[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 93 (Wednesday, May 14, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26733-26734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12593]



  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 93  /  Wednesday, May 14, 1997 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 26733]]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 51

RIN AF65


Environmental Report--Materials Licenses

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend 
its regulations to eliminate the requirement that an environmental 
report must be submitted by uranium mill licensees at the time of 
license termination. The intent of this action is to remove an outdated 
and unnecessary reporting requirement.

DATES: Comments on the proposed rule must be received on or before June 
13, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Docketing and Service 
Branch. Hand deliver comments to 11555 Rockville Pike, Maryland, 
between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays.
    Copies of any comments received may be examined at the NRC Public 
Document Room, 2120 L Street NW (Lower Level), Washington, DC.
    For information on submitting comments electronically, see the 
discussion under Electronic Access in the Supplementary Information 
Section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph J. Mate, Office of Nuclear 
Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-6202, or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For additional information, see the direct 
final rule published in the Rules section of this Federal Register.

Procedural Background

    The NRC considers this action to be noncontroversial and routine. 
We are publishing this proposed rule concurrently with a final rule on 
the subject which will become effective on June 13, 1997. However, if 
the NRC receives significant adverse comments on the proposed amendment 
in this notice by July 14, 1997, the NRC will publish a document that 
withdraws the final rule. If the final rule is withdrawn, the NRC will 
address the comments received in response to the proposed revisions in 
this notice in a subsequent final rule. Absent significant 
modifications to the proposed revisions requiring republication, the 
NRC will not initiate a second comment period for this action if the 
final rule is withdrawn.

Electronic Access

    Comments may be submitted electronically, in either ASCII text or 
Wordperfect format (version 5.1 or later), by calling the NRC 
Electronic Bulletin Board on FedWorld, or directly via the Internet. 
The bulletin board may be accessed using a personal computer, a modem, 
and one of the commonly available communications software packages.
    Using a personal computer and modem, the NRC rulemaking subsystem 
on FedWorld can be accessed directly by dialing the toll free number: 
1-800-303-9672. Communication software parameters should be set as 
follows: parity to none, data bits to 8, and stop bits to 1 (N,8,1). 
Using ANSI or VT-100 terminal emulation, the NRC rulemaking subsystem 
can then be accessed by selecting the ``Rules Menu'' option from the 
``NRC Main Menu.'' For further information about options available for 
NRC at FedWorld, consult the ``Help/Information Center'' from the ``NRC 
Main Menu.'' Users will find the ``FedWorld Online User's Guides'' 
particularly helpful. Many NRC subsystems and databases also have a 
``Help/Information Center'' option that is tailored to the particular 
subsystem.
    The NRC subsystem on FedWorld can also be accessed by a direct dial 
phone number for the main FedWorld BBS, 703-321-3339, or by using 
Telnet via the Internet, fedworld.gov. If using 703-321-3339 to contact 
FedWorld, the NRC subsystem will be accessed from the main FedWorld 
menu by selecting the ``Regulatory, Government Administration and State 
Systems,'' then selecting ``Regulatory Information Mall.'' At that 
point, a menu will be displayed that has an option ``U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission'' that will take you to the NRC Online menu. The 
NRC Online area can also be accessed directly by typing ``/go nrc'' at 
a FedWorld command line. If you access NRC from the FedWorld's main 
menu, you may return to FedWorld by selecting the ``Return to Fedworld 
`` option from the NRC Online Menu. However, if you access NRC at 
FedWorld by using NRC's toll-free number, you will have full access to 
all NRC systems but you will not have access to the main FedWorld 
system.
    If you contact FedWorld using Telnet, you will see the NRC area and 
menus, including the Rules menu. Although you will be able to download 
documents and leave messages, you will not be able to write comments or 
upload files (comments). If you contact FedWorld using FTP, all files 
can be accessed and downloaded but uploads are not allowed; all you 
will see is a list of files without descriptions (normal Gopher look). 
An index file listing all files within a subdirectory, with 
descriptions, is included. There is a 15-minute time limit for FTP 
access.
    A rulemaking site also can be accessed through the NRC's home page 
on the World Wide Web (http://www.nrc.gov). This site provides the same 
access to rulemakings as the FedWorld bulletin board, and you will be 
able to upload files (comments) if that function is supported by your 
web browser.
    For more information on NRC bulletin boards at FedWorld call Mr. 
Arthur Davis, Systems Integration and Development Branch, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301) 415-5780; 
e-mail AXD[email protected]. Information on the Rulemaking Web site can be 
obtained from Ms. Carol Gallagher, Division of Regulatory Applications, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone 
(301) 415-5905; e-mail [email protected].

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 51

    Administrative practice and procedure, Environmental impact 
statements, Environmental regulations assessment and reports, NEPA 
procedures, Nuclear materials, Nuclear power plants and reactors, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    For reasons set out in the preamble and under the authority of the 
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, the Energy Reorganization Act of 
1974, as amended, and 5 U.S.C. 552 and 553, the NRC is proposing to 
adopt the following amendments to 10 CFR part 51.

PART 51--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR DOMESTIC 
LICENSING AND RELATED REGULATORY FUNCTIONS

    1. The authority citation for 10 CFR part 51 continues to read as 
follows

    Authority: Sec. 161, 68 Stat. 948, as amended, sec. 1701, 106 
Stat. 2951, 2952, 2953, (U.S.C. 2201, 2297f); secs. 201, as amended, 
202, 88 Stat. 1242, as amended, 1244 (42 U.S.C. 5841, 5842). Subpart 
A also issued under National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, secs. 
102, 104, 105, 83 Stat. 853-854, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4332, 4334, 
4335); and Pub. L. 95-604, Title II, 92 Stat. 3033-3041; and sec. 
193, Pub. L. 101-575, 104 Stat. 2835 (42 U.S.C. 2243). Sections 
51.20, 51.30, 51.60, 51.80. and 51.97 also issued under secs. 135, 
141, Pub. L. 97-425,

[[Page 26734]]

96 Stat. 2232, 2241, and sec. 148, Pub L. 100-203, 101 Stat. 1330-
223 (U.S.C. 10155, 10161, 10168). Section 51.22 also issued under 
sec. 274, 73 Stat. 688, as amended by 92 Stat. 3036-3038 (42 U.S.C. 
2021) and under Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, sec 121, 96 Stat. 
2228 (42 U.S.C. 10141). Sections 51.43, 51.67, and 51.109 also 
issued under Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, sec 114(f), 96 Stat. 
2216, as amended (42 U.S.C. 10134(f)).


Sec. 51.60  [Amended]

    2. In Sec. 51.60, paragraph (b)(3) is removed, paragraphs (b) (4), 
(5), and (6) are redesignated as paragraphs (b) (3), (4), and (5), and 
paragraph (a) is amended by revising the reference ``paragraphs (b)(1) 
through (b)(6)'' to read ``paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(5).''

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 21st day of April, 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
L. Joseph Callan,
Executive Director for Operations.
[FR Doc. 97-12593 Filed 5-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P