[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40665-40666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30358]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 146 / Thursday, July 30, 1998 / 
Proposed Rules  

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 50

RIN 3150-AF98


Reporting Requirements for Nuclear Power Reactors; Meeting

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing a public 
meeting on August 21, 1998 to discuss a contemplated rulemaking that 
would modify power reactor reporting requirements.

DATE: Friday, August 21, 1998.

ADDRESS: The public meeting will be held in the auditorium of NRC's 
headquarters at Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville 
Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis P. Allison, Office for Analysis 
and Evaluation of Operational Data, Washington DC 20555-0001, telephone 
(301) 415-6835, e-mail [email protected] or his alternate, Bennett M. Brady, 
telephone (301) 415-6363, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 23, 1998 (63 FR 39522) the NRC published in the Federal 
Register an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to announce a 
contemplated rulemaking that would modify reporting requirements for 
nuclear power reactors. Generally, the ANPR requests public comments on 
whether the NRC should proceed with rulemaking to modify the event 
reporting requirements in 10 CFR 50.72, ``Immediate notification 
requirements for operating nuclear power reactors,'' and 50.73, 
``Licensee event report system,'' and, if so, the nature of the 
modifications that should be made. Several concrete proposals regarding 
rulemaking to modify 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73 are also provided for 
comment, including the following:
    (1) Objectives for the rulemaking, which are in summary,
    (a) To better align the reporting requirements with the NRC's 
current reporting needs,
    (b) To reduce the reporting burden, consistent with the NRC's 
reporting needs, and
    (c) To clarify the reporting requirements where needed;
    (2) A number of contemplated amendments, including,
    (a) Amendments that would clarify the requirements for reporting of 
design issues and limit such reporting to design issues that exceed a 
specified level of significance, and
    (b) Amendments that would extend the required reporting time to 8 
hours for events that do not involve emergencies but do warrant prompt 
notification; and
    (3) A contemplated schedule that would lead to publication of a 
final rule by about January 7, 2000.
    The ANPR also requests public comments on other reactor reporting 
requirements, beyond 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73, that could be simplified 
and/or made less burdensome and more risk-informed. For example, the 
time limit for reporting could be adjusted based on the safety 
significance of the event or issue and the need for NRC's immediate 
action. The burden associated with reporting events, conditions or 
issues with little or no safety or risk significance should be 
minimized.
    In addition to the public meeting on the ANPR at NRC Headquarters 
on August 21, 1998, which is the subject of this meeting notice, the 
ANPR will also be discussed, along with other subjects, at a public 
meeting on the role of industry in nuclear regulation in Rosemont, 
Illinois on September 1, 1998. A notice of the public meeting in 
Rosemont, Illinois on September 1, 1998 was published in the Federal 
Register on June 26, 1998, (63 FR 34946). Written comments on the ANPR 
are due September 21, 1998.
    At the public meeting on August 21, 1998, with regard to the 
proposed rulemaking to modify 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73, the NRC is 
particularly interested in comments or statements on the following 
topics:
    (1) Whether the objectives of the proposed rulemaking to modify 10 
CFR 50.72 and 50.73 are appropriate, and if not, how they should be 
changed;
    (2) Whether the contemplated amendments to 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73 
are appropriate and, if not, how they should be changed;
    (3) How the contemplated amendments to 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73, or 
suggested changes to the contemplated amendments, would affect the 
reporting burden; and
    (4) Whether the contemplated schedule for amending 10 CFR 50.72 and 
50.73 is appropriate and, if not, how it should be changed.
    With regard to other reactor reporting requirements (beyond 10 CFR 
50.72 and 50.73) the Commission is particularly interested in comments 
or statements on the following topics:
    (1) Additional areas (beyond 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73) where 
reporting requirements can be risk-informed and/or simplified;
    (2) Amendments that should be made in those areas: and
    (3) How the suggested amendments would affect the reporting burden.
    Many States (Agreement States and Non-Agreement States) have 
agreements with power reactors to inform the States of plant issues. 
State reporting requirements are frequently triggered by NRC reporting 
requirements. Accordingly, the NRC seeks State input on issues related 
to amending power reactor reporting requirements.

Participation

    The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and is open to the 
general public. Interested individuals may address relevant remarks or 
comments to the NRC staff at the meeting. To facilitate the scheduling 
of available time for speakers and orderly conduct of the meeting, 
members of the public who wish to speak at the meeting should request 
the opportunity to speak, in advance of the meeting. To request the 
opportunity to speak at the public meeting, contact the cognizant NRC 
staff member listed in the For Further Information Contact section. 
Indicate as specifically as possible the topic(s) of your comment. 
Provide your name and a telephone number at which you can be reached, 
if necessary, before the meeting. Registration will be available at the 
meeting for a limited number of additional speakers on a first come 
basis.

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Agenda for August 21, 1998

9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.--Introductory Remarks
9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.--Discussion of Contemplated Amendments by NRC 
Staff
10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon--Public Comments and Statements
12:00 noon-1:00 p.m.--Lunch Break
1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.--Public Comments and Statements (Continued)
3:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Concluding Remarks

    Note that public comments and statements may be completed earlier 
than indicated and, if so, the meeting will be concluded earlier.

    Dated at Rockville, MD, this 24th day of July, 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Charles E. Rossi,
Director, Safety Programs Division, Office for Analysis and Evaluation 
of Operational Data.
[FR Doc. 98-30358 Filed 7-29-98; 8:45 am]
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