[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 156 (Monday, August 13, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48107-48108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19774]


 ========================================================================
 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.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 156 / Monday, August 13, 2012 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 48107]]



NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 61

[NRC-2011-0012]
RIN-3150-AI92


Workshop on Performance Assessments of Near-Surface Disposal 
Facilities: FEPs Analysis, Scenario and Conceptual Model Development, 
and Code Selection

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) 
plans to conduct a workshop on performance assessments of near-surface 
low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facilities. The workshop has 
been developed to facilitate communication among Federal and State 
agencies, industry representatives, contractors, and members of the 
public on three aspects of a performance assessment: (1) Features, 
Events, and Processes (FEPs) analysis, (2) the development of scenarios 
and conceptual models, and (3) the selection of computer codes. 
Information gathered from invited subject matter experts, stakeholders, 
and other interested members of the public will be used to improve 
guidance on performance assessments for near-surface disposal of LLW.

DATES: The workshop will be held on August 29 and August 30, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held (registration begins at 7:30 
a.m.) at the NRC Auditorium, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 
20852. The NRC welcomes active participation from those attending. 
Members of the public will be able to participate via telephone and 
webinar. The telephone and webinar information is provided below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Alexander, Office of Federal 
and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-
6755; email: [email protected]; or Tarsha Moon, Office of 
Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 
301-415-6745; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Accessing Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2011-0012 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information regarding this document. You may 
access information related to this document, which the NRC possesses 
and are publicly-available, using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2011-0012. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-492-
3668; email: [email protected].
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may access publicly-available documents online in the NRC 
Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the 
search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and then select ``Begin Web-
based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's 
Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737, or by email to [email protected].
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
     Information related to the workshop will be made available 
on the NRC's Web site. Information on the Web site will include any 
updates to the workshop, the final agenda, workshop presentations, and 
a video recording of the workshop.

II. Background

    The Commission's licensing requirements for the disposal of LLW in 
near-surface [approximately the uppermost 30 meters (100 feet)] 
facilities reside in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 
CFR) Part 61, ``Licensing Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive 
Waste.'' These regulations were published in the Federal Register on 
December 27, 1982 (47 FR 57446). The regulations emphasize an 
integrated systems approach to the disposal of commercial LLW, 
including site selection, disposal facility design and operation, 
minimum waste form requirements, and disposal facility closure. In 
connection with demonstrating compliance with 10 CFR Part 61, a 
performance assessment is used to quantitatively evaluate potential 
releases into the environment and the resultant radiological doses. NRC 
guidance for developing performance assessments can be found in NUREG-
1573. Currently, the NRC is considering a revision to 10 CFR Part 
61.\1\
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    \1\ See http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/rulemaking/potential-rulemaking/potential-part61-revision.html#initiative.
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III. NRC Public Meeting

    The purpose of this public meeting is to facilitate communication 
and gather information from Federal and State agencies, industry 
representatives, contractors, and members of the public concerning 
performance assessments of near-surface disposal facilities. 
Stakeholders and other interested members of the public will have an 
opportunity to pose questions directly to presenters and panelists in 
each of the sessions. Information gathered in the meeting will be used 
to improve guidance on performance assessments for near-surface 
disposal of LLW. The workshop will be organized into four sessions 
comprising a series of presentations followed by panel discussions of 
invited subject matter experts. The workshop sessions are as follows:
     Session 1: Performance Assessment Overview: US and 
International Approaches to Performance Assessment and Experiences with 
Analyses for LLW
     Session 2: Analysis of FEPs for Near-Surface Disposal 
Facilities
     Session 3: Scenario and Conceptual Model Development
     Session 4: Code Selection and Implementation, Model 
Abstraction, and Confidence Building Activities
    The public meeting will be held on August 29 and August 30, 2012, 
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (registration begins at 7:30 a.m.) in the 
Auditorium on Level P1 at NRC Headquarters, 11545 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, Maryland 20852. Pre-registration for this meeting

[[Page 48108]]

is not necessary. Members of the public choosing to participate in this 
meeting remotely can do so in one of two ways--online, or via a 
telephone (audio) connection. The webinar and call-in information is 
provided below:
    Date and Time: August 29, 2012 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Telephone Number: 1-888-469-3043.
    Access Code: 23678.
    Webinar Address: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/937057065.
    Date and Time: August 30, 2012 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Telephone Number: 1-888-942-8392.
    Access Code: 85687.
    Webinar Address: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/156319977.
    Members of the public interested in participating via webinar 
should follow the registration link above. After registering, 
instructions for joining the Webinar (including a teleconference number 
and pass code) will be provided via email. All participants will be in 
``listen-only'' mode during the presentation. Participants will have a 
chance to pose questions either orally after the presentation or in 
writing during the Webinar.
    The agenda for the public meeting will be noticed no fewer than 10 
days prior to the meeting on the NRC's Public Meeting Schedule Web site 
at http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm.
    Questions about participation in the public meetings should be 
directed to the points of contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this document.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of August 2012.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kevin Hsueh,
Acting Deputy Director, Environmental Protection and Performance 
Assessment Directorate, Division of Waste Management and Environmental 
Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental 
Management Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012-19774 Filed 8-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P