[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 222 (Monday, November 18, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63686-63687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-24923]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2019-0073]


Stakeholder Input on Best Practices for Establishment and 
Operation of Local Community Advisory Boards in Response to a Portion 
of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Public meetings and webinar; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On September 27, 2019, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) solicited comments on best practices for establishment and 
operation of local community advisory boards (CABs) associated with 
decommissioning activities, including lessons learned from existing 
boards, as required by the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization 
Act (NEIMA). The public comment period was originally scheduled to 
close on November 15, 2019. The NRC has elected to reopen the public 
comment period to allow more time for members of the public to develop 
and submit their comments. Consistent with the consultation 
requirements in NEIMA Section 108, the NRC has hosted 11 public 
meetings and a public webinar to consult with host States, communities 
within the emergency planning zone of an applicable nuclear power 
reactor, and existing local CABs. The NRC is planning to host a second 
public webinar on November 19, 2019. In addition to these public 
meetings and public webinars, the NRC has developed a questionnaire to 
collect information regarding the areas identified in NEIMA with 
respect to the creation and operation of CABs from CABs in the vicinity 
of power reactors undergoing decommissioning, similar established 
stakeholder groups, or local government organizations. The results of 
the meetings, along with any other data received as a result of the 
NRC's information collection activities associated with the NEIMA 
Section 108, will be captured in a best practices report that will be 
submitted to Congress.

DATES: The due date of comments requested in the notice published on 
September 27, 2019 (84 FR 51189) is reopened. Comments should be filed 
no later than December 6, 2019. 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 on or before this 
date. The NRC hosted 11 Category 3 public meetings and a public webinar 
from August through October of 2019. A second public webinar will take 
place on November 19, 2019. Specific details regarding the webinar can 
be found on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/waste/decommissioning/neima-section-108.html.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2019-0073. Address 
questions about NRC docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges; 
telephone: 301-287-9127; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this document.
     Mail comments to: Office of Administration, Mail Stop: 
TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff.
    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: Kim Conway, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1335; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2019-0073 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 https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2019-0073.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://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.
     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-2019-0073 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 https://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. Introduction

    On September 27, 2019 (84 FR 51189), as part of the ongoing efforts 
to obtain feedback from members of the public and other stakeholders, 
the NRC solicited comments on best practices for establishment and 
operation of local CABs associated with decommissioning activities, 
including lessons learned from existing boards, as required by Section 
108 of NEIMA. The NRC is coordinating activities in accordance with 
Section 108 of NEIMA to develop a report identifying best practices for 
establishment and operation of CABs.

[[Page 63687]]

The contents of this report, scheduled to be issued to Congress no 
later than July 14, 2020, will include (1) a description of the type of 
topics that might be brought before a CAB; (2) how the board's input 
could inform the decision-making process of stakeholders for various 
decommissioning activities; how the board could interact with the NRC 
and other Federal regulatory bodies to promote dialogue between the 
licensee and affected stakeholders; and (3) how the board could offer 
opportunities for public engagement throughout all phases of the 
decommissioning process. The report will also include a discussion of 
the composition of existing CABs and best practices identified during 
the establishment and operation of such boards, including logistical 
considerations, frequency of meetings, the selection of board members, 
etc.
    In developing a best practices report, and as required by NEIMA, 
the NRC is consulting with host States, communities within the 
emergency planning zone of an applicable nuclear power reactor, and 
existing CABs. This consultation included hosting 11 Category 3 public 
meetings and 1 nationwide webinar, with another nationwide webinar 
scheduled for November 19, 2019. The public meetings were held in 
locations that ensure geographic diversity across the United States, 
with priority given to States that (1) have a nuclear power reactor 
currently undergoing the decommissioning process; and (2) requested a 
public meeting under the provisions of NEIMA in accordance with the 
Federal Register (FR) notice published on March 18, 2019 (84 FR 9841).
    In addition to these public meetings, the NRC has developed a 
questionnaire to collect information regarding the areas identified in 
NEIMA with respect to the creation and operation of CABs. The NRC is 
requesting responses from existing CABs in the vicinity of power 
reactors undergoing decommissioning, similar established stakeholder 
groups, or local government organizations. The questionnaire is 
available at https://www.nrc.gov/waste/decommissioning/neima-local-comm-advisory-board-questionnaire.html.

III. Category 3 Public Meeting Dates and Locations

    Consistent with the consultation requirements in NEIMA Section 108, 
the NRC received requests for and identified the areas surrounding the 
following nuclear power reactors as locations to host public meetings 
to discuss best practices and lessons learned for establishment and 
operation of local community advisory boards: (1) Crystal River 3 
Nuclear Power Plant in Crystal River, Florida; (2) Diablo Canyon Power 
Plant in San Luis Obispo, California; (3) Humboldt Bay Nuclear Power 
Plant in Eureka, California; (4) Indian Point Energy Center in 
Buchanan, New York; (5) Kewaunee Power Station in Kewaunee, Wisconsin; 
(6) Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Forked River, New 
Jersey; (7) Palisades Nuclear Generating Station in Covert, Michigan; 
(8) Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Massachusetts; (9) San 
Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in San Clemente, California; (10) 
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Vernon, Vermont; and (11) Zion 
Nuclear Power Station in Zion, Illinois.
    Additionally, the NRC hosted a public webinar held on August 8, 
2019, to obtain comments from individuals in other areas of the 
country. The NRC is planning to host a second nationwide webinar on 
November 19, 2019, to discuss best practices and lessons learned for 
establishment and operation of local community advisory boards. For 
information about attending the webinar, please see the public NEIMA 
Section 108 website or contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document.

IV. Local Community Advisory Board Questionnaire

    The NRC is seeking input from existing CABs in the vicinity of 
power reactors undergoing decommissioning, similar established 
stakeholder groups, or local government organizations regarding best 
practices and lessons learned associated with CABs at decommissioning 
nuclear power reactors. The public comment period was originally 
scheduled to close on November 15, 2019. The NRC has decided to reopen 
the public comment period on this document until December 6, 2019, to 
allow more time for members of the public to submit their comments.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 13th day of November, 2019.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Bruce A. Watson,
Chief, Reactor Decommissioning Branch, Division of Decommissioning, 
Uranium, Recovery and Waste Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2019-24923 Filed 11-15-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P