[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 52952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-26280]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Radionuclide Transport in the Environment: Draft Research Program 
Plan

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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    Background: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Office 
of Nuclear Regulatory Research is preparing a research program plan on 
radionuclide transport in the environment and is seeking public 
comments on the plan. The radionuclide transport research program is 
intended to provide data and computational tools to assess the effect 
on public health and safety and the environment from nuclear materials 
that may enter the environment from NRC-licensed activities. The 
technical issues examined include source-term characterization; the 
effectiveness of engineered and natural containment systems surrounding 
the radioactive material; multi-phase flow of water, including episodic 
infiltration, into and through the environment; the transport of 
radioactive material through the geosphere; the transport of 
radioactive material through the biosphere; and estimating exposures of 
members of the public to radiation from these materials. Results from 
the radionuclide transport research program are intended to be 
generically applicable to NRC licensing activities including the 
decommissioning of facilities, disposal of uranium mill tailings, low-
level radioactive waste disposal, and high-level radioactive waste 
disposal. This plan will present the basis for the radionuclide 
transport research program, describe the key elements of the program, 
describe how research priorities are set, and present a list of 
proposed research projects.
    Solicitation of Comments: The NRC seeks comments on the plan and is 
especially interested in comments on the research topics proposed in 
Chapter 5. Suggestions for new research not specified in Chapter 5 are 
welcome.
    Comment Period: The NRC will consider all written comments received 
before November 30, 2001. Comments received after November 30, 2001, 
will be considered if time permits. Comments should be addressed to the 
contact listed below.
    Availability: An electronic version of the plan is available in 
Adobe Portable Document Format at http://www.nrc.gov/RES/nrc.html and 
can be read with Adobe Acrobat Reader software, available at no cost 
from 
http://www.adobe.com. Hard and electronic copies are available from the 
contact listed below.

CONTACT: Dr. John D. Randall, Mail Stop T9F31, US Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, telephone (301) 
415-6192, e-mail [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of October 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Cheryl A. Trottier,
Chief, Radiation Protection, Environmental Risk and Waste Management 
Branch, Division of Systems Analysis and Regulatory Effectiveness, 
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 01-26280 Filed 10-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P