[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 161 (Monday, August 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43597-43598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20889]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Notice of Withdrawal of Proposed Voluntary Industry Initiative 
Program

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued this notice to 
inform stakeholders that the Commission has approved the withdrawal of 
the proposed (Voluntary) Industry Initiative Program and related 
guidelines.
    The decision to develop guidelines for use of industry initiatives 
in the regulatory process is an outgrowth of the Commission's Direction 
Setting Initiative (DSI) 13, `` `The Role of Industry (DSI-13)' and Use 
of Industry Initiatives'' (SECY-97-303), dated December 31, 1997, and 
the associated SRM issued on April 16, 1998. SECY-99-063, ``The Use by 
Industry of Voluntary Initiatives in the Regulatory Process,'' 
forwarded to the Commission on March 2, 1999, proposed the development 
of NRC guidelines for crediting industry initiatives in lieu of taking 
regulatory action. On May 27, 1999, the Commission issued an SRM 
approving the staff's recommendations in SECY-99-063, and agreed that 
the current regulatory framework does not preclude voluntary industry 
initiatives. The Commission also agreed that existing regulatory 
processes can be used to support implementation of voluntary industry 
initiatives as long as such initiatives will not be used in lieu of 
regulatory action where a question of adequate protection exists. The 
SRM directed the staff to move forward, working with the industry and 
other stakeholders, in developing the guidelines for using voluntary 
industry initiatives.
    In response to the staff requirements memorandum (SRM) issued on 
June 28, 2000 to SECY-00-0116, ``Industry Initiatives in the Regulatory 
Process,'' the staff revised the proposed guidelines to read as 
directed. These revised ``Proposed Guidelines for Including Industry 
Initiatives in the Regulatory Process'' were published in the Federal

[[Page 43598]]

Register on August 31, 2000. The Commission also directed that the 
staff should provide the final version of the guidelines to the 
Commission for review in the event significant negative public comments 
were received on the proposed guidelines.
    On July 5, 2001, the staff issued SECY-01-0121, ``Industry 
Initiatives in the Regulatory Process'' http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/COMMISSION/SECYS/2001-0121scy.pdf to inform the Commission of the 
public comments received in response to the publication of the proposed 
guidelines in the Federal Register and the Staff's resulting 
reevaluation of the need for those guidelines. Nearly all the comments 
that were received from stakeholder in response to the publication of 
the proposed guidelines in the Federal Register were negative. The 
general comments were to the effect that the formal process described 
in the proposed guideline should not be implemented. The specific 
comments provided suggestions for improving the proposed guideline, 
assuming it was implemented. To address the specific comments, the 
staff revised the guidelines to incorporate some of the suggested 
improvements within the previous structure and framework. The staff 
also evaluated whether a different approach would be more effective in 
resolving stakeholder comments and achieving NRC goals. After carefully 
considering both industry and public stakeholder comments, and taking 
into account the processes described in SECY-99-143, ``Revisions to 
Generic Communication Program,'' the staff recommended to the 
Commission that the proposed guidelines and the formal process 
described therein are not needed and that the existing regulatory 
process, with some minor revisions, is sufficient.
    On August 2, 2001, the Commission issued an SRM http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/COMMISSION/SRM/2001-0121srm.html approving the staff's plan to 
withdraw the proposal for implementation of a new industry initiative 
program and the related guidelines, and to notify stakeholders of this 
action.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of August, 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patrick M. Madden,
Acting Chief, Operational Experience and Non-Power Reactors Branch, 
Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-20889 Filed 8-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P