[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 154 (Friday, August 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48726-48727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19306]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2013-0181]
Placement of the Georgia Agreement State Program on Probation
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of the Georgia Agreement State Program being placed on
probation.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the
placement of the Georgia Agreement State Program (Georgia Program) for
the regulation of certain Atomic Energy Act materials on probation and
a further increase in the NRC oversight of the Georgia Program,
including overseeing implementation of a ``Program Improvement Plan''
developed by the staff of the Georgia Program. Once the Georgia Program
has met the commitments made in the ``Program Improvement Plan,'' and
has demonstrated significant and sustainable improvements, the
probationary status could be lifted. There will be further
announcements of such action.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2013-0181] when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may access publicly-available information related to this action by the
following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2013-0181]. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-287-
3422; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact
the individual(s) listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section
of this document.
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]. The ADAMS accession number
for each document referenced in this document (if that document is
available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is
referenced
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Dimmick, Office of Federal and
State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone: 301-415-0694,
email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Under Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, the
Commission retains the authority and the responsibility to ensure that
Agreement State programs continue to provide adequate protection of
public health and safety, and to be compatible with the NRC's program
with respect to the regulation of the materials and uses authorized
under the agreement. Agreement States are States that have assumed
regulatory authority from the NRC over the possession and use of
certain radioactive materials.
Section 274j. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended,
requires that the NRC periodically review each Agreement State to
ensure each State's regulatory programs are adequate and compatible.
The NRC evaluates Agreement State radiation control programs, using
performance indicators, to ensure that public health and safety is
being adequately protected. The periodic review process for Agreement
State programs is called the Integrated Materials Performance
Evaluation Program (IMPEP).
The Management Review Board (MRB), in a public meeting, makes the
overall assessment of the Agreement State program. Information
considered by the MRB includes the proposed final IMPEP report, which
presents suggested performance indicator ratings and recommendations
prepared by the IMPEP review team, and information provided by the
State at the MRB meeting. For most IMPEP reviews, no action other than
issuance of the final IMPEP report is needed. For those infrequent
reviews where additional action is needed, the MRB may consider
Monitoring, Heightened Oversight, and recommendations for Probation,
Suspension, or Termination. The most significant actions, Probation,
Suspension, or Termination, require Commission approval. In 2008, the
MRB placed the Georgia Program under a condition of Monitoring due to
the results of the 2008 Georgia Program IMPEP.
After the most recent review, the MRB found the overall Georgia
Program compatible with the NRC's program and adequate to protect
public health and safety, but it needs improvement. The MRB found the
Georgia Program performance unsatisfactory for two performance
indicators: Technical Quality of Inspections, and Technical Quality of
Incident and Allegation Activities. The Georgia Program was found
satisfactory, but it needs improvement, for three performance
indicators: Technical Staffing and Training, Status of Materials
Inspection Program, and Technical Quality of Licensing Actions. The
indicators, Compatibility Requirements and Sealed Source and Device
Evaluation were found satisfactory. The MRB recommended that the
Georgia Program be placed on Probation due to the significant
performance issues identified. The Commission agreed that the Georgia
Program should be placed on Probation.
The Georgia Agreement State Program's progress in addressing the
program weaknesses will be evaluated in January 2014 by an IMPEP review
team. Once the MRB determines that the Agreement State has met the
commitments in the ``Program Improvement Plan'' and has demonstrated
significant and sustainable improvements in program performance, a
recommendation will be made to the Commission that the probationary
status be lifted.
Notification of discontinuance of Probation would be made to the
Governor of Georgia, the Georgia Congressional delegation, and all
other Agreement and Non-Agreement States.
[[Page 48727]]
The NRC would also publish a Federal Register notice and a press
release announcing the discontinuance of Probation for the Georgia
Program, if approved by the Commission.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of August, 2013.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Mark A. Satorius,
Director, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental
Management Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-19306 Filed 8-8-13; 8:45 am]
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