[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 9, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 8685-8686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02584]
========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 9, 2021 /
Rules and Regulations
[[Page 8685]]
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Parts 50 and 52
[NRC-2008-0122]
Criteria for Development of Evacuation Time Estimate Studies
(NUREG/CR-7002, Revision 1)
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: NUREG; issuance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing
Revision 1 to NUREG/CR-7002, ``Criteria for Development of Evacuation
Time Estimate Studies.'' This revised NUREG provides guidance to meet
NRC requirements for development of evacuation time estimates (ETEs) to
support emergency planning. This revision reflects the importance of
various ETE model parameters based on the results of an applied
research study on ETEs. The format and criteria provided in this
document will support consistent application of the ETE methodology and
will facilitate consistent NRC review of ETE studies.
DATES: NUREG/CR-7002, Revision 1 is available on February 9, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0122 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-2008-0122. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann;
telephone: 301-415-0624; email: [email protected]. 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 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]. NUREG/CR-7002, Rev. 1, ``Criteria for
Development of Evacuation Time Estimate Studies'' is available in ADAMS
under Accession No. ML21013A504.
Attention: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of public documents, is currently closed. You may submit your request
to the PDR via email at [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or
301-415-4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (EST), Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Smith, Office of Nuclear Security
and Incident Response, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-287-3744, email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Discussion
The ETE is a calculation of the time to evacuate the plume exposure
pathway emergency planning zone (EPZ), an area around a nuclear power
plant for which planning is needed to ensure that prompt and effective
actions can be taken in the event of a radiological emergency. The ETE
is primarily used to inform protective action strategies within the EPZ
and may be used to assist in the development of traffic management
plans to support an evacuation. In November 2011, the NRC issued NUREG/
CR-7002, ``Criteria for Development of Evacuation Time Estimate
Studies'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML113010515), as guidance to support
compliance with ETE provisions added to the NRC's regulations in title
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 50, appendix E, section IV,
in a final rule issued on November 23, 2011 (76 FR 72560). The initial
release of this guidance was based on previous advancements in the
development of ETE modeling and knowledge gained through research of
large scale evacuations and staged evacuations.
The revised NUREG/CR-7002 is based on an applied research study to
examine, through modeling and simulation, technical subjects associated
with the use of traffic simulation models for ETE studies, documented
in NUREG/CR-7269, ``Enhancing Guidance for Evacuation Time Estimate
Studies'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML20070M158). Specific areas of research
included the impact of shadow evacuations, evacuation model boundary
conditions, the use of manual traffic control, and the sensitivity of
various model parameters important to ETE studies. The study provided a
technical basis for revisions to NUREG/CR-7002 to reflect current
practices in transportation modeling and an enhanced understanding of
evacuation dynamics. The NRC's intent in revising NUREG/CR-7002 is to
ensure consistency in the development and review of ETE studies.
II. Additional Information
Following development of the revised guidance, the NRC posted the
draft NUREG/CR-7002, Rev. 1 to the Federal Rulemaking website at
https://www.regulations.gov for a 45-day public comment period (85 FR
52930; August 27, 2020). The NRC held a public meeting on September 16,
2020, to discuss the scope of the proposed revisions. The comment
period closed on October 13, 2020. In total, the NRC received,
reviewed, and considered 10 comments during the development of this
revision. Of the 10 comments, 7 were accepted (i.e., the NRC revised
the draft guidance exactly as recommended), 2 were agreed to in part,
and 1 comment was rejected. In all, nine comments resulted in revisions
to the draft guidance. A detailed report on the comment resolutions,
including the agency's rationales for each comment's disposition, will
be available for review in ADAMS under Accession No. ML21007A043 and at
https://www.regulations.gov/, under Docket ID NRC-2008-0122, within 30
days after issuance of the final NUREG/CR-7002, Rev. 1. Additionally,
in response to EPFAQ 2020-01 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20206L127), the NRC
revised the draft guidance to clearly define the decennial period as it
applies to the ETE updates required by 10 CFR part 50, appendix E,
sections IV.5 and IV.6.
[[Page 8686]]
III. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality
Issuance of NUREG/CR-7002, Rev. 1 does not constitute backfitting
as defined in 10 CFR 50.109, ``Backfitting,'' and as described in NRC
Management Directive (MD) 8.4, ``Management of Backfitting, Forward
Fitting, Issue Finality, and Information Requests''; affect issue
finality of any approval issued under 10 CFR part 52, ``Licenses,
Certificates, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants''; or constitute
forward fitting as defined in MD 8.4, because, as explained in NUREG/
CR-7002, Rev. 1, licensees are not required to comply with the
positions set forth in that document.
IV. Paperwork Reduction Act
NUREG/CR-7002, Rev. 1, does not contain any new or amended
collections of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Existing collections of information were
approved by the Office of Management and Budget, approval numbers 3150-
0011 and 3150-0151.
V. Congressional Review Act
The NUREG/CR-7002, Rev. 1, 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: February 3, 2021.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Mark D. Lombard,
Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response.
[FR Doc. 2021-02584 Filed 2-8-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P