[Federal Register: November 4, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 213)] [Notices] [Page 60244] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr04no99-139] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Public Comment on the Pilot Program for the New Regulatory Oversight Program AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Extension of public comment period. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing significant revisions to its processes for overseeing the safety performance of commercial nuclear power plants that include integrating the inspection, assessment, and enforcement processes. As part of its proposal, the NRC staff established a new regulatory oversight framework with a set of performance indicators and associated thresholds, developed a new baseline inspection program that supplements and verifies the performance indicators, and created a continuous assessment process that includes a method for consistently determining the appropriate regulatory actions in response to varying levels of safety performance. The changes are the result of continuing work on a concept as described in SECY-99-007, ``Recommendations for Reactor Oversight Process Improvements'' dated January 8, 1999, and SECY-99-007A, ``Recommendations for Reactor Oversight Improvements (Follow-Up to SECY-99-007)'' dated March 22, 1999. In June 1999, the NRC began a six-month pilot program with two sites participating from each region. The purpose of the pilot program is to exercise the new oversight process, identify problems, develop lessons learned, and make any necessary changes before full implementation at all sites currently scheduled for April 2000. The NRC is soliciting comments from interested public interest groups, the regulated industry, States, and concerned citizens. The NRC staff will consider comments it receives for further development and refinement of the new oversight process. Given that inspection related information, while publically available, was not available on the newly established website this public comment period has been extended at the request of some stakeholders to allow for more comprehensive review of the Revised Reactor Oversight Process. DATES: The comment period expires December 31, 1999. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date. ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted either electronically or via U.S. mail. Submit written comments to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: T-6 D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001. Hand deliver comments to: 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays. Copies of comments received may be examined at the NRC's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, N.W. (Lower Level), Washington, D.C. Comments may be submitted electronically at the ``NRC Initiatives 1999'' web page at'': http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/COMMISSION/INITIATIVES/ 1999/COMMENTS/ 2acmt.html Copies of the Pilot Program Guidelines may be obtained at the following web site: http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/NRR/OVERSIGHT/INDEX.html Additional information on the pilot program may be obtained from the NRC's Public Document Room at 2120 L St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20003-1527, telephone 202-634-3273. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Madison, Mail Stop: O-5 H4, Inspection Program Branch, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, telephone 301-415-1490. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of October 1999. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, William M. Dean, Chief, Inspection Program Branch, Division of Inspection Program Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 99-28860 Filed 11-3-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P