96-5204. Public Workshop on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Materials Licensing Process

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 8985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5204]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Public Workshop on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Materials 
Licensing Process

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The NRC will hold a public workshop in Rockville, Maryland, to 
receive input from licensees and the public on its recent initiative to 
re-design the materials licensing process. All interested licensees, 
and members of the public are invited to attend this workshop. The NRC 
has prepared a workshop agenda and background information on the 
project. They will be available for review after April 11, 1996. 
Attendees, who would like a package in advance of the meeting, should 
call, fax, or E-mail the contact listed in this notice. Interested 
parties, unable to attend the workshop, are encouraged to provide 
written comments pertinent to the process, by May 11, 1996.

DATES: The workshop will be held on April 25, 1996, beginning at 9 a.m. 
and ending at 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public workshop will be held in the NRC auditorium at 
Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. 
Visitor parking around the NRC building is limited; however, the 
workshop site is located adjacent to the White Flint Station on the 
Metro Red Line. Seating for the public will be on a first-come, first-
served basis. Written comments may be provided at the workshop or to 
the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555, 
Attention: Docketing and Service Branch. Written comments should be 
submitted on or before May 11, 1996. Copies of the agenda and related 
documents can be obtained, after April 11, 1996, from the NRC contact 
listed below, or from the NRC's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW, 
Lower Level, Washington, DC 20555; telephone [phone]; fax: 202-
634-3343.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Sally L. Merchant, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, Mail Stop T 8-F-5, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone [phone]; 
fax: [phone]; INTERNET: [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In October 1994, the NRC began to examine 
its materials licensing process to identify ways to improve it, while 
maintaining or raising the level of public safety. An improved process 
would: perform licensing reviews and associated tasks an order of 
magnitude faster than the current practice; reduce the resources 
associated with the current licensing practice; and take full advantage 
of information technology. The staff is using a technique called 
Business Process Redesign, a process of fundamentally changing the way 
that work is performed, to achieve significant improvements in speed, 
cost, and quality.
    A detailed plan for implementing this new process was presented to 
the Commission in May 1995. On June 16, 1995, the Commission directed 
the staff: (1) to proceed with the detailed design and testing of the 
new process; (2) to coordinate its efforts closely with the Agreement 
States, licensees, and the public; (3) to separate the payment of 
licensing fees from the process of issuing a license and continue to 
streamline fees; and (4) extend certain qualified licenses for an 
additional 5 years, on a one-time basis. A final rule to extend 
qualified licenses was published on January 16, 1996, and effective on 
February 15, 1996. Implementation of the new licensing process is 
scheduled to begin early in 1997.
    This workshop is one of a series of interactions with the Agreement 
States, licensees, and the public to gather suggestions and ideas to 
ensure the success of this licensing initiative. A transcript of this 
workshop will be available for inspection, and copying for a fee at the 
NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW, Lower Level, Washington, 
DC 20555, on or about May 23, 1996.
    The workshop will be open to the public, and the public will be 
provided opportunities throughout the workshop to comment on issues 
under discussion.

    Dated: February 29, 1996.
Donald A. Cool,
Director, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS.
[FR Doc. 96-5204 Filed 3-5-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P