[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 242 (Wednesday, December 17, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 66038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32879]
[[Page 66038]]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Part 50
[Docket No. PRM-50-63A]
Peter G. Crane; Receipt of an Amended Petition for Rulemaking
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Amended petition for rulemaking: Notice of receipt.
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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received and
requests public comment on an amended petition for rulemaking filed by
Mr. Peter G. Crane. The amended petition has been docketed by the
Commission and has been assigned Docket No. PRM-50-63A. The petitioner
states, in this amendment to the earlier petition, that the rulemaking
he seeks is to amend NRC's emergency planning regulations to require
consideration of sheltering, evacuation, and the prophylactic use of
potassium iodide for the general public in developing a range of
emergency planning protective actions.
DATES: Submit comments by January 16, 1998. Comments received after
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance
of consideration cannot be given except to those comments received on
or before this date.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff.
Deliver comments to 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland,
between 7:30 am and 4:15 pm on Federal workdays.
You may also provide comments via the NRC's interactive rulemaking
website through the NRC home page (http://www.nrc.gov). This site
provides the availability to upload comments as files (any format), if
your web browser supports that function. For information about the
interactive rulemaking website, contact Ms. Carol Gallagher, 301-415-
5905; e-mail: [email protected].
For a copy of the petition, write: Rules and Directives Branch,
Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. A copy of the
petition is also available for public inspection, and copying for a
fee, in the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW (Lower Level),
Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Jamgochian, Office of Nuclear
Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555. Telephone: 301-415-6534, e-mail: MTJ[email protected]; or Michael T.
Lesar, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555. Telephone: 301-415-7163 or Toll Free: 1-800-368-
5642, e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The NRC received a petition for rulemaking dated September 9, 1995,
submitted by Mr. Peter G. Crane on his own behalf. The petition was
docketed as PRM-50-63 on September 12, 1995. The notice of receipt of
this petition was published on November 27, 1995 (60 FR 58256). On
November 12, 1997, the NRC received an amendment to this petition
submitted by Mr. Crane in response to the Commission's invitation at a
public meeting held on November 5, 1997, at which the petitioner spoke.
The amended petition was assigned docket number PRM-50-63A. The amended
petition revises the original petition by requesting that the NRC add
one sentence to the planning standard in 10 CFR 50.47(b)(10) that
refers to considering evacuation, sheltering, and the prophylactic use
of potassium iodide for the general population in developing a range of
emergency planning protective actions. In particular, as proposed, 10
CFR 50.47 (b)(10) would include the use of potassium iodide (KI) as one
action to be considered in emergency situations under onsite and
offsite emergency plans.
Potassium Iodide
The petitioner states that KI protects the thyroid gland, which is
highly sensitive to radiation, from the radioactive iodide that could
be released in extremely serious nuclear accidents; that by saturating
the gland with iodide in a harmless form, KI can prevent inhaled or
ingested radioactive iodide from lodging in the thyroid gland, where it
could lead to thyroid cancer or other illnesses; and that KI itself has
a long shelf life--at least five years--and causes negligible side
effects.
The petitioner further states that, in addition to preventing
deaths from thyroid cancer, KI prevents radiation-caused illnesses. The
petitioner states that thyroid cancer, curable in 90-95 percent of
cases, generally means surgery, radiation treatment, and a lifetime of
medication and monitoring. The petitioner asserts that the changes in
medication that go with periodic scans put many patients on a
physiological and psychological roller coaster. The petitioner also
states that hypothyroidism can cause permanent retardation in children
and, if undiagnosed, can condemn adults to a lifetime of fatigue,
weakness, and chills.
The Petitioner's Proposed Amendment
The petitioner initially requested that 10 CFR 50.47 be amended by
revising paragraph (b)(10) to read as follows:
Sec. 50.47 Emergency plans.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(10) A range of protective actions, including sheltering,
evacuation, and prophylactic use of iodide, have been developed for the
plume exposure pathway EPZ [emergency planning zone] for emergency
workers and the public. Guidelines for the choice of protective actions
during an emergency, consistent with Federal guidelines, are developed
and in place, and protective actions for the ingestion exposure pathway
EPZ appropriate to the locale have been developed.
* * * * *
In the amended petition, the paragraph, as revised, would read as
follows:
Sec. 50.47 Emergency plans.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(10) A range of protective actions have been developed for the
plume exposure EPZ for emergency workers and the public. In developing
this range of actions, consideration has been given to evacuation,
sheltering, and the prophylactic use of potassium iodide (KI), as
appropriate. Guidelines for the choice of protective actions during an
emergency, consistent with Federal guidelines, are developed and in
place, and protective actions for the ingestion exposure pathway EPZ
appropriate to the locale have been developed.
* * * * *
As part of the amended petition, the petitioner also attached a
proposed Statement of Considerations and, as invited by the Commission,
a draft mark-up of a document from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency entitled ``Federal Policy on Distribution of Potassium Iodide
Around Nuclear Power Sites for Use as a Thyroidal Blocking Agent.''
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day of December, 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John C. Hoyle,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 97-32879 Filed 12-16-97; 8:45 am]
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