[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 3 (Thursday, January 4, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-108]



 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 3 / Thursday, January 4, 1996 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 295]]


NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Parts 30, 31, 32, 40 and 70


Public Workshop on the Regulation of Radioactive Devices

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The NRC will hold a public workshop in Rockville, Maryland to 
review the regulatory program for devices containing radioactive 
materials licensed under 10 CFR Parts 30, 31, 32, 40 and 70. Interested 
members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting, however, for 
efficient conduct of the workshop, participation will be in the format 
of a round table discussion among invited representatives of 
potentially affected parties. The NRC has prepared a workshop agenda. 
This and related documents are available for review prior to the 
workshop and interested parties are encouraged to review this 
information. The NRC will accept and consider written comments from 
interested parties on this regulatory issue.

DATES: The workshop will be held on January 18, 1996 from 9:00 am to 
5:00 pm. The workshop will continue, if necessary, on January 19, 1996 
from 9:00 am to 12 noon. Comments on this regulatory issue should be 
received no later than January 31, 1996.

ADDRESSES: The public workshop will be held in the NRC auditorium at 
Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. 
Visitor parking around the NRC building is limited, however, the 
workshop site is adjacent to the White Flint station on the Metro Red 
Line. Written comments can be provided at the workshop or by January 
31, 1996 to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Docketing and Service Branch. Copies 
of the agenda and related documents can be obtained from the NRC's 
Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW, Washington DC 20037; Phone: 
202-634-3273; Fax: 202-634-3343.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Francis X. Cameron, Mail Stop O-15B18, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555; Phone: 301-
415-1642; Fax: 301-415-3200; INTERNET:[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Inadequate control of radioactive devices by 
licensees has lead to radioactive materials being included in metal 
scrap intended for recycling (see J. Lubenau & J. Yusko, ``Radioactive 
materials in Recycled Metals,'' Health Physics, 68:4, April, 1995). 
Radioactive sources have been accidentally smelted in metal mills 
resulting in radioactive contamination of mills, metal products and 
mill byproducts. In the U.S., costs attributable to decontamination, 
waste disposal and temporary mill closures following a smelting of a 
radioactive source have been as much as $23,000,000 per event. There is 
a risk of radiation exposure to unsuspecting workers and members of the 
public. In 1990, the Commission determined that the problem needed to 
be addressed and directed a rulemaking to improve oversight of 
generally licensed devices. The proposed rule was published for public 
comment in 1991 (56 FR 67011, 26 December 1991). In 1993, however, 
finalization of the rule was deferred because of resource constraints. 
Instead, the Commission directed the staff to pursue alternatives. In 
1995, the Commission approved formation of a joint Agreement State--
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Working Group to review the 
regulation of all devices containing licensed radioactive materials to 
assess the current regulatory program for these devices and provide 
recommendations to the Commission.
    The Working Group held its initial meeting October 24-25, 1995, and 
a second meeting on December 19-20, 1995, in Rockville, Maryland. The 
Working Group members are Robert Free, Texas and Joel Lubenau, NRC, Co-
chairs; Robin Haden, North Carolina, Martha Dibblee, Oregon; Rita 
Aldrich, New York (alternate); Lloyd Bolling, NRC and John Telford, 
NRC. James Yusko, Pennsylvania, is serving as liaison to the Working 
Group for the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors. James 
Richardson, NRC Nuclear Safety Attache in Vienna, Austria is serving as 
liaison for the International Atomic Energy Agency. At its initial 
meeting, in addition to the Working Group members, 28 representatives 
of the metal recycling and steel manufacturing industries, devices 
vendors and users, health physics consultants and government agencies 
attended. Minutes of the first and second meetings of the Working Group 
and other background information are available for public inspection 
and copying for a fee at the NRC Public Document Room, under the file, 
``Review Group--Radioactive Devices.''
    The public workshop is intended to provide an opportunity for 
stakeholders to have an input into the Working Group assessment of the 
need for regulatory changes and development of recommendations, as 
needed, for regulatory options to improve controls of licensed devices 
and assure their proper disposal. A target date of May 1996 has been 
set for the Working Group to develop and finalize its recommendations.
    For efficient conduct of the workshop, the meeting format will be a 
round table discussion among invited representatives from affected 
interests, e.g., the metal recycling industry and recycled metal 
consumers, device vendors and users, Federal and state regulators and 
citizen groups. The workshop will be open to the public, and the public 
will be provided opportunities throughout the workshop to comment on 
the issues presented for discussion.
    If the Working Group recommends changes in NRC regulations and the 
Commission agrees, such changes would be proposed through a subsequent 
NRC public rulemaking process.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of December 1995.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Malcolm R. Knapp,
Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 96-108 Filed 1-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P