[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29828-29834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-13626]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2018-0104]
State of Wyoming: NRC Staff Assessment of a Proposed Agreement
Between the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the State of Wyoming
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Proposed state agreement; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: By letter dated November 14, 2017, Governor Matthew H. Mead of
the State of Wyoming requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC or Commission) enter into an Agreement with the State
of Wyoming as authorized by Section 274b. of the Atomic Energy Act of
1954, as amended (AEA).
Under the proposed Agreement, the Commission would discontinue, and
the State of Wyoming would assume, regulatory authority over the
management and disposal of byproduct materials as defined in Section
11e.(2) of the AEA and a subcategory of source material associated with
uranium or thorium milling within the State. Pursuit to Commission
direction, the proposed Agreement would state that the NRC will retain
regulatory authority over the American Nuclear Corporation (ANC)
license.
As required by Section 274e. of the AEA, the NRC is publishing the
proposed Agreement for public comment. The NRC is also publishing the
summary of a draft assessment by the NRC staff of the State of
Wyoming's regulatory program. Comments are requested on the proposed
Agreement, especially its effect on public health and safety. Comments
are also requested on the draft staff assessment, the adequacy of the
State of Wyoming's program, and the State's program staff, as discussed
in this notice.
The proposed Agreement would exempt persons who possess or use
byproduct materials as defined in Section 11e.(2) of the AEA and a
subcategory of source material involved in the extraction or
concentration of uranium or thorium in source material or ores at
uranium or thorium milling facilities in the State of Wyoming from
portions of the Commission's regulatory
[[Page 29829]]
authority. Radioactive materials not covered by the proposed Agreement
will continue to be subject to the Commission's regulatory authority.
Section 274e. of the AEA requires that the NRC publish these
exemptions. Notice is hereby given that the pertinent exemptions have
been previously published in the Federal Register and are codified in
the NRC's regulations.
DATES: Submit comments by July 26, 2018. Comments received after this
date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission
is able to ensure consideration only for comments received before this
date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by the following method:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0104. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-
9127; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact
the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section
of this document.
For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting
comments, see ``Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments'' in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Poy, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301-415-7135, email:
[email protected]; or Paul Michalak, telephone: 301-415-5804, email:
[email protected]. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments
A. Obtaining Information
Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0104 when contacting the NRC
about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain
publicly-available information related to this action by any of the
following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0104.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection 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, at 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected].
The draft application for a Section 274 Atomic Energy Act Agreement
from the State of Wyoming, the final Wyoming Agreement State
application, and the Draft Assessment of the Proposed Wyoming Program
for the Regulation of Agreement Materials documents are available in
ADAMS under Accession Nos. ML16300A294, ML17319A921, and ML18094B074.
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.
B. Submitting Comments
Please include Docket ID NRC-2018-0104 in your comment submission.
The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information
that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your comment
submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at http://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions into
ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove
identifying or contact information.
If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to
remove such information before making the comment submissions available
to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS.
II. Additional Information on Agreements Entered Under Section 274 of
the AEA
Since Section 274 of the AEA was added in 1959, the Commission has
entered into Agreements with 37 States (Agreement States). The 37
Agreement States currently regulate approximately 16,500 Agreement
material licenses, while the NRC regulates approximately 2,800
licenses. Under the proposed Agreement, 14 NRC uranium mill licenses
will transfer to the State of Wyoming. The NRC periodically reviews the
performance of the Agreement States to assure compliance with the
provisions of Section 274.
Section 274e. of the AEA requires that the terms of the proposed
Agreement be published in the Federal Register for public comment once
each week for four consecutive weeks. This notice is being published in
fulfillment of that requirement.
III. Proposed Agreement With the State of Wyoming
Background
(a) Section 274b. of the AEA provides the mechanism for a State to
assume regulatory authority from the NRC over certain radioactive
materials and activities that involve use of these materials. The
radioactive materials, sometimes referred to as ``Agreement
materials,'' are byproduct materials as defined in Sections 11e.(1),
11e.(2), 11e.(3), and 11e.(4) of the AEA; source material as defined in
Section 11z. of the AEA; and special nuclear material as defined in
Section 11aa. of the AEA, restricted to quantities not sufficient to
form a critical mass.
The radioactive materials and activities (which together are
usually referred to as the ``categories of materials'') that the State
of Wyoming requests authority over are the possession and use of
byproduct materials as defined in Section 11e.(2) of the AEA and a
subcategory of source material involved in the extraction or
concentration of uranium or thorium in source material or ores at
uranium or thorium milling facilities (source material associated with
milling activities).
(b) The proposed Agreement contains articles that
(i) Specify the materials and activities over which authority is
transferred;
(ii) Specify the materials and activities over which the Commission
will retain regulatory authority;
(iii) Continue the authority of the Commission to safeguard special
nuclear material, and restricted data and protect common defense and
security;
(iv) Commit the State of Wyoming and the NRC to exchange
information as necessary to maintain coordinated and compatible
programs;
(v) Provide for the reciprocal recognition of licenses;
(vi) Provide for the suspension or termination of the Agreement;
and
(vii) Specify the effective date of the proposed Agreement.
The Commission reserves the option to modify the terms of the
proposed Agreement in response to comments, to correct errors, and to
make editorial changes. The final text of the proposed Agreement, with
the effective date, will be published after the Agreement is approved
by the Commission and signed by the NRC Chairman and the Governor of
Wyoming.
(c) The regulatory program is authorized by law under the State of
[[Page 29830]]
Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2001, which provides the Governor with
the authority to enter into an Agreement with the Commission. The State
of Wyoming law contains provisions for the orderly transfer of
regulatory authority over affected licensees from the NRC to the State.
In a letter dated November 14, 2017, Governor Mead certified that the
State of Wyoming has a program for the control of radiation hazards
that is adequate to protect public health and safety within the State
of Wyoming for the materials and activities specified in the proposed
Agreement, and that the State desires to assume regulatory
responsibility for these materials and activities. After the effective
date of the Agreement, licenses issued by NRC would continue in effect
as State of Wyoming licenses until the licenses expire or are replaced
by State-issued licenses.
(d) The NRC draft staff assessment finds that the Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality, Land Quality Division, Uranium
Recovery Program, is adequate to protect public health and safety and
is compatible with the NRC program for the regulation of Agreement
materials. Pursuant to Commission direction, the proposed Agreement
includes a provision that the State of Wyoming has until the end of the
2019 legislative session to amend Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2004(c)
to be compatible with AEA Section 83b.(1)(A), or the Agreement will
terminate without further NRC action. The proposed Agreement also
explicitly states that, prior to the requisite amendment of Wyoming
Statute Section 35-11-2004(c), the NRC will reject any State of Wyoming
request to terminate a license that proposes to bifurcate the ownership
of byproduct material and its disposal site between the State and the
Federal government. Pursuant to Commission direction, the Agreement
contains a provision that requires the State of Wyoming to revise
Statute Section 35-11-2004(c) during the next legislative session to be
compatible with AEA Section 83b.(1)(A). If the Wyoming Statute Section
35-11-2004(c) is not amended by the end of the 2019 legislative
session, the Agreement will terminate.
Summary of the Draft NRC Staff Assessment of the State of Wyoming's
Program for the Regulation of Agreement Materials
The NRC staff has examined the State of Wyoming's request for an
Agreement with respect to the ability of the State's radiation control
program to regulate Agreement materials. The examination was based on
the Commission's Policy Statement, ``Criteria for Guidance of States
and NRC in Discontinuance of NRC Regulatory Authority and Assumption
Thereof by States Through Agreement,'' (46 FR 7540; January 23, 1981,
as amended by Policy Statements published at 46 FR 36969; July 16,
1981, and at 48 FR 33376; July 21, 1983) (Policy Statement), and the
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Procedure SA[dash]700,
``Processing an Agreement'' (available at https://scp.nrc.gov/procedures/sa700.pdf and https://scp.nrc.gov/procedures/sa700_hb.pdf).
The Policy Statement has 36 criteria that serve as the basis for the
NRC staff's assessment of the State of Wyoming's request for an
Agreement. The following section will reference the appropriate
criteria numbers from the Policy Statement that apply to each section.
(a) Organization and Personnel. These areas were reviewed under
Criteria 1, 2, 20, 24, 33, and 34 in the draft staff assessment. The
State of Wyoming's proposed Agreement materials program for the
regulation of radioactive materials is the Uranium Recovery Program.
The Uranium Recovery Program will be located within the existing Land
Quality Division of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.
The educational requirements for the Uranium Recovery Program staff
members are specified in the State of Wyoming's personnel position
descriptions and meet the NRC criteria with respect to formal education
or combined education and experience requirements. All current staff
members hold a Bachelor of Science Degree or Master's Degree in one of
the following subject areas: Environmental science, health physics,
nuclear engineering, geology, or ecology. All have training and work
experience in radiation protection. Supervisory level staff have at
least 5 years of working experience in radiation protection, with most
having more than 10 years of experience.
The State of Wyoming performed an analysis of the expected workload
under the proposed Agreement. Based on the NRC staff review of the
State of Wyoming's analysis, the State has an adequate number of staff
to regulate radioactive materials under the terms of the proposed
Agreement. The State of Wyoming will employ the equivalent of 7.2 full-
time professional and technical staff to support the Uranium Recovery
Program.
The State of Wyoming has indicated that the Uranium Recovery
Program has an adequate number of trained and qualified staff in place.
The State of Wyoming has developed qualification procedures for license
reviewers and inspectors that are similar to the NRC's procedures. The
Uranium Recovery Program staff is accompanying the NRC staff on
inspections of NRC licensees in Wyoming. The Uranium Recovery Program
staff is also actively supplementing their experience through direct
meetings, discussions, and facility visits with the NRC licensees in
the State of Wyoming and through self-study, in-house training, and
formal training.
Overall, the NRC staff concluded that the Uranium Recovery Program
staff identified by the State of Wyoming to participate in the
Agreement materials program has sufficient knowledge and experience in
radiation protection, the use of radioactive materials, the standards
for the evaluation of applications for licensing, and the techniques of
inspecting licensed users of Agreement materials.
(b) Legislation and Regulations. These areas were reviewed under
Criteria 1-14, 17, 19, 21, and 23-33 in the draft staff assessment. The
Wyoming Statutes Sections 35-11-2001(a) through (c) provide the
authority to enter into the Agreement and establish the Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality as the lead agency for the State's
Uranium Recovery Program. The Department has the requisite authority to
promulgate regulations under Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2002(b) for
protection against radiation. The Wyoming Statutes Sections 35-11-2001
through -2005 also provide the Uranium Recovery Program the authority
to issue licenses and orders; conduct inspections; and enforce
compliance with regulations, license conditions, and orders. The
Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2003(d) requires licensees to provide
access to inspectors.
The Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2001(e) does not provide the
State of Wyoming with authority over independent or commercial
laboratories. Under the proposed Agreement, the NRC would retain
regulatory authority over laboratory facilities that are not located at
facilities licensed under the State of Wyoming's regulatory authority.
The State of Wyoming would only regulate laboratory facilities located
at uranium or thorium mills. The NRC staff verified that the State of
Wyoming adopted the relevant NRC regulations in parts 19, 20, 40, 71,
and 150 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), into
the Wyoming Uranium Recovery Program Rules Chapters 1 through 9.
Therefore, on the proposed effective date of the Agreement, the State
of Wyoming will have adopted an adequate and compatible set of
radiation
[[Page 29831]]
protection regulations that apply to byproduct materials as defined in
Section 11e.(2) of the AEA and source material associated with milling
activities. The NRC staff also verified that the State of Wyoming will
not attempt to enforce regulatory matters reserved to the Commission.
(c) Storage and Disposal. These areas were reviewed under Criteria
8, 9a, 11, 29, 30, 31, and 32 in the draft staff assessment. The State
of Wyoming has adopted NRC compatible requirements for the handling and
storage of radioactive material. The State of Wyoming has adopted an
adequate and compatible set of radiation protection regulations that
apply to byproduct material as defined in Section 11e.(2) of the AEA
and source material associated with milling activities.
As a result of the class of byproduct material it will be
regulating (Section 11e.(2) of the AEA), the State of Wyoming is not
required to have regulations compatible to 10 CFR part 61 for waste
disposal. Rather, the State of Wyoming is required to have regulations
that are compatible with 10 CFR part 40 for the disposal of byproduct
material as defined in Section 11e.(2) of the AEA and source material
associated with milling activities. The NRC staff confirmed that the
State of Wyoming has adopted regulations that are compatible with the
NRC regulations in 10 CFR part 40 for the disposal of byproduct
material and source material associated with milling activities, which
are equivalent to the applicable standards contained in 10 CFR part 61.
These regulations address the general requirements for waste
disposal and are applicable to all licensees covered under this
proposed Agreement.
The NRC staff identified one portion of the Wyoming Statute that is
potentially not compatible with NRC requirements. Section 83b.(1)(A) of
the AEA ensures that ownership of the byproduct material itself is
inseparable from the site on which it is disposed. Consequently, the
State of Wyoming has the option of taking title to the material and its
disposal site, but the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act
(UMTRCA) does not permit a State to bifurcate ownership of the disposed
byproduct material and the property rights necessary to ensure its safe
disposal. The Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2004(c), enacted in
anticipation of the State of Wyoming's assumption of the NRC's
regulatory authority for uranium and thorium milling, could permit the
bifurcation of the disposed byproduct material and its disposal site by
the State. As discussed in Criterion 30c. of the draft staff
assessment, this bifurcation of the land and the disposed byproduct
material could conflict with the AEA (as amended by UMTRCA), and
Article II.B.2.b. in the proposed Agreement.
Based on Commission direction, the NRC staff concluded that
Criterion 30c. is satisfied in the following manner: The Commission
could complete the process for the final application package for the
Agreement, including publishing the proposed Agreement for comment, by
noting that the Commission's finding of compatibility is contingent on
the State of Wyoming revising this provision, during the next
legislative session, to be compatible with AEA Section 83b.(1)(A).
Thus, an Agreement could be executed, but it would include a provision
that the State of Wyoming has until the end of the 2019 legislative
session to amend Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2004(c) to be compatible
with AEA Section 83b.(1)(A), or the Agreement will terminate without
further NRC action. The Agreement would also explicitly state that the
NRC will reject any State of Wyoming request to terminate a license
that proposes to bifurcate the ownership of byproduct material and its
disposal site between the State and the federal government. The NRC
staff determined that there is little practical risk that the State of
Wyoming's current statutory provisions would result in the bifurcation
of the 11e.(2) byproduct material from the land since the NRC is
required to review and approve any State-proposed termination of a
uranium mill license.
(d) Transportation of Radioactive Material. This area was reviewed
under Criteria 10 and 35 in the draft staff assessment. The State of
Wyoming has adopted compatible regulations to the NRC regulations in 10
CFR part 71. Part 71 contains the requirements licensees must follow
when preparing packages containing radioactive material for transport.
Part 71 also contains requirements related to the licensing of
packaging for use in transporting radioactive materials.
(e) Recordkeeping and Incident Reporting. These areas were reviewed
under Criteria 1, 11, and 35 in the draft staff assessment. The State
of Wyoming has adopted compatible regulations to the sections of the
NRC regulations that specify requirements for licensees to keep records
and to report incidents or accidents involving the State's regulated
Agreement materials.
(f) Evaluation of License Applications. This area was reviewed
under Criteria 1, 7, 8, 9a, 13, 14, 20, 23, 25, and 29-35 in the draft
staff assessment. The State of Wyoming has adopted compatible
regulations to the NRC regulations that specify the requirements a
person must meet to get a license to possess or use radioactive
materials. The State of Wyoming has also developed a licensing
procedure manual, along with accompanying regulatory guides, which are
adapted from similar NRC documents and contain guidance for the program
staff when evaluating license applications.
(g) Inspections and Enforcement. These areas were reviewed under
Criteria 1, 16, 18, 19, 23, 35, and 36 in the draft staff assessment.
The State of Wyoming has adopted a schedule providing for the
inspection of licensees as frequently as, or more frequently than, the
inspection schedule used by the NRC. The State of Wyoming's Uranium
Recovery Program has adopted procedures for the conduct of inspections,
reporting of inspection findings, and reporting inspection results to
the licensees. Additionally, the State of Wyoming has also adopted
procedures for the enforcement of regulatory requirements.
(h) Regulatory Administration. This area was reviewed under
Criterion 23 in the draft staff assessment. The State of Wyoming is
bound by requirements specified in its State law for rulemaking,
issuing licenses, and taking enforcement actions. The State of Wyoming
has also adopted administrative procedures to assure fair and impartial
treatment of license applicants. The State of Wyoming law prescribes
standards of ethical conduct for State employees.
(i) Cooperation with Other Agencies. This area was reviewed under
Criteria 25, 26, and 27 in the draft staff assessment. The State of
Wyoming law provides for the recognition of existing NRC and Agreement
State licenses and the State has a process in place for the transition
of active NRC licenses. Upon the effective date of the Agreement, all
active uranium recovery NRC licenses issued to facilities in the State
of Wyoming, with the exception of the ANC license, will be recognized
as Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality licenses.
The State of Wyoming also provides for ``timely renewal.'' This
provision affords the continuance of licenses for which an application
for renewal has been filed more than 30 days prior to the date of
expiration of the license. NRC licenses transferred while in timely
renewal are included under the continuation provision.
The State of Wyoming regulations, in Chapter 4, Section 6(d),
provide exemptions from the State's requirements for the NRC and the
U.S.
[[Page 29832]]
Department of Energy contractors or subcontractors; the exemptions must
be authorized by law and determined not to endanger life or property
and to otherwise be in the public interest. The proposed Agreement
commits the State of Wyoming to use its best efforts to cooperate with
the NRC and the other Agreement States in the formulation of standards
and regulatory programs for the protection against hazards of
radiation, and to assure that the State's program will continue to be
compatible with the Commission's program for the regulation of
Agreement materials. The proposed Agreement specifies the desirability
of reciprocal recognition of licenses, and commits the Commission and
the State of Wyoming to use their best efforts to accord such
reciprocity. The State of Wyoming would be able to recognize the
licenses of other jurisdictions by order or specific license.
There are six UMTRCA Title II sites in the State of Wyoming (ADAMS
Accession No. ML16300A294) undergoing decommissioning. These sites are:
(1) Anadarko Bear Creek, Powder River Basin; (2) Pathfinder, Lucky Mc,
Gas Hills; (3) Umetco Minerals Corporation, Gas Hills; (4) Western
Nuclear Inc., Split Rock, Jeffrey City; (5) Exxon Mobile, Highlands,
Converse County; and (6) ANC, Gas Hills.
The State of Wyoming indicated it was opposed to assuming
regulatory authority over the ANC site because the licensee is
insolvent. To address the State of Wyoming's proposed exclusion of the
ANC site from the proposed Agreement, the NRC staff provided SECY-17-
0081 ``Status and Resolution of Issues Associated with the Transfer of
Six Decommissioning Uranium Mill Sites to the State of Wyoming'' (ADAMS
Accession No. ML17087A355) to the Commission. In SRM-SECY-17-0081
(ADAMS Accession No. ML17277A783), the Commission approved the NRC
staff's recommendation for the NRC to retain regulatory authority over
the ANC site and stated that the Commission's retention of the ANC site
``is not a change to the Commission's current Agreement State policy,
but is instead an exception to that policy based on case-specific
facts.'' Article II.A.14. of the proposed Agreement specifies that the
Commission retains regulatory authority over the ANC license.
With regard to the five other decommissioning UMTRCA sites, the NRC
staff has developed a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between
the NRC and the State of Wyoming as a separate document from the
proposed Agreement. The objective of the MOU is to delineate specific
actions that the NRC and the State of Wyoming would take to verify
completion of the decommissioning of these sites. The MOU has been
drafted and the NRC staff is currently working with the State of
Wyoming to delineate how license termination will be addressed for each
of the five sites. An assessment of the decommissioning status of the
five UMTRCA sites and the activities that need to be completed prior to
license termination (ADAMS Accession No. ML17040A501) has been
completed. Once the MOU is completed and signed by both the NRC and the
State of Wyoming, it will be published in the Federal Register.
Staff Conclusion
Section 274d. of the AEA provides that the Commission shall enter
into an Agreement under Section 274b. with any State if:
(a) The Governor of the State certifies that the State has a
program for the control of radiation hazards adequate to protect public
health and safety with respect to the Agreement materials within the
State and that the State desires to assume regulatory responsibility
for the Agreement materials; and
(b) The Commission finds that the State program is in accordance
with the requirements of Subsection 274o. and in all other respects
compatible with the Commission's program for the regulation of
materials, and that the State program is adequate to protect public
health and safety with respect to the materials covered by the proposed
Agreement.
The NRC staff has reviewed the proposed Agreement, the
certification of Wyoming Governor Mead, and the supporting information
provided by the Uranium Recovery Program of the Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality and Wyoming's Office of the Attorney General.
Based upon this review, the NRC staff concludes that the State of
Wyoming Uranium Recovery Program satisfies the Section 274d. criteria
as well as the criteria in the Commission's Policy Statement ``Criteria
for Guidance of States and NRC in Discontinuance of NRC Regulatory
Authority and Assumption Thereof by States Through Agreement.'' As
noted above, the proposed Agreement includes a provision that the State
of Wyoming has until the end of the 2019 legislative session to amend
Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2004(c) to be compatible with AEA Section
83b.(1)(A) or the Agreement will terminate without further NRC action.
The proposed Agreement also explicitly states that the NRC will reject
any State of Wyoming request to terminate a license that proposes to
bifurcate the ownership of byproduct material and its disposal site
between the State and the Federal government. Pursuant to Commission
direction, the NRC staff finding of compatibility is contingent on the
State of Wyoming revising Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2004(c) during
the next legislative session to be compatible with AEA Section
83b.(1)(A). The proposed State of Wyoming program to regulate Agreement
materials, as comprised of statutes, regulations, procedures, and
staffing is compatible with the Commission's program and is adequate to
protect public health and safety with respect to the materials covered
by the proposed Agreement. Therefore, the proposed Agreement meets the
requirements of Section 274 of the AEA.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of June 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Andrea L. Kock,
Acting Director, Division of Materials Safety, Security, State, and
Tribal Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
APPENDIX A
AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
AND THE STATE OF WYOMING FOR THE DISCONTINUANCE OF CERTAIN COMMISSION
REGULATORY AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE STATE PURSUANT TO
SECTION 274 OF THE ATOMIC ENERGY ACT OF 1954, AS AMENDED
WHEREAS, The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(hereinafter referred to as ``the Commission'') is authorized under
Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C.
Section 2011 et seq. (hereinafter referred to as ``the Act''), to enter
into agreements with the Governor of any State providing for
discontinuance of the regulatory authority of the Commission within the
State under Chapters 6, 7, and 8, and Section 161 of the Act with
respect to byproduct material as defined in Section 11e.(2) of the Act
and source material involved in the extraction or concentration of
uranium or thorium in source material or ores at milling facilities;
and,
WHEREAS, The Governor of the State of Wyoming is authorized under
Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2001 to enter into this Agreement with
the Commission; and,
WHEREAS, The Governor of the State of Wyoming certified on November
14,
[[Page 29833]]
2017, that the State of Wyoming (hereinafter referred to as ``the
State'') has a program for the control of radiation hazards adequate to
protect public health and safety with respect to the materials within
the State covered by this Agreement and that the State desires to
assume regulatory responsibility for such materials; and,
WHEREAS, The Commission found on [date] that the program of the
State for the regulation of the materials covered by this Agreement is
compatible with the Commission's program for the regulation of such
materials and is adequate to protect public health and safety; and,
WHEREAS, The State and the Commission recognize the desirability
and importance of cooperation between the Commission and the State in
the formulation of standards for protection against hazards of
radiation and in assuring that State and Commission programs for
protection against hazards of radiation will be coordinated and
compatible; and,
WHEREAS, the Commission and the State recognize the desirability of
the reciprocal recognition of licenses, and of the granting of limited
exemptions from licensing of those materials subject to this Agreement;
and,
WHEREAS, This Agreement is entered into pursuant to the Act;
NOW, THEREFORE, It is hereby agreed between the Commission and the
Governor of the State of Wyoming acting on behalf of the State as
follows:
ARTICLE I
Subject to the exceptions provided in Articles II, IV, and V, the
Commission shall discontinue, as of the effective date of this
Agreement, the regulatory authority of the Commission in the State
under Chapters, 7, and 8, and Section 161 of the Act with respect to
the following materials:
A. Byproduct material as defined in Section 11e.(2) of the Act;
and,
B. Source material involved in the extraction or concentration of
uranium or thorium in source material or ores at uranium or thorium
milling facilities (hereinafter referred to as ``source material
associated with milling activities'').
ARTICLE II
A. This Agreement does not provide for the discontinuance of any
authority, and the Commission shall retain authority and
responsibility, with respect to:
1. Byproduct material as defined in Section 11e.(1) of the Act;
2. Byproduct material as defined in Section 11e.(3) of the Act;
3. Byproduct material as defined in Section 11e.(4) of the Act;
4. Source material except for source material as defined in Article
I.B. of this Agreement;
5. Special nuclear material;
6. The regulation of the land disposal of byproduct, source, or
special nuclear material received from other persons, excluding 11e.(2)
byproduct material or source material described in Article I.A. and B.
of this Agreement;
7. The evaluation of radiation safety information on sealed sources
or devices containing byproduct, source, or special nuclear material
and the registration of the sealed sources or devices for distribution,
as provided for in regulations or orders of the Commission;
8. The regulation of the construction and operation of any
production or utilization facility or any uranium enrichment facility;
9. The regulation of the export from or import into the United
States of byproduct, source, or special nuclear material, or of any
production or utilization facility;
10. The regulation of the disposal into the ocean or sea of
byproduct, source, or special nuclear material waste as defined in the
regulations or orders of the Commission;
11. The regulation of the disposal of such other byproduct, source,
or special nuclear material as the Commission from time to time
determines by regulation or order should, because of the hazards or
potential hazards thereof, not to be so disposed without a license from
the Commission;
12. The regulation of activities not exempt from Commission
regulation as stated in 10 CFR part 150;
13. The regulation of laboratory facilities that are not located at
facilities licensed under the authority relinquished under Article I.A.
and B. of this Agreement; and,
14. Notwithstanding this Agreement, the Commission shall retain
regulatory authority over the American Nuclear Corporation license.
B. Notwithstanding this Agreement, the Commission retains the
following authorities pertaining to byproduct material as defined in
Section 11e.(2) of the Act:
1. Prior to the termination of a State license for such byproduct
material, or for any activity that results in the production of such
material, the Commission shall have made a determination that all
applicable standards and requirements pertaining to such material have
been met.
2. The Commission reserves the authority to establish minimum
standards governing reclamation, long-term surveillance or maintenance,
and ownership of such byproduct material and of land used as its
disposal site for such material. Such reserved authority includes:
a. The authority to establish terms and conditions as the
Commission determines necessary to assure that, prior to termination of
any license for such byproduct material, or for any activity that
results in the production of such material, the licensee shall comply
with decontamination, decommissioning, and reclamation standards
prescribed by the Commission and with ownership requirements for such
material and its disposal site;
b. The authority to require that prior to termination of any
license for such byproduct material or for any activity that results in
the production of such material, title to such byproduct material and
its disposal site be transferred to the United States or the State at
the option of the State (provided such option is exercised prior to
termination of the license);
c. The authority to permit use of the surface or subsurface
estates, or both, of the land transferred to the United States or a
State pursuant to paragraph 2.b. in this section in a manner consistent
with the provisions of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act
of 1978, provided that the Commission determines that such use would
not endanger public health, safety, welfare, or the environment;
d. The authority to require, in the case of a license for any
activity that produces such byproduct material (which license was in
effect on November 8, 1981), transfer of land and material pursuant to
paragraph 2.b. in this section taking into consideration the status of
such material and land and interests therein and the ability of the
licensee to transfer title and custody thereof to the United States or
a State;
e. The authority to require the Secretary of the United States
Department of Energy, other Federal agency, or State, whichever has
custody of such byproduct material and its disposal site, to undertake
such monitoring, maintenance, and emergency measures as are necessary
to protect public health and safety and other actions as the Commission
deems necessary; and,
f. The authority to enter into arrangements as may be appropriate
to assure Federal long-term surveillance or maintenance of such
byproduct material and its disposal site on land held in trust by the
United States for any Indian Tribe or land owned by an Indian Tribe
[[Page 29834]]
and subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United
States.
3. The Commission retains the authority to reject any State request
to terminate a license that proposes to bifurcate the ownership of
11e.(2) byproduct material and its disposal site between the State and
the Federal government. Upon passage of a revised Wyoming Statute
Section 35-11-2004(c) that the NRC finds compatible with Section
83b.(1)(A) of the Act, this paragraph expires and is no longer part of
this Agreement.
ARTICLE III
With the exception of those activities identified in Article II, A.8
through A.11, this Agreement may be amended, upon application by the
State and approval by the Commission to include one or more of the
additional activities specified in Article II, A.1 through A.7, whereby
the State may then exert regulatory authority and responsibility with
respect to those activities.
ARTICLE IV
Notwithstanding this Agreement, the Commission may from time to time by
rule, regulation, or order, require that the manufacturer, processor,
or producer of any equipment, device, commodity, or other product
containing source, byproduct, or special nuclear material shall not
transfer possession or control of such product except pursuant to a
license or an exemption for licensing issued by the Commission.
ARTICLE V
This Agreement shall not affect the authority of the Commission under
Subsection 161b. or 161i. of the Act to issue rules, regulations, or
orders to protect the common defense and security, to protect
restricted data, or to guard against the loss or diversion of special
nuclear material.
ARTICLE VI
The Commission will cooperate with the State and other Agreement
States in the formulation of standards and regulatory programs of the
State and the Commission for protection against hazards of radiation
and to assure that Commission and State programs for protection against
hazards of radiation will be coordinated and compatible. The State
agrees to cooperate with the Commission and other Agreement States in
the formulation of standards and regulatory programs of the State and
the Commission for protection against hazards of radiation and to
assure that the State's program will continue to be compatible with the
program of the Commission for the regulation of materials covered by
this Agreement.
The State and the Commission agree to keep each other informed of
proposed changes in their respective rules and regulations and to
provide each other the opportunity for early and substantive
contribution to the proposed changes.
The State and the Commission agree to keep each other informed of
events, accidents, and licensee performance that may have generic
implication or otherwise be of regulatory interest.
ARTICLE VII
The Commission and the State agree that it is desirable to provide
reciprocal recognition of licenses for the materials listed in Article
I licensed by the other party or by any other Agreement State.
Accordingly, the Commission and the State agree to develop appropriate
rules, regulations, and procedures by which reciprocity will be
accorded.
ARTICLE VIII
A. The Commission, upon its own initiative after reasonable notice
and opportunity for hearing to the State or upon request of the
Governor of the State, may terminate or suspend all or part of this
agreement and reassert the licensing and regulatory authority vested in
it under the Act if the Commission finds that (1) such termination or
suspension is required to protect public health and safety, or (2) the
State has not complied with one or more of the requirements of Section
274 of the Act.
1. This Agreement will terminate without further NRC action if the
State does not amend Wyoming Statute Section 35-11-2004(c) to be
compatible with Section 83b.(1)(A) of the Act by the end of the 2019
Wyoming legislative session. Upon passage of a revised Wyoming Statute
Section 35-11-2004(c) that the NRC finds compatible with Section
83b.(1)(A) of the Act, this paragraph expires and is no longer part of
the Agreement.
B. The Commission may also, pursuant to Section 274j. of the Act,
temporarily suspend all or part of this agreement if, in the judgment
of the Commission, an emergency situation exists requiring immediate
action to protect public health and safety and the State has failed to
take necessary steps. The Commission shall periodically review actions
taken by the State under this Agreement to ensure compliance with
Section 274 of the Act, which requires a State program to be adequate
to protect public health and safety with respect to the materials
covered by this Agreement and to be compatible with the Commission's
program.
ARTICLE IX
In the licensing and regulation of byproduct material as defined in
Section 11e.(2) of the Act, or of any activity that results in
production of such material, the State shall comply with the provisions
of Section 274o. of the Act, if in such licensing and regulation, the
State requires financial surety arrangements for reclamation or long-
term surveillance and maintenance of such material.
A. The total amount of funds the State collects for such purposes
shall be transferred to the United States if custody of such material
and its disposal site is transferred to the United States upon
termination of the State license for such material or any activity that
results in the production of such material. Such funds include, but are
not limited to, sums collected for long-term surveillance or
maintenance. Such funds do not, however, include monies held as surety
where no default has occurred and the reclamation or other bonded
activity has been performed; and,
B. Such surety or other financial requirements must be sufficient
to ensure compliance with those standards established by the Commission
pertaining to bonds, sureties, and financial arrangements to ensure
adequate reclamation and long-term management of such byproduct
material and its disposal site.
ARTICLE X
This Agreement shall become effective on [date], and shall remain in
effect unless and until such time as it is terminated pursuant to
Article VIII.
Done at [location] this [date] day of [month], 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kristine L. Svinicki, Chairman.
Done at [location] this [date] day of [month], 2018.
For the State of Wyoming.
Matthew H. Mead, Governor
[FR Doc. 2018-13626 Filed 6-25-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P