[Federal Register: October 13, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 197)] [Notices] [Page 55497-55498] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13oc99-93] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Workshop Concerning the Revision of the Baseline Safety Inspection Program for Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). ACTION: Notice of public workshop. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: NRC will host a public workshop in Rockville, Maryland to provide the public, those regulated by the NRC, and other stakeholders, with information about and an opportunity to provide views on how NRC plans to revise its safety inspection program for nuclear fuel cycle facilities. This workshop follows the recent initial public stakeholder meeting held at NRC Headquarters on September 16, 1999. Presentations given at each meeting together with a transcript of the meeting will be placed on the NRC Internet web page (http://www.nrc.gov). Similar to the revisions of the inspection and oversight program for commercial nuclear power plants, NRC initiated an effort to improve its programs for nuclear fuel cycle facilities. This is described in SECY-99-188 titled, Evaluation and Proposed Revision of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facility Safety Inspection Program. SECY-99-188 is available in the Public Document Room and on the NRC Web Page at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ COMMISSION/SECYS/index.html. Purpose: To explain the planned revision of the fuel cycle safety inspection program and obtain stakeholder's views. The baseline safety inspection program applies to nuclear fuel cycle facilities regulated under 10 CFR Parts 40, 70 and 76. The facilities currently include gaseous diffusion plants, highly enriched uranium fuel fabrication facilities, low-enriched uranium fuel fabrication facilities, and a uranium hexafluoride (UF6) production facility. These facilities possess large quantities of materials that are potentially hazardous (i.e., radioactive, toxic, and/or flammable) to the workers, public, or environment. In revising the inspection program, the goals are to have an inspection program that: (1) Provides earlier and more objective indications of acceptable and changing safety performance, (2) increases stakeholder confidence in the NRC, and (3) increases regulatory effectiveness and efficiency. In this regard, the NRC desires the revised inspection program to be more risk-informed and performance-based and more focused on significant risks. Where practicable, the [[Page 55498]] program will use more objective safety performance indicators (PIs) with accompanying performance thresholds. The safety rationale for NRC inspection commensurate with risk (hazards and controls) will be discussed in the context of establishing indicators of licensee performance. The focus of the workshop will be consideration of performance indicators (i.e., precursors) that will reliably indicate when there is a need for corrective action to preclude exceeding regulatory limits which were established to preclude adverse impacts on the public or worker health and safety or the environment. In this regard, careful consideration of the initial draft of candidate performance indicators (available at the aforementioned NRC web site) will significantly facilitate the workshop. DATES: This workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20, 1999, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and is open to the public. ADDRESSES: NRC's Two White Flint North Auditorium, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. Visitor parking around the NRC building is limited; however, the meeting site is located adjacent to the White Flint Station on the Metro Red Line. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Walter Schwink, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301) 415-7253, e-mail wss@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 6th day of October, 1999. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Philip Ting, Chief, Operations Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 99-26702 Filed 10-12-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P