[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 480-481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22581]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Parts 50, 72, and 73
RIN 3150-AG63
Power Reactor Security Requirements; Extension of Comment Period
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: On October 26, 2006 (71 FR 62664), the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) published for public comment a proposed rule that
would amend its current security regulations and would add new security
requirements pertaining to nuclear power reactors. Additionally, this
rulemaking includes new proposed security requirements for Category I
strategic special nuclear material (SSNM) facilities for access to
enhanced weapons and firearms background checks. The proposed
rulemaking would: Make generically applicable security requirements
imposed by Commission orders issued after the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, based upon experience and insights gained by the
Commission during implementation; fulfill certain provisions of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005; add several new requirements that resulted
from insights from implementation of the security orders, review of
site security plans, and implementation of the enhanced baseline
inspection program and force-on-force exercises; update the regulatory
framework in preparation for receiving license applications for new
reactors; and impose requirements to assess and manage site activities
that can adversely affect safety and security. A 75-day comment period
was provided for the propose rule, set to expire on January 9, 2007.
Comments specific to the information collection aspects of the proposed
rule were due on November 27, 2006.
The proposed rule deadline is extended from the original January 9,
2007, deadline to February 23, 2007, and the information collections
analysis deadline is extended from the original November 27, 2006
deadline to January 11, 2007.
DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule has been extended and
now expires on February 23, 2007. The comment period for the
information collection aspects of this proposed rulemaking has been
extended and now expires on January 11, 2007. Comments received after
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the
Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments received
before this date.
ADDRESSES: Mail written comments to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff.
Hand delivered comments should also be addressed to the Secretary,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and delivered to 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, MD, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays.
You may also provide comments via the NRC's interactive rulemaking
Web site: http://ruleforum.llnl.gov. This site also provides the
availability to upload comments as files (any format), if your web
browser supports that function. For information about the interactive
rulemaking site, contact Ms. Carol Gallagher, (301) 415-5905; e-mail:
[email protected].
Certain documents relating to this rulemaking, including comments
received, may be examined at the NRC Public Document Room, 11555
Rockville Pike, Room O1-F21, Rockville, MD. The same documents may also
be viewed and downloaded electronically via the rulemaking Web site:
http://ruleforum.llnl.gov. Documents created or received at the NRC
after November 1, 1999 are also available electronically at the NRC's
Public Electronic Reading room on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html. From this site, the public can gain entry into
the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS),
which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. For more
information, contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff
at 1-800-397-4209, 202-634-3273 or by e-mail to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard Rasmussen, Office of
Nuclear Security and Incident Response, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone (301) 415-0610; e-
mail: [email protected] or Mr. Timothy Reed, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone (301) 415-1462; e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During a public meeting held on November 15,
2006, the State of Pennsylvania and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
requested that the comment period for the proposed rulemaking be
extended by 45 days. Subsequently, on November 17, 2006, the NEI
provided a written request to NRC for a 60-day extension to the public
comment period for both the proposed rulemaking and the information
collection aspects of the rulemaking. NEI stated four reasons to
support their request (listed below):
(1) There are two major holidays during the comment period;
(2) This is a major and complex rulemaking as evidenced by the
sheer volume of the rulemaking package (SECY-06-0126 exceeds 1000
pages);
(3) Since June 2006, NEI has been engaged in the development of NEI
06-12, ``B.5.b Phase 2&3 Submittal Guideline'' which licensees will use
to respond to the NRC site-specific Phase 3 letters. Licensee responses
are due in early January 2007; and,
(4) Comments on the proposed Sec. 73.21 rulemaking are due January
2, 2007.
In view of the NRC's desire to receive high quality comments from
external
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stakeholders, and recognizing the extenuating circumstances that
adversely impact the capability of external stakeholders to comment on
the proposed rulemaking given ongoing activities which are competing
for the same industry resources, the comment period, for both the
proposed rulemaking and for the information collections analysis, will
be extended for an additional 45 days. This partial grant of the
request from both NEI and the State of Pennsylvania recognizes that the
power reactor security requirements impact new reactor applications,
and it is the NRC's objective to not adversely impact new reactor
applications which are scheduled to be submitted in late 2007.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of December 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Annette L. Vietti-Cook,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. E6-22581 Filed 1-4-07; 8:45 am]
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