[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 231 (Wednesday, December 2, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66498-66499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32109]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Part 60
RIN 3150-AC03
Elimination of Inconsistencies Between NRC Regulations and EPA
High-Level Waste Standards
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule: Withdrawal.
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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing a
notice of proposed rulemaking that would have eliminated several
inconsistencies with the generic Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
standards to be developed for the disposal of High-Level Waste (HLW) in
deep geologic repositories. Because the NRC is developing site-specific
disposal regulations for Yucca Mountain, Nevada, consistent with the
Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EnPA), the proposed rule is being withdrawn.
ADDRESSES: The Commission paper, the staff requirement memoranda (SRM),
and associated documents are available for public inspection, and
copying for a fee, at the NRC Public Document Room located at 2120 L
Street NW. (Lower Level), Washington, DC 20012-7082, telephone: (202)
512-2249.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim McCartin, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-6681, e-mail
tjm3@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On June 19, 1986 (51 FR 22288), the NRC published a notice of
proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that would have eliminated
several inconsistencies with the EPA standards to be developed for the
disposal of HLW in deep geologic repositories. The Nuclear Waste Policy
Act of 1982 (NWPA) directs NRC to issue criteria for the licensing of
HLW geologic repositories. Section 121(c) of this Act states that the
criteria for the licensing of HLW geologic repositories must be
consistent with these standards. The proposed rule was necessary to
eliminate several inconsistencies with the EPA standards, thus
fulfilling the statutory requirement. However, since then, Congress
passed the EnPA, which requires EPA to issue radiation standards for
the proposed geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, based on and
consistent with the findings and recommendations of the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS). Under EnPA, NRC is also required to develop
site-specific disposal regulations that would apply solely to the
proposed geologic repository at Yucca Mountain. NAS published its
findings and recommendations in 1995.
The NRC staff has considered and is implementing a strategy for
developing site-specific disposal regulations that would apply solely
to the proposed geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, and is deferring
the updating of 10 CFR Part 60 generic requirements to a later date.
These site-specific regulations will be issued consistent with EnPA,
which also requires the Environmental Protection Agency to issue
radiation standards for a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, based
on and consistent with the 1995 findings and recommendations of the
NAS.
The NRC staff's strategy for developing the site-specific disposal
[[Page 66499]]
regulations for Yucca Mountain can be found in a Commission paper,
designated SECY-97-300, dated December 24, 1997. This strategy was
approved by the SRM dated March 6, 1998. Because the NRC is developing
site-specific disposal regulations for Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the
proposed rulemaking is being withdrawn.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of November, 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John C. Hoyle,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 98-32109 Filed 12-1-98; 8:45 am]
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