[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6070-6071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2547]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2010-0039]
Notice of Public Meeting on the International Atomic Energy
Agency Basic Safety Standards Version 3.0, Draft Safety Requirements
DS379
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting on the International Atomic Energy
Agency Basic Safety Standards Version 3.0, Draft Safety Requirements,
DS379.
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SUMMARY: The Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards
(ISCORS) is hosting an open forum with the public and other
stakeholders on a revision to the International Basic Safety Standards
for Protection Against Ionizing Radiation and the Safety of Radiation
Sources (BSS). The forum is expected to yield information useful to
inform the development of U.S. Government comments on this
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) draft General Safety
Requirement. The forum will be held on February 26, 2010 in Rockville,
MD. The proposed changes are contained in a draft document (DS379)
submitted for Member State review by the IAEA.
DATES: The public meeting will be held in Rockville, Maryland on
February 26, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at: The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Two White Flint Auditorium, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, (301) 415-7000. Those members of the public
unable to travel to the meeting location but still wishing to attend
the public meeting may attend by phone. The bridge line to call is
(877) 917-4910 and the pass code is 6463211.
The final agenda for the public meeting will be noticed no fewer
than ten (10) days prior to the meeting on NRC's electronic public
meeting schedule at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm. Attendees should allow sufficient time for building access
and security requirements.
Questions about participation in the public meeting should be
directed to the facilitator listed in the ADDRESSES Section. Members of
the public planning to attend the public meeting, whether in person or
by phone are invited to RSVP at least ten (10) days prior to the
meeting and should be directed to the points of contact listed in the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Section. Please specify in your RSVP
whether you will be attending the meeting in person or by phone.
ADDRESSES: Questions regarding the participation in the public meeting
should be submitted to the facilitator, Francis Cameron, by mail to
Mail Stop O16-E15, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001, by telephone at (301) 415-1006, or by e-mail at
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Monica Orendi, telephone (301)
415-3938, e-mail, [email protected], or Dr. Donald Cool, telephone
(301) 415-6347, e-mail, [email protected] of the Office of Federal
and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The IAEA periodically revised its Basic Safety Standards to reflect
new information and accumulated experience. The current version was
published in 1996 (http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/ss-115-web/Pub996_web-1a.pdf). The revision now underway is based on the
recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological
Protection (ICRP) contained in ICRP Publication 103, published in late
2007.
On January 28, 2010, the IAEA posted a draft revision of the BSS
for comment by each of the member states of the IAEA. The draft (DS379)
is available for viewing and downloading on the Internet at: http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/documents/draft-ms-posted.asp. Several other
International Organizations, including the World Health Organization
and the International Labor Organization, are also providing the draft
to their Member States for comment. The United States is a Member State
of each of these International Organizations, and the U.S. Government
will be developing coordinated comments on the draft revision.
The BSS provides requirements for the wide range of radiation
protection situations which may exist. The draft report organizes these
requirements into three principle exposure situations, namely: Planned
exposure situations, in which an activity that may cause radiation
exposure can be planned in advance, and appropriate controls put into
place; emergency exposure situations, that arises as a result of an
accident, a malicious act, or any other unexpected event, and requires
prompt action in order to avoid or reduce adverse consequences; and
existing exposure situations, in which the circumstances causing
exposure already exist when a decision on the need for control has to
be taken (such as radon in homes). The requirements in the existing
BSS, and those contained in the draft cover areas which may be under
the jurisdiction of the NRC, or may be part of programs under other
Federal Agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and
the Department of Energy, or may be under the jurisdiction of various
State Agencies.
Many Member States of the IAEA will utilize the BSS as one basis
for the regulations for radiation safety in their countries. Adherence
to the provisions of the BSS is mandated for IAEA's own conduct, and
any uses of radiation or radioactive material where the IAEA is
providing technical assistance and support to the Member State. Users
of radiation and radioactive materials from the United States who may
do business in these countries may therefore be particularly interested
in this draft version. The United States does not directly adopt IAEA
standards, but may consider such standards as a useful point of
reference in the development of proposals under the Administrative
[[Page 6071]]
Procedure Act for changes to regulations or guidance in the United
States. There are many areas in which the existing BSS and the draft
BSS available for comment are known to differ from the current
provisions in the regulations of various Federal and State agencies in
the United States. Thus, views expressed on the IAEA draft BSS are not
considered as comments on any current or possible future regulation
activity, but are useful to assist the international community in
developing a logical, scientifically based set of requirements.
Furthermore, the IAEA BSS can serve as one possible point of reference
in the ongoing consideration by various U.S. Agencies of possible
regulatory options which may or may not result in a greater degree of
alignment with international radiation protection recommendations, such
as those in ICRP Publication 103.
ISCORS is a Committee of Federal Agencies intended to foster early
resolution and coordination of regulatory issues associated with
radiation standards and guidelines. Federal Agencies who are members of
ISCORS include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S.
Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the
U.S. Department of Transportation, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. The Office of Science and Technology
Policy, and the Office of Management and Budget are observers to the
Committee because of their science policy and regulatory policy
responsibilities. Representatives from selected state radiation control
organizations and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board are also
observers to the Committee because of their expertise in regulatory
implementation and oversight.
Attendees at the meeting are invited to express their views on the
draft safety requirement DS379. The views expressed during the meeting
will be considered for incorporation, along with comments developed
within the Agencies, and will help determine the U.S. Government
comments on the draft BSS to be submitted to the IAEA. ISCORS
recognizes that a variety of views may be provided, and that viewpoints
may differ. ISCORS does not intend to provide specific feedback to
those attending the public meeting, and attendees should have no
expectation that the views expressed during the meeting will be
included in the U.S. Government comments submitted to IAEA. However,
ISCORS, and its members agencies, believe that is important to provide
an opportunity for the public to express their views on the BSS through
this forum. Comments submitted by Member States, including the United
States, will be available on the IAEA web site. Note that future
domestic rulemakings, if appropriate, will continue to follow
established rulemaking procedures, including the opportunity to
formally comment on proposed rules.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of January, 2010.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert J. Lewis,
Director, Division of Material Safety and State Agreements, Office of
Federal and State Materials, and Environmental Management Programs.
[FR Doc. 2010-2547 Filed 2-4-10; 8:45 am]
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