Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to update a telephone number for the Office of Information Services and an NRC Web site location. This document is necessary to inform the public of these changes to the NRC's regulations.

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 19, ``Notices, Instructions, and Reports to Workers: Inspection and Investigations''. 2. Current OMB approval number: OMB No. 3150-0044. 3. How often the collection is required: As necessary in order that adequate and timely reports of radiation exposure be made to individuals involved in NRC-licensed activities. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Licensees authorized to receive, possess, use, or transfer material licensed by the NRC. 5. The number of annual respondents: 4,650. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 35,674 hours (4,553 reporting [approximately 0.98 hours per response] and 31,121 recordkeeping [approximately 6.7 hours per recordkeeper]). 7. Abstract: Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 19, requires licensees to advise workers on an annual basis of any radiation exposure they may have received as a result of NRC-licensed activities or when certain conditions are met. These conditions apply during termination of the worker's employment, at the request of a worker, former worker, or when the worker's employer (the NRC licensee) must report radiation exposure information on the worker to the NRC. Part 19 also establishes requirements for instructions by licensees to individuals participating in licensed activities and options available to these individuals in connection with Commission inspections of licensees to ascertain compliance with the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, Title II of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, and regulations, orders and licenses thereunder regarding radiological working conditions. The worker should be informed of the radiation dose he or she receives because: (a) That information is needed by both a new employer and the individual when the employee changes jobs in the nuclear industry; (b) the individual needs to know the radiation dose received as a result of an accident or incident (if this dose is in excess of the 10 CFR Part 20 limits) so that he or she can seek counseling about future work involving radiation, medical attention, or both, as desired; and (c) since long-term exposure to radiation may be an adverse health factor, the individual needs to know whether the accumulated dose is being controlled within NRC limits. The worker also needs to know about health risks from occupational exposure to radioactive materials or radiation, precautions or procedures to minimize exposure, worker responsibilities and options to report any licensee conditions which may lead to or cause a violation of Commission regulations, and individual radiation exposure reports which are available to him. Submit, by August 13, 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: NRC Form 327, Special Nuclear Material (SNM) and Source Material (SM) Physical Inventory Summary Report, and NUREG/BR-0096, Instructions and Guidance for Completing Physical Inventory Summary Reports. 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0139. 3. How often the collection is required: The frequency of reporting corresponds to the frequency of required inventories, which depends essentially on the strategic significance of the SNM covered by the particular license. Certain licensees possessing strategic SNM are required to report inventories every 6 months. Licensees possessing SNM of moderate strategic significance must report every 9 months in accordance with the revised regulation in 10 CFR part 74.43. Licensees possessing SNM of low strategic significance must report annually, except two licensees must report their dynamic inventories every 2 months and a static inventory on an annual basis. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Fuel facility licensees possessing special nuclear material. 5. The number of annual respondents: 9. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 100 hours (an average of approximately 4 hours per response for 25 responses). 7. Abstract: NRC Form 327 is submitted by fuel facility licensees to account for special nuclear material. The data is used by NRC to assess licensee material control and accounting programs and to confirm the absence of (or detect the occurrence of) special nuclear material theft or diversion. NUREG/BR-0096 provides specific guidance and instructions for completing the form in accordance with the requirements appropriate for a particular licensee. Submit, by August 13, 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 requirement 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 Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is considering adopting a statement of policy concerning the conduct of new reactor licensing adjudicatory proceedings in view of the anticipated receipt of a number of applications for combined licenses for nuclear power reactors expected to be filed within the next two years. This draft policy statement is being issued for public comment.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is proposing to amend its regulations to provide for expedited (and in this case, ``interlocutory'') review by the Commission of orders on requests by potential parties for access to certain sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI) and Safeguards Information (SGI).

The NRC is seeking public comment on draft NUREG-1574, Revision 2, entitled ``Standard Review Plan on Transfer and Amendment of Antitrust License Conditions and Antitrust Enforcement.'' This standard review plan (SRP) documents procedures and guidance to be used by the staff to analyze license transfer applications and license amendment applications involving existing antitrust license conditions, to report to the Attorney General information indicating that a licensee's use of atomic energy appears to have violated the antitrust laws, and to take appropriate enforcement action for a licensee's violation of its antitrust license conditions. Because the SRP describes internal agency procedures and is based on existing Commission guidance in this area, the SRP is being published for interim use. However, the Commission is inviting public comment on the SRP and is interested in possible improvements to it. Public comments will be considered in evaluating the NRC review process in this area.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a supplement to the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Diablo Canyon Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) and publishing, for public comment, a draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). NRC issued the EA and initial FONSI for this action on October 24, 2003, and subsequently issued a license for the Diablo Canyon ISFSI to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), on March 22, 2004. The license authorizes PG&E to receive, possess, store, and transfer spent nuclear fuel and associated radioactive materials resulting from the operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in an ISFSI at the site for a term of 20 years. NRC is issuing this supplement to the EA and draft FONSI in response to the June 2, 2006, decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace v. NRC, 449 F.3d 1016 (9th Cir. 2006). This supplement to the EA addresses the environmental impacts from potential terrorist acts against the Diablo Canyon ISFSI.

This document corrects a notice appearing in the Federal Register Notice on May 23, 2007 (72 FR 29004). The notice makes a Model Safety Evaluation, Model License Amendment Request, and Model No Significant Hazards Determination available to licensees as a means to make changes to Standard Technical Specifications. This action is necessary to correct an erroneous ``Action'' item.

Notice is hereby given that the staff of the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared a model license amendment request (LAR), model safety evaluation (SE), and model proposed no significant hazards consideration (NSHC) determination related to changes to Standard Technical Specification (STS) 3.1.6, ``Rod Pattern Control,'' and STS 3.3.2.1, ``Control Rod Block Instrumentation'' for NUREG-1433 and NUREG-1434. The proposed changes would revise the Technical Specifications (TS) and Bases for STS 3.1.6, ``Rod Pattern Control,'' and STS 3.3.2.1, ``Control Rod Block Instrumentation'' to allow licensees to use an improved control rod banked position withdrawal sequence (BPWS) when performing a reactor shutdown. In addition, the proposed changes would add a footnote to Table 3.3.2.1-1, ``Control Rod Block Instrumentation'' for NUREG-1433 and NUREG-1434. The requirements for implementing the improved BPWS are described in General Electric Licensing Topical Report (LTR) NEDO-33091-A, Revision 2, ``Improved BPWS Control Rod Insertion Process,'' dated July 2004. The General Electric Boiling Water Reactor Owner's Group (BWROG) participants in the Technical Specifications Task Force (TSTF) initially proposed these changes to the STS in TSTF-476, Revision 0, ``Improved BPWS Control Rod Insertion Process (NEDO-33091).'' TSTF-476, Revision 1 was submitted on January 9, 2007 and was later accepted by NRC. Hereafter, all references to TSTF-476 refer to TSTF-476, Revision 1, unless otherwise noted. Technical Specifications and Bases changes provided in TSTF-476 completely supersede the proposed Technical Specification changes included in NEDO-3309 1-A. The purpose of these models is to permit the NRC to efficiently process amendments to incorporate these changes into plant-specific (TS) for General Electric Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs). Licensees of nuclear power reactors to which the models apply can request amendments conforming to the models. In such a request, a licensee should confirm the applicability of the model LAR, model SE and NSHC determination to its plant.