[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 27, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62728-62729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24014]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Nuclear Power Plants That Employ Boiling-Water Reactor (BWR) Mark 
I and II Designs Receipt of Request for Action Under 10 CFR 2.206

    Notice is hereby given that by petition dated August 10, 2004, the 
Nuclear Security Coalition (Coalition), consisting of 39 separate 
organizations, has requested that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) take action to: (1) Issue a demand for information to the 
licensees for all Mark I and II BWRs and conduct a 6-month study of 
options for addressing structural vulnerabilities; (2) present the 
findings of the study at a national conference attended by all 
interested stakeholders, providing for transcribed comments and 
questions; (3) develop a comprehensive plan that accounts for 
stakeholder concerns and addresses structural vulnerabilities of all 
Mark I and II BWRs within a 12-month period; (4) issue orders to the 
licensees for all Mark I and II BWRs compelling incorporation of a 
comprehensive set of protective measures, including structural 
protections; and (5) make future operation of each Mark I and II BWR 
contingent on addressing its structural vulnerability with 
participation and oversight by a panel of local stakeholders.
    As the basis for this request, the Coalition states that nuclear 
power plants are critical national infrastructures and are prime 
targets of attacks, that the NRC ``requires only a light defense of 
nuclear power plants,'' and that BWRs of the Mark I and II designs are 
particularly vulnerable.
    The petition is being treated pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 of the 
Commission's regulations. The petition has been referred to the 
Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. As provided by 
section 2.206, appropriate action will be taken on this petition within 
a reasonable time. Members of the Coalition met with the Petition 
Review Board (PRB) on September 23, 2004, to discuss the petition; the 
summary of the meeting, with the transcript attached, was published on 
October 13, 2004. The results of that discussion have been considered 
in the PRB's determination regarding the Coalition's request for action 
and in establishing the schedule for reviewing the petition. A copy of 
the petition, and the meeting summary dated October 13, 2004, are 
available for inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 
located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available 
records will be accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the 
Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. 
Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in 
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR 
Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by 
e-mail to [email protected].


[[Page 62729]]


    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of October 2004.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
J.E. Dyer,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-24014 Filed 10-26-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P