[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 21, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65470-65471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22759]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 71


Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material; 
Notice of Document Availability and Request for Comments

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and request for comments on 
draft 2009 revision to International Atomic Energy Agency Regulations.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public 
comment on a draft revision of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 
(IAEA) ``Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material'' 
(TS-R-1), which is scheduled for publication in 2009. The NRC and the 
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) jointly will be submitting 
comments on the draft document to the IAEA. We are requesting input 
from the public to assist in developing the U.S. comments.

DATES: Comments on the proposed 2009 revision of TS-R-1 will be 
accepted by the NRC until January 4, 2008. Comments received after this 
date will be considered if it is practical to do so, however we are 
only able to assure consideration for comments received on or before 
this date.

ADDRESSES: Members of the public are invited and encouraged to submit 
written comments to Michael T. Lesar, Chief, Rulemaking, Directives and 
Editing Branch, Mail Stop T6-D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001. Comments may be submitted by electronic mail 
to: [email protected]. Comments may also be hand delivered to 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 
p.m. on Federal workdays.
    Copies of comments received may be viewed at the NRC's Public 
Document Room, One White Flint North, Public File Area O1-F21, 11555 
Rockville Pike (First Floor), Rockville, Maryland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele M. Sampson, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, USNRC, Washington, DC 20555-0001, 
telephone: (301) 492-3292; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The IAEA periodically revises TS-R-1 to reflect new information and 
accumulated experience. The DOT is the U.S. competent authority before 
the IAEA for radioactive material transportation matters. The NRC 
provides technical support to the DOT in this regard, particularly with 
regard to Type B and fissile packages.

[[Page 65471]]

    The IAEA recently released, for 120-day Member State review, a 
draft revision of TS-R-1 intended for publication in 2009. To assure 
opportunity for public involvement in the international regulatory 
development process, we are requesting input from the public on the 
proposed revisions to TS-R-1. At this time, comments are being 
solicited on the changes made from the 2005 edition which are included 
in the 2009 draft revision. To facilitate review, the IAEA has provided 
a summary Table of Changes document comparing the 2005 version of TS-R-
1 to the proposed 2009 changes by paragraph. Any comments made should 
refer to the relevant paragraph number in the 2009 draft revision of 
TS-R-1, and when appropriate should propose alternative text.

II. Public Participation

    The draft 2009 revision to TS-R-1 [ML073170348] and Table of 
Changes [ML073170368] documents are available at the NRC's Agencywide 
Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading 
Room on the Internet, accessible through the NRC's public Web site at 
http://www.nrc.gov. This Web site provides text and image files of the 
NRC's public documents. The public can gain entry into ADAMS through 
the agency's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html, under Accession No. ML073170348, for the 2009 Draft version 
of TS-R-1, and Accession No. ML073170368, for the Table of Changes 
comparison document. The documents may also be viewed electronically on 
the public computers located at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), 
One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O1-F21, Rockville, 
Maryland. The PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a 
fee. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in 
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC PDR Reference 
Staff at (800) 397-4209, (301) 415-4737, or by e-mail to [email protected].
    Comments should cite the publication date and page number of this 
Federal Register document. Comments must be submitted in writing 
(electronic file on disk in Microsoft Word format preferred) and are to 
include:
     Name;
     Address;
     Telephone number;
     E-mail address;
     Relevant paragraph number in the document being reviewed, 
and
     When appropriate, proposed alternative text.
    The DOT and the NRC will review the comments received from industry 
and the public. Based in part on the information received, the U.S. 
will develop comments on the revised draft of TS-R-1 to be submitted to 
the IAEA by February 15, 2008.
    Comments from the United States and other IAEA member states will 
be considered at an IAEA Transport Safety Standards Committee (TRANSSC) 
Meeting to be convened by IAEA on March 3-7, 2008, in Vienna, Austria. 
Subsequent domestic compatibility rulemakings by both NRC and DOT may 
be necessary after IAEA final publication of the 2009 revised TS-R-1.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of November, 2007.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David W. Pstrak,
Chief, Rules, Inspections, and Operations Branch, Division of Spent 
Fuel Storage and Transportation, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards.
 [FR Doc. E7-22759 Filed 11-20-07; 8:45 am]
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