[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 246 (Monday, December 23, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 70399-70400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27435]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 50

[NRC-2018-0261; FEMA-2012-0026]


Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency 
Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants 
(NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 2)

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Final guidance; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), concurrently 
with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is issuing final 
guidance document entitled, ``Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation 
of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of 
Nuclear Power Plants; Rev. 2'' (NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 2).

DATES: This final guidance document is available on December 23, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0261 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 https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0261 or FEMA-
2012-0026. Address questions about NRC docket IDs in Regulations.gov to 
Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-9127; email: 
[email protected]. Public comments and supporting materials 
related to this final guidance document can be found at https://www.regulations.gov by searching on Docket ID FEMA-2012-0026. For 
technical questions, contact the individual 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 Document collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS 
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, contact the

[[Page 70400]]

NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 
301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-
1, Rev. 2, ``Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological 
Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power 
Plants,'' Final Report is available in ADAMS under Accession No. 
ML19347D139.
     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: Jonathan Fiske, Office of Nuclear 
Security and Incident Response, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-287-9228, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    In November 1980, the NRC and FEMA issued ``Criteria for 
Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and 
Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants; Rev. 1'' (NUREG-0654/
FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1) as a joint interagency guidance document (45 FR 
85862; December 30, 1980). NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1 provides 
guidance on the 16 Planning Standards referenced in the NRC's 
regulations in Sec.  50.47 of title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR), and in FEMA's regulations at 44 CFR 350.5. Both 
agencies use these Planning Standards, and the associated Evaluation 
Criteria contained in NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1, to evaluate the 
adequacy of emergency plans and preparedness of commercial nuclear 
power plant owners and operators, and state, local, and tribal 
government jurisdictions located near commercial nuclear power plant 
sites.
    Since the publication of NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1, there have 
been substantial changes to NRC and FEMA regulations, guidance, and 
policies and advances in emergency preparedness planning and 
technology. As a result, the NRC and FEMA have issued four 
supplementary documents and one addendum to update and expand upon the 
guidance in NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev 1. This revision consolidates 
the four supplementary documents and one addendum, and provides updates 
and additional guidance reflective of over 35 years of improvements and 
lessons learned in the radiological emergency preparedness community.
    The NRC and FEMA held two public meetings on August 22, 2012, and 
September 13, 2012, to discuss the scope of the proposed revision to 
NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1 (77 FR 46766; August 6, 2012). To assist 
in further defining the scope, the NRC and FEMA solicited public 
comments on specific issues related to NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1 
(77 FR 65700; October 30, 2012). Additionally, stakeholder and public 
engagement sessions were held during staff development of the revised 
guidance on October 29-31, 2013 and June 25, 2014.
    Following development of the revised guidance, the draft NUREG-
0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 2 was posted to the Federal Rulemaking website at 
https://www.regulations.gov for public comment (80 FR 30697; May 29, 
2015). The original 90-day comment period was scheduled to conclude on 
August 27, 2015; however, in response to requests from the public for 
an extension based on the broad scope of the revision and the extensive 
review necessary to develop comments, the NRC and FEMA granted a 45-day 
extension to the original comment period (80 FR 50862; August 21, 
2015). The comment period closed on October 13, 2015. In total, the 
agencies received, reviewed, and considered 609 comments during 
development of this revision. Of the 609 comments, 64 were accepted 
(draft guidance was revised exactly as recommended), 154 were agreed to 
in part, and the remaining 391 were either noted or rejected. In all, 
218 comments resulted in revisions to the draft guidance. A detailed 
report on the comment resolutions, including the agencies' rationales 
for each comment's disposition, will be available online for review in 
ADAMS under Accession No. ML19350A378 and at https://www.regulations.gov/, under Docket ID NRC-2018-0261, within 30 days 
after issuance of the final NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 2.

II. Congressional Review Act

    The NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 2 is a rule as defined in the 
Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801-808). However, the Office of 
Management and Budget has not found it to be a major rule as defined in 
the Congressional Review Act.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 16th day of December, 2019.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brian E. Holian,
Director, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response.
[FR Doc. 2019-27435 Filed 12-20-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P