[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 193 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51729-51730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25343]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Consolidated Guidance About Materials Licenses: Program-Specific 
Guidance About Portable Gauge Licenses: Availability of NUREG

    NRC is using Business Process Redesign (BPR) techniques to redesign 
its materials licensing process, as described in NUREG-1539, 
``Methodology and Findings of the NRC's Materials Licensing Process 
Redesign.'' A critical element of the new process is consolidating and 
updating numerous guidance documents into a single comprehensive 
repository called the Materials Electronic Library (MEL). Draft NUREG-
1541, ``Process and Design for Consolidating and Updating Materials 
Licensing Guidance,'' describes the approach and conceptual design of 
MEL.
    Volume 1 of draft NUREG-1556, ``Consolidated Guidance about 
Materials Licenses: Program-Specific Guidance about Portable Gauge 
Licenses,'' is the first program-specific guidance developed for the 
new process and may serve as a template for subsequent program-specific 
guidance. It is

[[Page 51730]]

intended for use by applicants, licensees, and NRC staff. It combines 
the guidance now found in Draft Regulatory Guide DG-0008, 
``Applications for the Use of Sealed Sources in Portable Gauging 
Devices,'' dated May 1995, and the guidance for licensing staff now 
found in Policy and Guidance Directive PG 2-07, ``Standard Review Plan 
for Applications for the Use of Sealed Sources in Portable Gauging 
Devices,'' dated September 1994. Comments received on DG-0008 were 
considered in the preparation of this report.
    As described in draft NUREG-1541, this draft NUREG takes a risk-
informed, performance-based approach to licensing portable gauges, 
i.e., it reduces the amount of information needed from an applicant 
seeking to possess and use a relatively safe device. These portable 
gauges containing sealed sources incorporate features engineered to 
enhance their safety. NRC's considerable experience with these 
licensees indicates that radiation exposures to workers are generally 
low and the sealed sources have not been damaged even when run over by 
heavy construction equipment.
    This document is strictly for public comment and NOT for use in 
preparation or review of applications for portable gauge licenses until 
the document is published in final form.
    NRC is requesting comments on this draft NUREG such as whether a 
risk-informed, performance-based approach to licensing is valid, as 
well as comments on the information requested in support of a license 
application. In addition, to support NRC's efforts to streamline the 
materials licensing process, NRC is soliciting comments and suggestions 
about the document's content, format, usefulness, etc., to make the 
document more ``user-friendly.'' Please submit comments within 90 days 
of its publication. Comments received after that time will be 
considered if practicable.
    Submit comments on draft NUREG-1556, Volume 1, to the Chief, Rules 
Review and Directives Branch, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001. Comments may be submitted through the 
Internet by addressing electronic mail to INTERNET:[email protected].
    A free single copy of draft NUREG-1556, Volume 1, may be requested 
by those considering public comment by writing to the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, ATTN: BPR Team, Mail Stop TWFN 8F5, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001. A copy of draft NUREG-1556, Volume 1, is also available 
for inspection and/or copying for a fee in the NRC Public Document 
Room, 2120 L Street, NW. (Lower Level), Washington, DC 20555-0001. 
Draft NUREG-1556, Volume 1, is also available electronically by 
visiting NRC's Home Page (http://[email protected]) and choosing ``Nuclear 
Materials,'' then ``Business Process Redesign project,'' and then 
``Draft NUREG-1556, Volume 1.''

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of September, 1996.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 Frederick C. Combs,
Deputy Director, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, 
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 96-25343 Filed 10-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P