[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 135 (Thursday, July 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43383-43384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17771]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NUREG-0940]


Enforcement Actions: Significant Actions Resolved

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing its 
intent to use the NRC website to communicate a consolidation of 
enforcement actions and to discontinue publication of the paper 
document, NUREG-0940, ``Enforcement Actions: Significant Actions 
Resolved,'' which contains significant enforcement actions that have 
been issued. The NRC is taking this action because this material is now 
available electronically on the NRC website. The Commission is also 
seeking public comment on this action.

DATES: The comment period expires September 11, 2000. Unless the 
Commission takes further action, the final edition of NUREG-0940 will 
be the edition published in the summer of 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to David L. Meyer, Chief, Rules and 
Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of 
Administration, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001. Hand deliver comments to: 11555 Rockville 
Pike, Rockville, Maryland, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., Federal 
workdays. Copies of comments received may be examined at the NRC Public 
Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW. (Lower Level), Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Renee Pedersen, Senior Enforcement 
Specialist, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 (301) 415-2741, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In 1982, the Enforcement Staff of the NRC's then Office of 
Inspection and Enforcement commenced publishing NUREG-0940, 
``Enforcement Actions: Significant Actions Resolved.'' This NUREG is a 
compilation of the letters, Notices, and Orders sent to licensees with 
respect to significant enforcement actions (also referred to as 
escalated actions) issued in a period of time, most recently, six 
months. The NUREG has been published to assist licensees in taking 
action to improve safety by avoiding future violations similar to those 
described in the publication. The NUREG was also published to comply 
with Commission direction to distribute a list of persons subject to 
prohibition orders issued under the Deliberate Misconduct Rule (January 
13, 1998; 63 FR 1890).
    NUREG-0940 is now published twice a year. It is distributed to all 
power reactor site managers, approximately 2500 materials licensees, 
and all of the states. The latest issue of NUREG-0940, Vol. 18, No. 1, 
published August 1999, contained a total of 847 printed pages.
    The Office of Enforcement (OE) has established a Home page on the 
NRC website (www.nrc.gov/OE). The OE Home page contains information on 
the OE staff, the current Enforcement Policy, the text of escalated 
Enforcement Actions issued since 1996, upcoming

[[Page 43384]]

predecisional enforcement and regulatory conferences, guidance 
documents (e.g., the Enforcement Manual and Enforcement Guidance 
Memoranda (EGMs)), and a discussion of discrimination for raising 
safety concerns. This site includes links to other related sites and a 
search capability. All orders that currently prohibit or restrict 
individuals from employment in licensed activities are posted on the OE 
Home page.
    The Office of Enforcement also publishes an annual report which 
describes enforcement activities occurring during each fiscal year. The 
report addresses significant policy changes, highlights significant 
enforcement actions, and includes summaries of cases involving exercise 
of discretion, discrimination, and actions involving individuals. 
Various statistical tables and figures are included. The annual report 
is also available on the OE Home page.

Discussion

    NUREG-0940 was first published as a paper document, as this was the 
only effective way to communicate with licensees as a group and to give 
widespread circulation to actions taken by the NRC in enforcing 
regulatory requirements. Now, escalated actions that are published in 
the NUREG are also available to licensees and the public on the NRC 
website, under the Office of Enforcement Home page. All orders are 
published in the Federal Register immediately after issuance, and are 
also available on the website after publication.
    Preparing and publishing NUREG-0940 in paper form is expensive when 
the cost of paper and postage are taken into account. The NRC believes 
that the purpose of NUREG-0940 can now be accomplished more effectively 
and far more efficiently by posting actions promptly on the NRC 
website. Whereas NUREG-0940 is prepared every six months, and the delay 
from issuance of an action to publication can be as much as 9 months, 
posting actions on the Internet is immediate. Continuing to publish 
material in paper form when the current information is immediately 
available electronically is not a judicious use of NRC resources. 
Providing the same information via the Internet is a more effective and 
efficient method of communicating this information to NRC stakeholders.
    For the above reasons, the NRC believes that publication of NUREG-
0940 is no longer needed. The next issue will contain a notice that 
will advise recipients that unless the NRC receives sufficient public 
comment in support of continuing this publication, NRC will cease 
publication with that issue and describe where on the Internet this 
information can be obtained. The NRC will also accept and consider 
comments from persons who are not currently on the mailing list. Those 
comments should be submitted as indicated above.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of June 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
R. William Borchardt,
Director, Office of Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 00-17771 Filed 7-12-00; 8:45 am]
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