Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy; Public Meeting on NRC Regulatory Oversight of DOE Facilities

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy; Public

Meeting on NRC Regulatory Oversight of DOE Facilities

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE) will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, March

24, 1998, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to address issues related to the

recently established pilot program for NRC's external regulation of

certain DOE facilities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy and the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission will hold a joint public meeting to provide

information on this pilot project on Tuesday, March 24, 1998, at 7:00

P.M. at the American Museum of Science and Energy, 300 S. Tulane

Avenue, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

In June 1997, DOE and NRC agreed to pursue NRC external regulation

of certain DOE facilities on a pilot program basis. A pilot program of

NRC simulated regulation has been established to collect information on

the desirability of NRC oversight and on whether to seek legislation to

authorize such oversight. The DOE and the NRC expect to evaluate six to

ten DOE facilities over the next two years under the pilot program. The

Radiochemical Engineering Development Center at Oak Ridge National

Laboratory (ORNL) has been chosen as one of the pilot sites.

The major areas of discussion at this meeting will be:

The overall pilot program and background information.

The ORNL Work Plan.

Major issues affecting NRC oversight (generic and site-

specific).

One of the main purposes of the meeting is to describe the process

through which stakeholders may participate in the pilot program.

Stakeholders will be invited to ask questions and submit comments

relevant to the objectives of the pilot program and the process by

which those objectives are proposed to be addressed at the

Radiochemical Engineering Development Center. Issues raised by

stakeholders will be addressed in the final report following the pilot

evaluation at ORNL.

Since 1994, the Department of Energy (DOE) has been considering

whether there are advantages to be gained from external regulation of

existing DOE facilities. Two advisory groups recommended that the

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) be considered as the external

regulator of nuclear and radiological safety at DOE sites. External

regulation by the NRC may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of

DOE's radiological safety programs. DOE facilities would be regulated

consistent with other facilities of the same type engaged in similar

activities, and the NRC could maintain complete independence because it

has no responsibility for operating the facilities.

A number of background documents pertaining to the issue of NRC

oversight of DOE facilities are available or will be made available

prior to the meeting. These include:

A draft Pilot Program Work Plan for the Radiochemical

Engineering Development Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

A Memorandum of Understanding between NRC and DOE, dated

November 21, 1997.

An NRC Commission Paper entitled, ``Status Report of the

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Task Force On Oversight of the Department

of Energy, In Response to COMSECY -96-053--DSI 2,'' SECY-97-206, dated

September 12, 1997.

An NRC Commission Paper entitled, ``Status Report of the

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Task Force On Oversight of the Department

of Energy, In Response to COMSECY -96-053--DSI 2 (Report No. 2),''

SECY-97-301, dated December 29, 1997.

NRC Staff Requirements Memorandum: COMSECY-96-053,

``Oversight of the Department of Energy (DSI 2),'' dated March 28,

1997.

NRC Direction Setting Issue Paper ``Oversight of the

Department of Energy'' (DSI 2) dated September 16, 1996.

Report of the DOE Working Group on External Regulation,

dated December 1996.

Report of the DOE Advisory Committee on External

Regulation of DOE Nuclear Safety, dated December 1995.

You may view these documents at the DOE Oak Ridge Public Reading

Room, American Museum of Science and Energy, 300 S. Tulane Avenue, Oak

Ridge, TN 37830, (423) 241-4780. Copies may be obtained by contacting

Amy Rothrock at (423) 576-1216. These documents are also available on

the joint DOE/NRC Web Site at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/NMSS/

doepilot.html. As documents are completed, they will be added to the

web site. If you would like more information about this meeting, or

need special accommodations to attend, please contact Walter Perry of

the DOE Public Affairs Office at (423) 576-0885.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of March, 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Carl J. Paperiello,

Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 98-6393 Filed 3-11-98; 8:45 am]

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