[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 16, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 70913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29418]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 16, 2011 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 70913]]



NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

2 CFR Chapter XX

5 CFR Chapter XLVIII

10 CFR Chapter I

[NRC-2011-0246]


Retrospective Review Under Executive Order 13579

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Initial plan for retrospective analysis of existing rules.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) 
has made available its initial Plan for retrospective analysis of its 
existing regulations to determine whether any such regulations should 
be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed. This action is part of 
the NRC's voluntary implementation of Executive Order (EO) 13579, 
``Regulation and Independent Regulatory Agencies,'' issued by the 
President on July 11, 2011. The purpose of the NRC's review is to make 
its regulatory program more effective and less burdensome in achieving 
its regulatory objectives. The NRC is not instituting a public comment 
period for the initial Plan at this time but anticipates issuing a 
revised version for public comment in Calendar Year (CY) 2012 to 
reflect, as appropriate, any Commission decisions related to the 
Fukushima Task Force Report.

DATES: November 16, 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 purchase copies of 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 email to 
[email protected]. The NRC's initial Plan is in ADAMS under 
Accession Number ML112690277.
     Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Supporting materials related 
to this document can be found at http://www.regulations.gov by 
searching on Docket ID NRC-2011-0246. Address questions about NRC 
dockets to Carol Gallagher, telephone: (301) 492-3668; email: 
[email protected].
    The NRC's initial Plan may be viewed online on the NRC's Public Web 
site at http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/plans-performance.html#rules.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Bladey, Chief, Rules, 
Announcements, and Directives Branch, Office of Administration, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 
(301) 492-3667 or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On January 18, 2011, President Obama issued EO 13563, ``Improving 
Regulation and Regulatory Review.'' Executive Order 13563 directs 
Federal agencies to develop and submit a preliminary plan to the Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs that (1) Considers how the 
agencies will review existing significant regulations and (2) 
identifies regulations that can be made more effective or less 
burdensome in achieving regulatory objectives. Executive Order 13563 
did not, however, apply to independent regulatory agencies. 
Subsequently, on July 11, 2011, the President issued EO 13579, which 
recommends that independent regulatory agencies also develop 
retrospective plans similar to those required of other agencies under 
EO 13563. In response to EO 13579, the NRC is making available an 
initial Plan on the NRC's Public Web site.

Initial Plan for Retrospective Review

    The NRC's initial Plan describes the NRC's plans, processes, and 
activities relating to retrospective review of existing regulations, 
including discussion of efforts to (1) Incorporate risk assessments 
into regulatory decisionmaking and (2) address cumulative effects of 
regulation.
    On July 12, 2011, ``Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in 
the 21st Century: The Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the 
Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident'' (Fukushima Task Force Report, 
ML111861807), was issued. The Commission has recently directed staff to 
engage promptly with stakeholders to review and assess the 
recommendations of the Fukushima Task Force Report for the purpose of 
providing the Commission with fully-informed options and 
recommendations. The Commission's decision regarding the options and 
recommendations contained in the Fukushima Task Force Report may 
substantially affect the NRC's near-term rulemaking activities. Once 
the Commission reaches a decision, the NRC will then revise the initial 
Plan to incorporate any changes to rulemaking activities. The NRC will 
update the initial Plan on the NRC's Public Web site and publish the 
updated Plan for public comment in the Federal Register. The NRC 
anticipates this to occur in CY 2012.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of November 2011.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Annette L. Vietti-Cook,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2011-29418 Filed 11-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P