[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51986-51987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20968]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage 
Contingent Cost Allocation

AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of extension of public comment period for reply 
comments.

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SUMMARY: On July 27, 2010, the Department of Energy (DOE) published in 
the Federal Register, a notice of inquiry (NOI) and request for comment 
from the public to assist in its development of regulations pertaining 
to section 934 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 
(``Act'') . The NOI stated that comments were to be submitted by 
September 27, 2010. This notice announces that the period for 
submitting comments is extended to October 27, 2010.

DATES: DOE will accept comments and information regarding the NOI and 
the development of regulations under the Act received no later than 
October 27, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Any comments submitted must identify section 934 of the Act, 
as appropriate. Comments may be submitted using any of the following 
methods:
     E-mail: Section 934 [email protected]. Include Section 
934 in the subject line of the message.
     Postal Mail: Sophia Angelini, Attorney-Advisor, Office of 
the General Counsel for Civilian Nuclear Programs, GC-52, U.S. 
Department of Energy, l000 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 6A-

[[Page 51987]]

167, Washington, DC 20585; Telephone (202) 586-0319. Please submit one 
signed original and three paper copies of all comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sophia Angelini, Attorney-Advisor, 
Office of the General Counsel for Civilian Nuclear Programs, GC-52, 
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC 20585; Telephone (202) 586-0319.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 27, 2010, the DOE published an NOI 
in the Federal Register (75 FR 43945) on the development of regulations 
under section 934 of the Act, entitled Convention on Supplementary 
Compensation for Nuclear Damage Contingent Cost Allocation. Section 934 
addresses how the United States will meet its obligations under the 
Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) and, 
in particular, its obligation to contribute to an international 
supplementary fund in the event of certain nuclear incidents. Section 
934 authorizes the Secretary of Energy to issue regulations 
establishing a retrospective risk pooling program by which nuclear 
suppliers will reimburse the United States government for its 
contribution to the international supplementary fund. This 
retrospective risk pooling program will operate with respect to nuclear 
incidents that are covered by the international supplementary fund, 
take place outside the United States, and are not covered by the Price-
Anderson Act indemnification.
    The NOI requested public comment from interested persons regarding 
specific as well as general questions and provided for the submission 
of comments by September 27, 2010. To date, DOE has received comments 
dated August 10, 2010 from the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), stating 
that the breadth and number of topics on which comment has been 
requested will require substantial time and significant effort by 
nuclear suppliers to amass relevant data, analyses and other 
information to be considered by DOE. NEI also referred to ``the 
potential amount of the retrospective liability to be borne by 
individual companies, the varying impact of such liability on companies 
of vastly different sizes with vastly different revenues, and the wide 
variety of goods and services supplied and the time over which they are 
supplied,'' as a basis for nuclear suppliers identifying a host of 
difficult issues related to the administration of any CSC risk pooling 
program that warrants additional time for nuclear suppliers to provide 
comments to DOE. For these reasons, NEI requested that the deadline for 
public comment be extended for an additional thirty (30) days, to 
October 27, 2010.
    DOE has determined that extension of the comment period is 
appropriate based on the foregoing reasons. An extended comment period 
also supports DOE's interest in obtaining detailed and comprehensive 
commentary from nuclear suppliers and other interested stakeholders. 
DOE is hereby extending the comment period to October 27, 2010. DOE 
will consider any comments received by October 27, 2010 and deems any 
comments received between publication of the NOI and October 27, 2010 
to be timely submitted.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2010.
Scott Blake Harris,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2010-20968 Filed 8-23-10; 8:45 am]
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