[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 165 (Friday, August 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42944-42945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-18277]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2012-0235]


Tribal Protocol Manual

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: NUREG; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing NUREG-
2173, ``Tribal Protocol Manual,'' which: Facilitates effective 
consultations and interactions between the NRC and Native American 
Tribes related to activities within the scope of the NRC's 
jurisdiction; explains that Tribes are unique governmental entities and 
are not extensions of State or local governments; assists NRC 
management and staff in recognizing these distinctions and creates a 
more open and productive working relationship with Native American 
Tribal governments; and supplements the NRC staff's working knowledge 
by providing Tribal outreach, experience, and practical guidance to NRC 
personnel who have had limited interactions with Native American 
Tribes.

DATES: This NUREG is effective on August 24, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2012-0235 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0235. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-
9127; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the

[[Page 42945]]

individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     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 ``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 (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first 
time that it is mentioned in this document. In addition, for the 
convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided in 
a table in the ``Availability of Documents'' section of this document.
     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: James Firth, telephone: 301-415-6628, 
email: [email protected]; or Jeffery Lynch, telephone: 301-415-5041, 
email: [email protected]; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Discussion

    On October 12, 2012, the NRC published a notice in the Federal 
Register requesting comment on both the draft ``Tribal Protocol 
Manual'' and the proposed ``Tribal Policy Statement'' (77 FR 62269). 
The NRC received six comment letters on the ``Tribal Policy Statement'' 
and the ``Tribal Protocol Manual.'' The commenters included two Tribal 
governments, two mining associations, one inter-Tribal organization, 
and a Tribal college. The comments were grouped into seven topical 
areas: (1) NRC Tribal communication; (2) NRC Tribal consultation; (3) 
NRC Tribal resources; (4) terminology; (5) NRC map of Tribal 
reservations near nuclear reactors; (6) Federal-Tribal history; and (7) 
contemporary Tribal conditions. The NRC's responses to these comments 
are available in ``Tribal Protocol Manual: Guidance for NRC Staff--
Comment Responses,'' which is cited below.
    On January 9, 2017 (82 FR 2402), the NRC issued its ``Tribal Policy 
Statement.'' The ``Tribal Protocol Manual'' has been revised to be 
consistent with the ``Tribal Policy Statement'' and to reflect changes 
made in response to public comments.
    In response to public comments and the NRC's work on the ``Tribal 
Policy Statement,'' the agency is revising the definition of 
``consultation.'' In the ``Tribal Protocol Manual'' (p. 16), 
``consultation'' is now defined as ``meaningful and timely discussion 
with Tribal governments on NRC regulatory actions that have substantial 
direct effects on one or more Indian Tribes and those regulatory 
actions for which Tribal consultation is required under Federal 
statute. The NRC's Tribal consultation allows Indian Tribes the 
opportunity to provide input on regulatory actions with Tribal 
implications and those where Tribal consultation is required, and is 
different from the outreach and public comment periods.''
    The NRC revised the ``Tribal Protocol Manual'' to better address 
the unique relationship between the United States Government and Tribes 
and how the NRC exercises its trust responsibility. The NRC also made 
changes to the historical account of the Federal-Tribal relationship; 
specifically, the ``Tribal Protocol Manual'' now includes a general 
discussion that addresses the contributions of Treaties, policy, law, 
court decisions, and Executive Orders to Federal Indian law.

II. Availability of Documents

    The documents identified in the following table are available to 
interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as 
indicated.

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                                                 ADAMS  Accession No./
                   Document                        Federal  Register
                                                        Citation
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Tribal Protocol Manual Guidance for NRC Staff  ML18214A663
 (July 2018).
Comment Resolution Table.....................  ML18180A371
Tribal Policy Statement, Issuance............  ML16334A483
Tribal Protocol Manual: Guidance for NRC       ML14274A014
 Staff (December 2014).
Tribal Protocol Manual: Guidance for NRC       ML14297A280
 Staff -- Comment Responses.
Executive Order 13175, ``Consultation and      65 FR 67249
 Coordination with Indian Tribal
 Governments,'' November 9, 2000.
Presidential Memorandum for the Heads          74 FR 57881
 Executive Departments and Agencies, ``Tribal
 Consultation,'' November 5, 2009.
SECY-09-0180, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory          ML092800263
 Commission Interaction with Native American
 Tribes.
SRM-M081211, Staff Requirements--Briefing on   ML090080206
 Uranium Recovery, 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.,
 Thursday, December 11, 2008, Commissioners'
 Conference Room, One White Flint North,
 Rockville, Maryland (Open to Public
 Attendance).
Staff Requirements--SECY-14-0006--Tribal       ML14240A083
 Consultation Policy Statement And Protocol.
Tribal Protocol Manual: Guidance for NRC       ML12261A423
 Staff (October 2012).
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    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of August 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Sabrina Atack,
Acting Director, Division of Materials Safety, Security, State, and 
Tribal Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2018-18277 Filed 8-23-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P