[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 95 (Friday, May 15, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 29358-29359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09654]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Chapter I

[NRC-2018-0142]


Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality Guidance

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Draft NUREG; request for comment; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On March 23, 2020, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) issued for public comment draft NUREG-1409, ``Backfitting 
Guidelines,'' Revision 1. The public comment period was originally 
scheduled to close on May 22, 2020. In recognition of the impacts of 
the current COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) across the nation, 
the NRC has decided to extend the public comment period to allow more 
time for members of the public to develop and submit comments.

[[Page 29359]]


DATES: The due date of comments requested in the document published on 
March 23, 2020 (85 FR 16278) is extended. Comments should be filed no 
later than July 22, 2020. 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. The 
NRC staff will continue to monitor the COVID-19 PHE to determine if an 
additional extension may be warranted.

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-2018-0142. Address 
questions about NRC docket IDs in Regulations.gov 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.
     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: Tim Reed, telephone: 301-415-1462, 
email: [email protected]; or Audrey Klett, telephone: 301-415-0489, 
email: [email protected]. Both are staff of the Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, 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-2018-0142 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-2018-0142.
     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.

B. Submitting Comments

    Please include Docket ID NRC-2018-0142 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. Discussion

    On March 23, 2020, the NRC issued for public comment draft NUREG-
1409, ``Backfitting Guidelines,'' Revision 1 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML18109A498). This draft NUREG provides guidance on the implementation 
of the backfitting and issue finality provisions of the NRC's 
regulations and the NRC's forward fitting policy in accordance with 
Management Directive and Handbook 8.4, ``Management of Backfitting, 
Forward Fitting, Issue Finality, and Information Requests'' dated 
September 20, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18093B087). The public 
comment period was originally scheduled to close on May 22, 2020. In 
recognition of the impacts of the current COVID-19 PHE across the 
nation, the NRC has decided to extend the public comment period on this 
document until July 22, 2020, to allow more time for members of the 
public to develop and submit comments.

    Dated: April 30, 2020.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jennifer L. Dixon-Herrity,
Chief, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating Reactor 
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2020-09654 Filed 5-14-20; 8:45 am]
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