[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62857-62861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26172]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 70-7021; NRC-2011-0232]
Notice of Acceptance of Application for Special Nuclear Materials
Licensen From Rapiscan Laboratories, Inc., Opportunity To Request a
Hearing, and Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive
Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information for Contention Preparation
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: License application; opportunity for hearing and order.
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DATES: Requests for a hearing or Leave to Intervene must be filed by
December 12, 2011. Any potential party as defined in Title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 2.4 who believes access to SUNSI
information is necessary to respond to this notice must request
document access by October 21, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You can access publicly available documents related to this
document using the following methods:
NRC's Public Document Room (PDR): The public may examine
and have copied, for a fee, publicly available documents at the NRC's
PDR, O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland 20852.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): Publicly available documents created or received at the NRC
are available online in the NRC Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this page, the public can gain entry into ADAMS,
which provides text and image files of the NRC's public documents. If
you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing
the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC's PDR reference staff
at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to [email protected].
Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Public comments and
supporting materials related to this final rule can be found at http://www.regulations.gov by searching on Docket ID NRC-2011-0232. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher, telephone: 301-492-
3668; e-mail: [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilyn Diaz, Project Manager, Fuel
Manufacturing Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, 11555 Rockville Pike, Mailstop: EBB2-C40M,
Rockville, Maryland 20852; telephone: 301-492-3172; e-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC has accepted for detailed technical review an application
for a new license for the possession and use of special nuclear
material (SNM) for performance testing of radiation detection systems
for locating SNM, under a project sponsored by the Domestic Nuclear
Detection Office (DNDO) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS). Rapiscan Laboratories, Inc. (the Applicant) requested the new
license for a period of 10 years. This license application, if
approved, would authorize the Applicant to possess and use special
nuclear materials under 10 CFR Part 70, ``Domestic Licensing of Special
Nuclear Material.''
II. Discussion
In its application, dated October 22, 2010, the Applicant requested
a license to possess and use SNM to conduct tests of new technology for
use in detection systems. The SNM would be used as test objects for
concept demonstrations and characterization testing. Following an
administrative review, the NRC requested the Applicant to revise its
application to include elements essential to conducting a detailed
technical review. The Applicant submitted a revised license
application, dated February 9, 2011, and supplemental information on
March 10, 2011. By letter dated March 10, 2011, the NRC staff found the
revised license application acceptable to begin a detailed technical
review. The application has been docketed in Docket No. 70-7021.
If the NRC approves the license application, the basis for approval
will be documented in a Safety Evaluation Report (SER) supporting the
issuance of a new NRC license. The SER would contain the findings
required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and
the NRC's regulations, for issuing an SNM license. The SER would also
include a determination of the need to complete an environmental
[[Page 62858]]
assessment based on the proposed action.
III. Opportunity To Request a Hearing
Requirements for submitting hearing requests and petitions for
Leave to Intervene are found in 10 CFR 2.309, ``Hearing Requests,
Petitions to Intervene, Requirements for Standing, and Contentions.''
Interested persons should consult 10 CFR Part 2, Section 2.309, which
is available at the NRC's PDR, located at One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, O1-F21, Rockville, MD 20852. You may also call the PDR
at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737. The NRC regulations are also
accessible electronically from the NRC's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov.
Any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding, and
who desires to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a
written petition for Leave to Intervene. As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a
petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the
interest of the petitioner in the proceeding and how that interest may
be affected by the results of the proceeding. The petition must provide
the name, address, and telephone number of the petitioner; and
specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted
with particular reference to the following factors: (1) The nature of
the petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the
proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of the petitioner's property,
financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and (3) the possible
effect of any order that may be entered in the proceeding on the
petitioner's interest.
A petition for Leave to Intervene must also include a specification
of the contentions that the petitioner seeks to have litigated in the
hearing. For each contention, the petitioner must provide a specific
statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or controverted, as
well as a brief explanation of the basis for the contention.
Additionally, the petitioner must demonstrate that the issue raised by
each contention is within the scope of the proceeding, and is material
to the findings that the NRC must make to support the granting of a
license in response to the application. The petition must also include
a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert opinions which
support the position of the petitioner, and on which the petitioner
intends to rely at the Hearing--together with references to the
specific sources and documents on which the petitioner intends to rely.
Finally, the petition must provide sufficient information to show that
a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of law
or fact, including references to specific portions of the license
application that the petitioner disputes and the supporting reasons for
each dispute, or, if the petitioner believes that the license
application fails to contain information on a relevant matter as
required by law, the identification of each failure, and the supporting
reasons for the petitioner's belief. Each contention must be one that,
if proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding,
subject to any limitations in the order granting Leave to Intervene,
and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing with respect to resolution of that person's admitted
contentions, including the opportunity to present evidence and to
submit a cross-examination plan for cross-examination of witnesses,
consistent with the NRC's regulations, policies, and procedures. The
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (the Licensing Board) will set the
time and place for any pre-hearing conferences and evidentiary
hearings, and the appropriate notices will be provided.
Petitions for leave to intervene must be submitted no later than 60
days from October 11, 2011. Non-timely petitions for Leave to Intervene
and contentions, amended petitions, and supplemental petitions will not
be entertained, absent a determination by the Commission, the Licensing
Board or a Presiding Officer that the petition should be granted and/or
the contentions should be admitted based upon a balancing of the
factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)-(viii).
A State, county, municipality, Federally recognized Indian Tribe,
or agencies thereof, may submit a petition to the Commission to
participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(d)(2). The petition should
state the nature and extent of the petitioner's interest in the
proceeding. The petition should be submitted to the Commission by
December 12, 2011. The petition must be filed in accordance with the
filing instructions in Section IV of this document, and should meet the
requirements for petitions for Leave to Intervene set forth in this
section, except that State and Federally recognized Indian tribes do
not need to address the standing requirements in 10 CFR 2.309(d)(1) if
the facility is located within its boundaries. The entities listed
above could also seek to participate in a hearing as a non-party,
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.315(c).
Any person who does not wish, or is not qualified, to become a
party to this proceeding may request permission to make a limited
appearance pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 2.315(a). A person
making a limited appearance may make an oral or written statement of
position on the issues, but may not otherwise participate in the
proceeding. A limited appearance may be made at any session of the
hearing or at any pre-hearing conference, subject to such limits and
conditions as may be imposed by the Licensing Board. Persons desiring
to make a limited appearance are requested to inform the Secretary of
the Commission by December 12, 2011.
IV. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC's adjudicatory proceedings, including a
request for hearing, a petition for Leave to Intervene, any motion or
other document filed in the proceeding prior to the submission of a
request for hearing or petition to intervene, and any document filed by
interested Governmental entities participating under 10 CFR 2.315(c),
must be filed in accordance with the NRC E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139,
August 28, 2007). The E-Filing process requires participants to submit
and serve all adjudicatory documents over the Internet--or in some
cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media. Participants may not
submit paper copies of their filings unless they seek an exemption in
accordance with the procedures described below.
To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10
days prior to the filing deadline, the petitioner/requestor should
contact the Office of the Secretary by e-mail at
[email protected], or by telephone at 301-415-1677, to request:
(1) A digital ID certificate, which allows the participant (or its
counsel or representative) to digitally sign documents and access the
E-Submittal server for any proceeding in which it is participating; and
(2) advise the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a
request or petition for hearing (even in instances in which the
petitioner/requestor, or its counsel or representative, already holds
an NRC-issued digital ID certificate.) Based on this information, the
Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the hearing in this
proceeding, if the Secretary has not already established an electronic
docket.
Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is
available on NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/apply-certificates.html. System requirements for accessing
the E-Submittal server are detailed in NRC's,
[[Page 62859]]
``Guidance for Electronic Submission,'' which is available on the
agency's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. Participants may attempt to use other software not
listed on the Web site, but should note that the NRC's E-Filing system
does not support unlisted software; and the NRC's Meta System Help Desk
will not be able to offer assistance in using unlisted software.
If a participant is electronically submitting a document to the NRC
in accordance with the E-Filing rule, the participant must file the
document using the NRC's online, Web-based submission form, including
the installation of the Web browser plug-in, is available on the NRC's
public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
Once a petitioner/requestor has obtained a digital ID certificate
and a docket has been created, the petitioner/requestor can then submit
a request for hearing or petition for Leave to Intervene. Submissions
should be in Portable Document Format (PDF) in accordance with the
NRC's guidance available on the NRC public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. A filing is considered
complete at the time the filer submits its documents through EIE. To be
timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the EIE system no
later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on the due date. Upon
receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps the document
and sends the submitter an e-mail notice confirming receipt of the
document. The EIE system also distributes an e-mail notice that
provides access to the document to the NRC's Office of the General
Counsel and any others who have advised the Office of the Secretary
that they wish to participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need
not serve the documents on those participants separately. Therefore,
applicants and other participants (or their counsel or representative)
must apply for and receive a digital ID certificate before a Hearing
Request/Petition to Intervene is filed so that they can obtain access
to the document via the E-Filing system.
A person filing electronically using the agency's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC Meta System
Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC Web site
at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by e-mail
[email protected], or by calling 800-672-7640. The NRC Meta
System Help Desk is available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern
Standard Time, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.
Participants who believe that they have a good cause for not
submitting documents electronically must file a motion, in accordance
with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing requesting
authorization to continue to submit documents in paper format. Such
filings must be submitted by: (1) First-class mail addressed to the
Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or expedited
delivery service to the Office of the Secretary, 16th Floor, One White
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852,
Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff. Participants filing a
document in this manner are responsible for serving the document on all
other participants. Filing is considered complete by first-class mail
as of the time of deposit in the mail, or by courier, express mail, or
expedited delivery service upon depositing the document with the
provider of the service. A presiding officer, having granted an
exemption request from using E-Filing, may require a participant or
party to use E-Filing if the presiding officer subsequently determines
that the reason for granting the exemption from use of E-Filing no
longer exists.
Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in
NRC's electronic hearing docket, which is available to the public at
http://ehd1.nrc.gov/EHD/, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the
Commission or the presiding officer. Participants are requested not to
include personal privacy information, such as social security numbers,
home addresses, or home telephone numbers in their filings, unless an
NRC regulation or other law requires submission of such information.
With respect to copyrighted works, except for limited excerpts that
serve the purpose of the adjudicatory filings and would constitute a
Fair Use application, participants are requested not to include
copyrighted materials in their submission.
Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-
Safeguards Information for Contention Preparation
A. This Order contains instructions regarding how potential parties
to this proceeding may request access to documents containing Sensitive
Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI).
B. Within 10 days after publication of this notice of hearing and
opportunity to petition for leave to intervene, any potential party who
believes access to SUNSI is necessary to respond to this notice may
request such access. A ``potential party'' is any person who intends to
participate as a party by demonstrating standing and filing an
admissible contention under 10 CFR 2.309. Requests for access to SUNSI
submitted later than 10 days after publication will not be considered
absent a showing of good cause for the late filing, addressing why the
request could not have been filed earlier.
C. The requester shall submit a letter requesting permission to
access SUNSI to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff, and provide a copy to the Associate General
Counsel for Hearings, Enforcement and Administration, Office of the
General Counsel, Washington, DC 20555-0001. The expedited delivery or
courier mail address for both offices is: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The e-mail
address for the Office of the Secretary and the Office of the General
Counsel are [email protected] and [email protected],
respectively.\1\ The request must include the following information:
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\1\ While a request for hearing or petition to intervene in this
proceeding must comply with the filing requirements of the NRC's
``E-Filing Rule,'' the initial request to access SUNSI under these
procedures should be submitted as described in this paragraph.
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(1) A description of the licensing action with a citation to this
Federal Register notice;
(2) The name and address of the potential party and a description
of the potential party's particularized interest that could be harmed
by the action identified in C.(1);
(3) The identity of the individual or entity requesting access to
SUNSI and the requester's basis for the need for the information in
order to meaningfully participate in this adjudicatory proceeding. In
particular, the request must explain why publicly-available versions of
the information requested would not be sufficient to provide the basis
and specificity for a proffered contention;
D. Based on an evaluation of the information submitted under
paragraph C.(3) the NRC staff will determine within 10 days of receipt
of the request whether:
(1) There is a reasonable basis to believe the petitioner is likely
to
[[Page 62860]]
establish standing to participate in this NRC proceeding; and
(2) The requestor has established a legitimate need for access to
SUNSI.
E. If the NRC staff determines that the requestor satisfies both
D.(1) and D.(2) above, the NRC staff will notify the requestor in
writing that access to SUNSI has been granted. The written notification
will contain instructions on how the requestor may obtain copies of the
requested documents, and any other conditions that may apply to access
to those documents. These conditions may include, but are not limited
to, the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement or Affidavit, or
Protective Order \2\ setting forth terms and conditions to prevent the
unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure of SUNSI by each individual who
will be granted access to SUNSI.
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\2\ Any motion for Protective Order or draft Non-Disclosure
Affidavit or Agreement for SUNSI must be filed with the presiding
officer or the Chief Administrative Judge if the presiding officer
has not yet been designated, within 30 days of the deadline for the
receipt of the written access request.
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F. Filing of Contentions. Any contentions in these proceedings that
are based upon the information received as a result of the request made
for SUNSI must be filed by the requestor no later than 25 days after
the requestor is granted access to that information. However, if more
than 25 days remain between the date the petitioner is granted access
to the information and the deadline for filing all other contentions
(as established in the notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing),
the petitioner may file its SUNSI contentions by that later deadline.
G. Review of Denials of Access.
(1) If the request for access to SUNSI is denied by the NRC staff
either after a determination on standing and need for access, or after
a determination on trustworthiness and reliability, the NRC staff shall
immediately notify the requestor in writing, briefly stating the reason
or reasons for the denial.
(2) The requester may challenge the NRC staff's adverse
determination by filing a challenge within 5 days of receipt of that
determination with: (a) The presiding officer designated in this
proceeding; (b) if no presiding officer has been appointed, the Chief
Administrative Judge, or if he or she is unavailable, another
administrative judge, or an administrative law judge with jurisdiction
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.318(a); or (c) if another officer has been
designated to rule on information access issues, with that officer.
H. Review of Grants of Access. A party other than the requester may
challenge an NRC staff determination granting access to SUNSI whose
release would harm that party's interest independent of the proceeding.
Such a challenge must be filed with the Chief Administrative Judge
within 5 days of the notification by the NRC staff of its grant of
access.
If challenges to the NRC staff determinations are filed, these
procedures give way to the normal process for litigating disputes
concerning access to information. The availability of interlocutory
review by the Commission of orders ruling on such NRC staff
determinations (whether granting or denying access) is governed by 10
CFR 2.311.\3\
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\3\ Requesters should note that the filing requirements of the
NRC's E-Filing Rule (72 FR 49139; August 28, 2007) apply to appeals
of NRC staff determinations (because they must be served on a
presiding officer or the Commission, as applicable), but not to the
initial SUNSI request submitted to the NRC staff under these
procedures.
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I. The Commission expects that the NRC staff and presiding officers
(and any other reviewing officers) will consider and resolve requests
for access to SUNSI, and motions for protective orders, in a timely
fashion in order to minimize any unnecessary delays in identifying
those petitioners who have standing and who have propounded contentions
meeting the specificity and basis requirements in 10 CFR part 2.
Attachment 1 to this Order summarizes the general target schedule for
processing and resolving requests under these procedures.
It Is So Ordered.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of October, 2011.
For the Commission.
Annette L. Vietti-Cook.
Secretary of the Commission.
Attachment 1--General Target Schedule for Processing and Resolving
Requests for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information
in This Proceeding
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Day Event/activity
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0........................ Publication of Federal Register notice of
hearing and opportunity to petition for
leave to intervene, including order with
instructions for access requests.
10....................... Deadline for submitting requests for access
to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards
Information (SUNSI) with information:
Supporting the standing of a potential party
identified by name and address; describing
the need for the information in order for
the potential party to participate
meaningfully in an adjudicatory proceeding.
60....................... Deadline for submitting petition for
intervention containing: (i) Demonstration
of standing; (ii) all contentions whose
formulation does not require access to SUNSI
(+25 Answers to petition for intervention;
+7 petitioner/requestor reply).
20....................... Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff
informs the requester of the staff's
determination whether the request for access
provides a reasonable basis to believe
standing can be established and shows need
for SUNSI. (NRC staff also informs any party
to the proceeding whose interest independent
of the proceeding would be harmed by the
release of the information.) If NRC staff
makes the finding of need for SUNSI and
likelihood of standing, NRC staff begins
document processing (preparation of
redactions or review of redacted documents).
25....................... If NRC staff finds no ``need'' or no
likelihood of standing, the deadline for
petitioner/requester to file a motion
seeking a ruling to reverse the NRC staff's
denial of access; NRC staff files copy of
access determination with the presiding
officer (or Chief Administrative Judge or
other designated officer, as appropriate).
If NRC staff finds ``need'' for SUNSI, the
deadline for any party to the proceeding
whose interest independent of the proceeding
would be harmed by the release of the
information to file a motion seeking a
ruling to reverse the NRC staff's grant of
access.
30....................... Deadline for NRC staff reply to motions to
reverse NRC staff determination(s).
40....................... (Receipt +30) If NRC staff finds standing and
need for SUNSI, deadline for NRC staff to
complete information processing and file
motion for Protective Order and draft Non-
Disclosure Affidavit. Deadline for applicant/
licensee to file Non-Disclosure Agreement
for SUNSI.
A........................ If access granted: Issuance of presiding
officer or other designated officer decision
on motion for protective order for access to
sensitive information (including schedule
for providing access and submission of
contentions) or decision reversing a final
adverse determination by the NRC staff.
A + 3.................... Deadline for filing executed Non-Disclosure
Affidavits. Access provided to SUNSI
consistent with decision issuing the
protective order.
[[Page 62861]]
A + 28................... Deadline for submission of contentions whose
development depends upon access to SUNSI.
However, if more than 25 days remain between
the petitioner's receipt of (or access to)
the information and the deadline for filing
all other contentions (as established in the
notice of hearing or opportunity for
hearing), the petitioner may file its SUNSI
contentions by that later deadline.
A + 53................... (Contention receipt +25) Answers to
contentions whose development depends upon
access to SUNSI.
A + 60................... (Answer receipt +7) Petitioner/Intervenor
reply to answers.
>A + 60.................. Decision on contention admission.
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[FR Doc. 2011-26172 Filed 10-7-11; 8:45 am]
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