[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 189 (Monday, September 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 56618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22780]



[[Page 56618]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Draft Regulatory Guide: Issuance, Availability

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Issuance and Availability of Draft Regulatory Guide, 
DG-5026.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Barnes, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: (301) 415-
5944 or e-mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public 
comment a draft regulatory guide in the agency's ``Regulatory Guide'' 
series. This series was developed to describe and make available to the 
public such information as methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff 
for implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques 
that the staff uses in evaluating specific problems or postulated 
accidents, and data that the staff needs in its review of applications 
for permits and licenses.
    The draft regulatory guide (DG), entitled, ``Fatigue Management for 
Nuclear Power Plant Personnel,'' is temporarily identified by its task 
number, DG-5026, which should be mentioned in all related 
correspondence. This regulatory guide provides a method that the staff 
of the NRC considers acceptable for complying with the Commission's 
regulations for managing personnel fatigue at nuclear power plants.
    The regulations established by the NRC in Title 10, Part 26, of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR part 26), ``Fitness for Duty 
Programs,'' establish requirements for ensuring that personnel are fit 
to safely and competently perform their duties. Subpart I, ``Managing 
Fatigue,'' of 10 CFR part 26 establishes requirements for managing 
personnel fatigue at nuclear power plants. The regulations in Subpart I 
provide a comprehensive and integrated approach to fatigue management, 
taking into account the multiple causes and effects of worker fatigue. 
The Commission recognizes that the potential for excessive fatigue is 
not solely based on extensive work hours, but also on other causal 
factors, such as stressful working conditions, sleep disorders, 
accumulation of sleep debt and the disruptions of circadian rhythms 
associated with shift work. These considerations are reflected in the 
requirements of the rule in order to ensure that licensees effectively 
manage worker fatigue and provide reasonable assurance that workers are 
able to safely and competently perform their duties.
    A public meeting will be held on October 10, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 
4:30 p.m. in room T10-A1 of the NRC headquarters building at Two White 
Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 to discuss this 
draft regulatory guide. For those unable to attend in person, they may 
participate via teleconference. The call in number is 1-888-469-0975 
followed by the pass code 37181 and the  key.

II. Further Information

    The NRC staff is soliciting comments on DG-5026. Comments may be 
accompanied by relevant information or supporting data, and should 
mention DG-5026 in the subject line. Comments submitted in writing or 
in electronic form will be made available to the public in their 
entirety through the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management 
System (ADAMS).
    Personal information will not be removed from the comments. 
Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
    1. Mail to: Rulemaking, Directives, and Editing Branch, Office of 
Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001.
    2. E-mail to: [email protected].
    3. Hand-deliver to: Rulemaking, Directives, and Editing Branch, 
Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 
p.m. on Federal workdays.
    4. Fax to: Rulemaking, Directives, and Editing Branch, Office of 
Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at (301) 415-5144.
    Requests for technical information about DG-5026 may be directed to 
Valerie Barnes at (301) 415-5944 or e-mail to Valerie Barnes.
    Comments would be most helpful if received by October 31, 2008. 
Comments received after that date will be considered if it is practical 
to do so, but the NRC is able to ensure consideration only for comments 
received on or before this date. Although a time limit is given, 
comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion in 
guides currently being developed or improvements in all published 
guides are encouraged at any time.
    Electronic copies of DG-5026 are available through the NRC's public 
Web site under Draft Regulatory Guides in the ``Regulatory Guides'' 
collection of the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/. Electronic copies are also available in 
ADAMS (http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html), under Accession No. 
ML081960515.
    In addition, regulatory guides are available for inspection at the 
NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), which is located at 11555 Rockville 
Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The PDR's mailing address is USNRC PDR, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001. The PDR can also be reached by telephone at 
(301) 415-4737 or (800) 397-4205, by fax at (301) 415-3548, and by e-
mail to [email protected].
    Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, and Commission approval is 
not required to reproduce them.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd day of September, 2008.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen C. O'Connor,
Acting Chief, Regulatory Guide Development Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. E8-22780 Filed 9-26-08; 8:45 am]
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