[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54734-54735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-26415]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Evaluation of Agreement State Radiation Control Programs
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Interim implementation of the Integrated Materials Performance
Evaluation Program pending final Commission approval of the Statement
of Principles and Policy for the Agreement State Program and the Policy
Statement on Adequacy and Compatibility of Agreement State Programs.
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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is implementing, on an
interim basis, the Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program
(IMPEP) to be used in the evaluation of Agreement State Programs. To
effect this implementation, the NRC will suspend relevant portions of
the May 28, 1992 General Statement of Policy ``Guidelines for NRC
Review of Agreement State Radiation Control Programs, 1992.''
Management Directive 5.6, Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation
Program, will be used as the implementing procedure.
The NRC will implement IMPEP in the evaluation of Agreement State
Programs until such time as final implementing procedures for the
policy statements: ``Statement of Principles and Policy for the
Agreement State Program'' and ``Policy Statement on the Adequacy and
Compatibility of Agreement State Programs,'' and any revisions to these
policy statements are approved by the Commission (See 60 FR 39464;
August 2, 1995). Conforming revisions to IMPEP in connection with the
completion of work on these two policy statements will be done as
appropriate. IMPEP will then be implemented on a permanent basis and
the 1992 policy statement on ``Guidelines for NRC review of
[[Page 54735]]
Agreement State Radiation Control Programs'' will be rescinded.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may obtain a single copy of Management
Directive 5.6 by writing Mr. George Deegan, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Mail Stop T8-F5, Washington, DC 20555.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kathleen N. Schneider, Office of
State Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Document Control
Desk, P1-37, Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301)-415-2320.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1994, NRC proposed a process to evaluate
NRC Regional programs and Agreement State Radiation Control Programs,
that regulate the use of radioactive materials, in an integrated manner
using common performance indicators. The staff conducted a pilot
program in 1994 with three Agreement States and two NRC Regional
materials programs using the draft Management Directive 5.6,
``Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program'' (IMPEP). On
June 27, 1995, the Commission approved implementation of IMPEP on an
interim basis. The draft Management Directive is currently being
prepared in final form.
Five common performance indicators, as described in Management
Directive 5.6 will be used to determine adequacy of materials programs.
Additionally, Compatibility of Regulations and Legal Authority
(including enforcement) will be addressed as non-common indicators.
Existing procedures for compatibility determinations (Office of State
Programs B.7 Procedure) will continue to be utilized in connection with
NRC findings on Compatibility of Regulations under IMPEP until the
final implementing procedures for the policy statements: ``Statement of
Principles and Policy for the Agreement State Program'' and ``Policy
Statement on the Adequacy and Compatibility of Agreement State
Programs,'' and any revisions to these policy statements are approved
by the Commission. The interim implementation of IMPEP will require the
partial suspension of the May 28, 1992 General Statement of Policy
``Guidelines for NRC Review of Agreement State Radiation Control
Programs, 1992'' (57 FR 22495). The NRC will only continue to apply the
single program element of the 1992 General Statement of Policy entitled
``Legislation and Regulations.'' NRC will rescind the entire 1992
General Statement of Policy upon final approval and implementation of
the ``Statement of Principles and Policy for the Agreement State
Program'' and ``Policy Statement on the Adequacy and Compatibility of
Agreement State Programs.''
Low-level waste, uranium mill or sealed source and device programs
in Agreement States will not be reviewed as common performance
indicators since NRC Headquarters conducts these NRC licensing
activities. A performance-based evaluation approach, similar to that
developed for the common performance indicators, will be utilized in
reviews of NRC and Agreement State programs in these areas.
The NRC will review the performance of each Agreement State on a
periodic basis. Each Agreement State evaluation will be coordinated
with the States. For those Agreement States with program findings that
are both adequate and compatible, the staff will consider extending the
current review cycle of 2 years to 3-4 years.
Dated at Rockville Maryland this 19th day of October, 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John C. Hoyle,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 95-26415 Filed 10-24-95; 8:45 am]
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