[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

[[Page 481]]

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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