[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 10049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5063]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Public Workshop: Decommissioning for Routine Materials Cases

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION: Notice of workshop for routine materials decommissioning cases.

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SUMMARY: The NRC will host a public decommissioning workshop in 
Rockville, Maryland, as part of a program to identify and evaluate new 
and different approaches to the decommissioning review process for 
materials licensees. This program is one of several initiatives which 
resulted from NRC's recent Strategic Assessment and Rebaselining 
Initiative, which is intended to guide future NRC decision-making and 
help NRC continue to meet its responsibility for protecting the public 
health and safety and the environment.
    The objectives of the workshop are to: (1) Discuss NRC's 
decommissioning requirements and NRC's expectations of licensees in 
demonstrating compliance with these requirements; (2) elicit comments, 
both favorable and critical, from workshop participants related to the 
existing decommissioning review process and procedures; (3) obtain 
ideas from participants on, and discuss potential improvements in, the 
regulatory process for decommissioning; (4) discuss plans for a pilot 
program to evaluate improvements to the decommissioning review process, 
using sites of volunteer licensees; and (5) determine licensee interest 
in participating in a pilot program.
    The NRC staff will use the comments and information obtained during 
the workshop to develop recommendations for improvements in the 
decommissioning process. After consulting with the Commission 
concerning these recommendations, the staff will conduct a pilot 
program with volunteer licensees, implementing the improvements on a 
limited basis. As the pilot decommissioning cases are completed, the 
NRC will use the lessons learned to improve the regulatory process. 
Materials licensees who are interested in the pilot program should 
express interest during the workshop, or should contact NRC as listed 
below by April 3, 1998.
    Note that the workshop will address non-complex, routine materials 
decommissioning cases. The workshop and pilot program are not intended 
for power reactor sites or complex sites such as those identified in 
the NRC Site Decommissioning Management Plan. Further information on 
the Site Decommissioning Management Plan can be obtained in the Federal 
Register notice published on April 16, 1992 (57 FR 13389).

DATES: The workshop will be held on March 19, 1998, beginning at 9 a.m. 
and ending at about 3:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. 
Persons who wish to attend the workshop should contact NRC at least one 
week prior to the workshop.

ADDRESSES: The public workshop will be held in the NRC's auditorium at 
Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland (near 
Washington, DC). 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For information or questions on meeting 
arrangements, contact Richard H. Turtil, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555, telephone 301-415-6721, fax 301-415-5369, E-mail: 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day of February, 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John W.N. Hickey,
Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, Division of 
Waste Management.
[FR Doc. 98-5063 Filed 2-26-98; 8:45 am]
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