to themselves or site personnel, the facility, or the general public. The proposed revisions would further ensure that reasonable accommodations would be considered before a determination is made that an individual cannot perform the essential functions of a particular position. The proposed rule also would provide for new medical review processes for PF personnel disqualified from medical certification. The proposed rule would ensure that DOE PF medical and physical readiness requirements would be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act of 2009 (ADAAA), the Privacy Act and DOE implementing regulations, and changes in DOE policy regarding PF operations made since the publication of the last version of this rule. In addition, the proposed rule would promote operational efficiency through greater emphasis on aligning training with mission-essential tasks and the increased use of simulation technologies. Finally, the proposed revision would update the regulation to reflect organizational changes in the Office of Health, Safety and Security and the creation of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

On January 24, 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it would hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on the product classes that DOE plans to analyze for purposes of establishing energy conservation standards for automatic commercial ice makers; the analytical framework, models, and tools that DOE is using to evaluate new and amended standards for these products; the results of preliminary analyses performed by DOE for these products; and potential energy conservation standard levels derived from these analyses that DOE could consider for these products. DOE also encouraged written comments on these subjects. This document announces an extension of the time period for submitting comments on the energy conservation standards notice of public meeting (NOPM) and availability of the preliminary technical support document (preliminary TSD) for automatic commercial ice makers. The comment period is extended to April 20, 2012.

This notice publishes the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Decision and Order in Case No. CAC-040, which amends the current waiver applicable to Fujitsu's Airstage V-II products to require the use of Air-conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute 1230 (AHRI) as the alternative test procedure.