[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 8985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5204]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Public Workshop on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Materials
Licensing Process
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The NRC will hold a public workshop in Rockville, Maryland, to
receive input from licensees and the public on its recent initiative to
re-design the materials licensing process. All interested licensees,
and members of the public are invited to attend this workshop. The NRC
has prepared a workshop agenda and background information on the
project. They will be available for review after April 11, 1996.
Attendees, who would like a package in advance of the meeting, should
call, fax, or E-mail the contact listed in this notice. Interested
parties, unable to attend the workshop, are encouraged to provide
written comments pertinent to the process, by May 11, 1996.
DATES: The workshop will be held on April 25, 1996, beginning at 9 a.m.
and ending at 5 p.m.
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 located adjacent to the White Flint Station on the
Metro Red Line. Seating for the public will be on a first-come, first-
served basis. Written comments may be provided at the workshop or to
the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555,
Attention: Docketing and Service Branch. Written comments should be
submitted on or before May 11, 1996. Copies of the agenda and related
documents can be obtained, after April 11, 1996, from the NRC contact
listed below, or from the NRC's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW,
Lower Level, Washington, DC 20555; telephone 202-634-3273; fax: 202-
634-3343.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Sally L. Merchant, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, Mail Stop T 8-F-5, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone 301-415-7874;
fax: 301-415-5369; INTERNET: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In October 1994, the NRC began to examine
its materials licensing process to identify ways to improve it, while
maintaining or raising the level of public safety. An improved process
would: perform licensing reviews and associated tasks an order of
magnitude faster than the current practice; reduce the resources
associated with the current licensing practice; and take full advantage
of information technology. The staff is using a technique called
Business Process Redesign, a process of fundamentally changing the way
that work is performed, to achieve significant improvements in speed,
cost, and quality.
A detailed plan for implementing this new process was presented to
the Commission in May 1995. On June 16, 1995, the Commission directed
the staff: (1) to proceed with the detailed design and testing of the
new process; (2) to coordinate its efforts closely with the Agreement
States, licensees, and the public; (3) to separate the payment of
licensing fees from the process of issuing a license and continue to
streamline fees; and (4) extend certain qualified licenses for an
additional 5 years, on a one-time basis. A final rule to extend
qualified licenses was published on January 16, 1996, and effective on
February 15, 1996. Implementation of the new licensing process is
scheduled to begin early in 1997.
This workshop is one of a series of interactions with the Agreement
States, licensees, and the public to gather suggestions and ideas to
ensure the success of this licensing initiative. A transcript of this
workshop will be available for inspection, and copying for a fee at the
NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW, Lower Level, Washington,
DC 20555, on or about May 23, 1996.
The workshop will be open to the public, and the public will be
provided opportunities throughout the workshop to comment on issues
under discussion.
Dated: February 29, 1996.
Donald A. Cool,
Director, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS.
[FR Doc. 96-5204 Filed 3-5-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P