Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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: Policy Statement on Cooperation with States at Commercial Nuclear Power Plants and Other Production or Utilization Facilities. 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0163. 3. How often the collection is required: On occasion, when a State wishes to observe NRC inspections or perform inspections for NRC. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Those States interested in observing or performing inspections. 5. The number of annual respondents: 66 (50 nuclear facility + 16 materials security licensees). 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 1,540 hours (23.33 hours per respondent). 7. Abstract: States wishing to enter into an agreement with NRC to observe or participate in NRC inspections at nuclear power facilities or conduct materials security inspections against NRC Orders are requested to provide certain information to the NRC to ensure close cooperation and consistency with the NRC inspection program as specified by the Commission's Policy of Cooperation with States at Commercial Nuclear Power Plants and Other Nuclear Production or Utilization Facilities and section 274i of the Atomic Energy Act, as amended. Submit, by July 21, 2006, 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, Brenda Jo. Shelton (T-5 F52), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7233, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations so that licensees who file financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), need not submit annual financial reports, including the certified financial statements, to the Commission. The Commission is also amending its regulations so that Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) licensees who file financial reports with the SEC or the FERC, need not submit annual financial reports, including the certified financial statements, to the Commission.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the USEC Inc. (USEC) license application, dated August 23, 2004, for the possession and use of source, byproduct and special nuclear materials at its proposed American Centrifuge Plant (ACP) located near Piketon, Ohio. The scope of activities conducted under the license would include the construction, operation, and decommissioning of the ACP. Specifically, USEC proposes to use gas centrifuge technology to enrich the uranium-235 isotope found in natural uranium up to 10-weight percent. The enriched uranium would be used to manufacture nuclear fuel for commercial nuclear power reactors. The FEIS is being issued as part of NRC's decision-making process on whether to issue a license to USEC, pursuant to Title 10 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations parts 30, 40, and 70. Based on the evaluation in the FEIS, NRC environmental review staff have concluded that the proposed action will generally have small effects on the environment, though a few resource areas may experience moderate impacts. The FEIS reflects the final analysis of environmental impacts of USEC's proposal and it's alternatives including the consideration of public comments received by NRC.

The NRC has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment as part of its evaluation of a request by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), et al., for a license amendment to increase the maximum rated thermal power at Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (BVPS-1 and 2) from 2689 megawatts-thermal (MWt) to 2900 MWt. This represents a power increase of approximately 8 percent for BVPS-1 and 2. As stated in the NRC staff's position paper dated February 8, 1996, on the Boiling-Water Reactor Extended Power Uprate (EPU) Program, the NRC staff will prepare an environmental impact statement if it believes a power uprate will have a significant impact on the human environment. The NRC staff did not identify any significant impact from the information provided in the licensee's EPU application for BVPS-1 and 2 or from the NRC staff's independent review; therefore, the NRC staff is documenting its environmental review in an environmental assessment (EA). Also, in accordance with the position paper, this Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact is being published in the Federal Register with a 30-day public comment period.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will convene a teleconference meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) on May 23, 2006. The topic of the discussions will be: (1) Amendment to the ACMUI's Bylaws; (2) Potential Changes to 10 CFR part 35. Purpose: Discuss issues related to 10 CFR part 35, Medical Use of Byproduct Material. Date and Time for Closed Session Meeting: May 23, 2006, from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern standard Time. This session will be closed so that NRC staff and ACMUI members can discuss information relating solely to internal personnel rules. Dates and Times for Public Meetings: May 23, 2006, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Public Information: Any member of the public who wishes to participate in the teleconference discussion may contact Mohammad S. Saba for contact information. Conduct of Meeting: Leon S. Malmud, M.D., will chair the meeting. Dr. Malmud will conduct the meeting in a manner that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. The following procedures apply to public participation in the meeting: 1. Persons who wish to provide a written statement should submit a reproducible copy to Mohammad S. Saba, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T8F03, Washington, DC 20555. Alternatively, an e- mail can be submitted to mss@nrc.gov. Submittals must be postmarked or e-mailed by May 15, 2006, and must pertain to the topics on the agenda for the meeting. 2. Questions from members of the public will be permitted during the meeting, at the discretion of the Chairman. 3. The transcript and written comments will be available for inspection on NRC's web site (https://www.nrc.gov) and at the NRC Public Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-2738, telephone (800) 397-4209, on or about August 20, 2006. This meeting will be held in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (primarily section 161a); the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App); and the Commission's regulations in Title 10, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, part 7.

The NRC has recently submitted to OMB for review the following proposal for the collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 1. Type of submission, new, revision, or extension: Extension. 2. The title of the information collection: 10 CFR Part 55, ``Operators' Licenses.'' 3. The form number if applicable: N/A. 4. How often the collection is required: As necessary for NRC to meet its responsibilities to determine the eligibility of applicants for operators' licenses, prepare or review initial operator licensing and requalification examinations, and review applications for and performance of simulation facilities. 5. Who will be required or asked to report: Holders of and applicants for facility (i.e., nuclear power, research, and test reactors) operating licenses and individual operators' licenses. 6. An estimate of the number of annual responses: 343 (240 responses + 103 recordkeepers). 7. The estimated number of annual respondents: 103 (70 power reactor licensees + 33 non-power reactor licensees). 8. An estimate of the total number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 67,060 (45,464 hrs. reporting + 21,596 hrs. recordkeeping). 9. An indication of whether Section 3507(d), Public Law 104-13 applies: N/A. 10. Abstract: 10 CFR part 55, ``Operators' Licenses,'' of the NRC's regulations, specifies information and data to be provided by applicants and facility licenses so that the NRC may make determinations concerning the licensing and requalification of operators for nuclear reactors, as necessary to promote public health and safety. The reporting and recordkeeping requirements contained in 10 CFR part 55 are mandatory for the licensees and applicants affected. A copy of the final 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 World Wide 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 should be directed to the OMB reviewer listed below by June 7, 2006. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received after this date. John A. Asalone, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (3150-0018), NEOB-10202, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments can also be e-mailed to JohnA.Asalone@omb.eop.gov or submitted by telephone at (202) 395-4650. The NRC Clearance Officer is Brenda Jo. Shelton, 301-415-7233.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering modifying its approach to develop risk-informed and performance-based requirements applicable to nuclear power reactors. The NRC is considering an approach that, in addition to the ongoing effort to revise some specific regulations to make them risk-informed and performance-based, would establish a comprehensive set of risk-informed and performance-based requirements applicable for all nuclear power reactor technologies as an alternative to current requirements. This new rule would take advantage of operating experience, lessons learned from the current rulemaking activities, advances in the use of risk- informed technology, and would focus NRC and industry resources on the most risk-significant aspects of plant operations to better ensure public health and safety. The set of new alternative requirements would be intended primarily for new power reactors although they would be available to existing reactor licensees. At the conclusion of this ANPR phase and taking into consideration public comment, the NRC will determine how to proceed regarding making the requirements for nuclear power plants risk-informed and performance-based.

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: Nuclear Material Events Database (NMED) for the Collection of Event Report, Response, Analyses, and Follow-up Data on Events Involving the Use of Atomic Energy Act (AEA) Radioactive Byproduct Material. 2. Current OMB approval number: (3150-0178). 3. How often the collection is required: Agreement States are requested to provide copies of licensee material event reports electronically or by hard copy to NRC on a monthly basis or within 30 days of receipt from their licensee. This schedule provides the Agreement States 30 days to assess the licensee information prior to providing the information to NRC. Reportable events involve industrial, commercial, medical use, and/or academic use of radioactive byproduct materials. In addition, Agreement States are requested to report events that may pose a significant health and safety hazard to the NRC Headquarters Operations Officer within the next working day of notification by an Agreement State licensee. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Current Agreement States and any State receiving Agreement State status in the future. 5. The number of annual respondents: 34. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 756 hours (an average of 22 hours per respondent). 7. Abstract: NRC regulations require NRC licensees to report incidents and events involving the use, transportation and security of radioactive byproduct material, and source material, such as those involving radiation overexposures, leaking or contaminated sealed source(s), release of excessive contamination of radioactive material, lost or stolen radioactive material, equipment failures, abandoned well logging sources and medical events. Agreement State licenses are also required to report these events to their individual Agreement State regulatory authorities under compatible Agreement State regulations. NRC is requesting that the Agreement States provide information to NRC on the initial notification, response actions, and follow-up investigations on events involving the use (including suspected theft or terrorist activities) of nuclear materials regulated pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act. The event information should be provided in a uniform electronic format, for assessment and identification of any facilities/site specific or generic safety concerns that could have the potential to impact public health and safety. The identification and review of safety concerns may result in lessons learned, and may also identify generic issues for further study which could result in proposals for changes or revisions to technical or regulatory designs, processes, standards, guidance or requirements. Submit, by July 3, 2006, 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, Brenda Jo. Shelton (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7233, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations to add the NUHOMS[supreg] HD cask system to the list of approved spent fuel storage casks. This proposed rule would allow the holders of power reactor operating licenses to store spent fuel in this approved cask system under a general license.