[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 217 (Thursday, November 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 65840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18980]



[[Page 65840]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Notice of Issuance of Director's Decision Under 10 CFR 2.206

    Notice is hereby given that the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) has 
issued a Director's Decision with regard to a Petition dated January 
25, 2006, filed pursuant to Section 2.206 of Title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) by the Union of Concerned Scientists and 
numerous other organizations and individuals, hereinafter referred to 
as the ``Petitioners.'' The Petition concerns leaks of radioactively 
contaminated water into the ground around NRC-licensed facilities.
    The Petition requested that the NRC take immediate action to issue 
Demands for Information (DFIs) to research, test, and power reactors to 
obtain responses to specific questions regarding leaks or potential 
leaks of radioactively contaminated water into the ground.
    As the basis for their request, the Petitioners pointed to 
radioactive leaks found during the last few years at several nuclear 
power plants.
    By teleconference on April 5, 2006, the Petitioners discussed the 
Petition with the NRC's Petition Review Board. This teleconference gave 
the Petitioners an opportunity to provide additional information and to 
clarify issues raised in the Petition.
    The NRC staff sent a copy of the proposed Director's Decision to 
the Petitioners and to the Nuclear Energy Institute for comment by 
letters dated June 28, 2006. The Petitioners submitted comments by 
letter dated July 20, 2006, and these comments are addressed in the 
final Director's Decision.
    The Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation has 
determined that the Petitioners' request to obtain information on 
groundwater contamination is granted, in part. The request to obtain 
the information by issuing DFIs is denied. The reasons for this 
decision are explained in the Director's Decision pursuant to 10 CFR 
2.206 (DD-06-03), the complete text of which is 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, or electronically from the Agencywide 
Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic 
Reading Room on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
    A copy of the Director's Decision will be filed with the Secretary 
of the Commission for the Commission's review in accordance with 10 CFR 
2.206 of the Commission's regulations. As provided for by this 
regulation, the Director's Decision will constitute the final action of 
the Commission 25 days after the date of the decision, unless the 
Commission, on its own motion, institutes a review of the Director's 
Decision in that time.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of November, 2006.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
J.E. Dyer,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
 [FR Doc. E6-18980 Filed 11-8-06; 8:45 am]
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