Department of Homeland Security January 3, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Minerals Management Service, in concert with representatives from various State governments, industry, environmental interest groups, and the general public, developed the National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines to reflect the consensus agreement of the entire oil spill response community. This notice announces the PREP triennial exercise cycle for 2006 through 2008, requests comments from the public, and requests industry participants to volunteer for scheduled PREP Area exercises. Additionally, this notice requests comments on the design and delivery of Government-led PREP exercises.

The Preparedness Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is issuing guidance entitled, ``Application of Protective Action Guides for Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDD) and Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) Incidents'' for Federal agencies, and as appropriate, State and local governments, emergency responders, and the general public who may find it useful in planning and responding to an RDD or IND incident. The guidance recommends ``protective action guides'' (PAGs) to support decisions about actions that may need to be taken to protect the public when responding to or recovering from an RDD or IND incident. It also outlines a process to implement the recommendations and discusses operational guidelines that may be useful in the implementation of the PAGs. The full text of the document is included in this Notice. This guidance is provided for interim use and will be revised based on comments received. The Preparedness Directorate is seeking input on the appropriateness, implementability and completeness of the guidance.