[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72431-72433]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29733]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID FEMA-2008-0022]
Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency
Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants,
NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Supplement 4 and FEMA Radiological Emergency
Preparedness Program Manual
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is issuing two
final guidance documents: Supplement 4 (Supplement 4) to ``Criteria for
Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and
Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants,'' NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-
1, Revision 1 (NUREG-0654), and the Radiological Emergency Preparedness
Program Manual (the REP Program Manual). Supplement 4 is a joint
document issued by FEMA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
that contains the evaluation criteria against which FEMA and the NRC
measure the emergency preparedness plans of nuclear power plant owners,
operators and the State, local, and Tribal jurisdictions in which they
reside. The REP Program Manual is intended to be the principal source
of policy and guidance for State, local, and Tribal jurisdictions.
Supplement 4 revises and provides additional offsite requirements for
emergency preparedness programs at the Nation's nuclear power plants,
as well as requirements for backup means for alert and notification and
coordination between licensees and offsite responders. The REP Program
Manual consolidates many of the REP Program's operative guidance and
policy documents into one location, and
[[Page 72432]]
provides additional guidance on Supplement 4 criteria. FEMA is also
providing the public comment adjudication matrix for the REP Program
Manual and Supplement 4.
DATES: Supplement 4 and the REP Program Manual are effective December
23, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Supplement 4, the REP Program Manual, and the public comment
adjudication matrix are available online at www.regulations.gov under
docket ID FEMA-2008-0022. You may also view hard copies of these
documents at the Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management
Agency, Room 835, 500 C Street SW., Washington, DC 20472.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Fiore, Policy, Regulations and
Training Section Chief, Radiological Emergency Preparedness Branch,
Technological Hazards Division, Protection and National Preparedness,
National Preparedness Directorate, [email protected], (703) 605-4218.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FEMA is issuing Supplement 4 and the REP
Program Manual for implementation. These documents conform to changes
in the NRC's emergency preparedness regulations, which are also
effective December 23, 2011 and published in the Federal Register. The
docket for the NRC rulemaking, Enhancements to Emergency Preparedness
Regulations, RIN 3150-AI10, can be viewed on www.regulations.gov under
Docket ID NRC-2008-0122.
FEMA published a notice of availability for the REP Program Manual
and Supplement 4 on May 18, 2009, at 74 FR 23198. The original comment
period was scheduled to conclude on August 3, 2009. After the May 18,
2009 publication of the notice of availability, FEMA and the NRC
received several comments requesting that the period be extended beyond
the original 75-day comment period. These requests suggested a range of
more appropriate comment periods, lasting from 150 to 180 days. Various
organizations cited the voluminous material put forth by the agencies
for comment.
Because the proposed regulatory amendments and guidance documents
cover many legal, regulatory, and policy matters that may require a
time consuming review by licensees and their offsite counterparts, FEMA
and the NRC determined that it was in the interest of all parties to
extend the comment period to October 19, 2009. (74 FR 27557, June 10,
2009).
From June 2 through June 23, 2009, FEMA and the NRC jointly hosted
a series of public meetings in various cities throughout the country.
(74 FR 26418, June 2, 2009).
Supplement 4
As part of the domestic licensing of commercial nuclear power
plants (NPPs), FEMA and the NRC evaluate emergency preparedness
activities at these facilities. Preparedness activities for a
radiological incident at an NPP are an essential part of planning and
preparing for communities that could be affected by an incident at the
facility. FEMA's role is to review and provide findings to the NRC on
planning and preparedness activities of State, local, and Tribal
governments, licensee emergency response organizations, if applicable,
and other supporting organizations (collectively referred to as Offsite
Response Organizations or OROs). FEMA performs this activity before the
NRC issues a license to operate a NPP, as well as provides ongoing
certifications that planning and preparedness efforts are effective and
consistent with relevant regulatory guidelines. The NRC evaluates
applicants for NPP site permits, construction permits, and operating
licenses. As a part of that evaluation, the NRC reviews the licensees'
emergency plans and preparedness efforts.
NPP licensees and OROs must show that they have plans in place that
provide a reasonable assurance that adequate protective measures will
be taken to protect public health and safety in the event of an
incident at an NPP. FEMA evaluates the adequacy of the offsite plans
and capabilities through the 16 planning standards that are contained
in FEMA regulations at 44 CFR 350.5 and NRC regulations at 10 CFR part
50.
The NRC and FEMA have also developed a number of evaluation
criteria that the agencies use to determine compliance with each of the
16 planning standards. Those evaluation criteria are contained in
NUREG-0654 which is referred to in FEMA's regulations at 44 CFR 350.5,
as well as in NRC regulations at 10 CFR part 50.
Supplement 4 provides additional guidance for the development,
review, and evaluation of offsite radiological emergency response
planning and preparedness surrounding the Nation's commercial NPPs. It
addresses four emerging issues: (1) Aligning the offsite REP Program
with national preparedness initiatives under Homeland Security
Presidential Directives (HSPD) 5 and Presidential Policy Directive
(PPD) 8; (2) preparing for and responding to hostile action-based (HAB)
incidents at NPPs; (3) enhancing scenario realism and reducing negative
training and pre-conditioned responses of exercise participants; and
(4) ensuring backup means are in place for alert and notification
systems. In addition, Supplement 4 revises and adds evaluation criteria
and revises Appendix 3 of NUREG-0654. Although licensees and applicants
may consult Supplement 4 for informational purposes, this supplement
provides guidance to OROs with respect to preparing offsite plans and
conducting exercises in a manner that will be found acceptable to FEMA
and the NRC. Any requirements and guidance for licensees and applicants
on the issues addressed in Supplement 4 are contained in NRC
regulations in 10 CFR part 50 and NRC NSIR/DPR-ISG-01, Interim Staff
Guidance, Emergency Planning for Nuclear Power Plants, respectively.
The REP Program Manual
The REP Program Manual provides guidance that interprets the
planning standards and evaluation criteria contained in NUREG-0654 and
44 CFR part 350. This guidance provides additional detail to OROs in
the vicinity of commercial NPPs on what FEMA expects OROs to include in
their radiological emergency response plans. This manual also provides
the assessment criteria that FEMA uses to evaluate the ability of the
ORO communities to implement radiological emergency response plans.
Lastly, this manual provides additional information and guidance to aid
FEMA staff and OROs in performing the various functions under the REP
Program (e.g., checklists, templates, references, etc.).
In August 2002, FEMA released an Interim REP Program Manual for use
by OROs, nuclear power plant licensees, FEMA Regional staff, the NRC,
and other stakeholders in developing plans or assessing planning and
preparedness in communities surrounding the Nation's NPPs. In updating
the 2002 Interim REP Program Manual, FEMA made important changes to
both the language and the substance of the document. First, FEMA
conducted a ``plain English'' review to produce a more easily
understandable document by considering the audience's needs and
avoiding unnecessary words, jargon, technical terms, and long and
ambiguous sentences. Second, the new REP Program Manual provides
guidance on the integration of contemporary national preparedness terms
and concepts found in the National Incident Management System (NIMS)/
Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Exercise Program,
Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program
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(HSEEP). Further, the REP Program Manual provides additional guidance
on the new or revised evaluation criteria proposed in Supplement 4 and
the NRC's rulemaking. Because contemporary national preparedness terms
and concepts are evolving, additional future revisions and
modifications may be necessary to the REP Program Manual.
The REP Program Manual is divided into four main sections and
includes additional appendices. Part I serves as an introduction and
overview of the REP Program. It provides the history and establishment
of the REP Program, a description of the review process, and the
technical basis for the program. This section intends to provide a base
knowledge about the program as well as a description of how the current
program operates through a synopsis of the program's evolution since
its inception.
Part II contains the NUREG-0654 planning standards and evaluation
criteria, along with expansive explanations and guidance on materials
to be included in ORO plans/procedures. This is a new section of the
manual that clarifies but does not exceed the regulation nor does it
replace 44 CFR part 350 or NUREG-0654 and is solely meant to provide
guidance.
Part III discusses the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation
Program (HSEEP) process and provides specific guidance unique to the
design, development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning
associated with REP exercise activities. This guidance is intended for
use by REP controllers, evaluators, contractors, and any Federal,
State, Tribal, or local agencies responsible for planning, preparing,
and executing exercises that are used to validate REP Program
requirements. This section provides licensee partners with guidelines
regarding how the Federal government will coordinate exercise
activities in conjunction with the REP Program.
Part IV is comprised of supporting reference documentation, where
specific information is found in support of the program. It includes
information on potassium iodide and disaster initiated reviews,
scenario reviews, plan reviews, the Annual Letter of Certification
(ALC), and other topics.
The appendices include acronyms, a glossary, historical REP
references (active and retired), plant site identifier numbers and the
Target Capabilities List.
The REP Program Manual incorporates and updates previously-issued
FEMA Guidance Memoranda (GMs), policy memoranda, and some FEMA-REP
series documents. The REP Program Manual effectively retires these
documents from use as independent resources. Guidance on specific
technical areas and other REP Program documents that FEMA was unable to
incorporate have been retained as ``technical references.'' The
remaining stand-alone FEMA-REP series documents and these technical
references are listed in Appendix C and cited in the applicable parts
of this proposed REP Program Manual. The retired guidance documents are
listed in Appendix D as a historical resource. To the greatest extent
possible, FEMA will issue all future REP Program guidance as amendments
to the applicable parts of the REP Program Manual.
Authorities: DHS/FEMA issues the new REP Program Manual, and
FEMA and the NRC jointly issue Supplement 4 to NUREG-0654 under the
authority of: Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978; Presidential
Directive of Dec. 7, 1979; Executive Order 12148 ``Federal Emergency
Management''; Section 201 of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974, 42
U.S.C. 5131, as amended by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act, Pub. L. 100-707, 102 Stat. 4689
(1988); Homeland Security Act of 2002, (Pub. L. 107-296) 6 U.S.C.
101 et seq.; NRC Authorization Acts of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-295) and
1982--1983 (Pub. L. 97-415); Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended
42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.; Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (Pub. L.
93-438), 42 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.; Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L.
109-58), 42 U.S.C. 15801 note; Homeland Security Presidential
Directive 5: Management of Domestic Incidents; and Presidential
Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness; 10 CFR part 50; 10 CFR
part 50, Appendix E; and 44 CFR parts 350--354.
Dated: November 7, 2011.
W. Craig Fugate,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2011-29733 Filed 11-22-11; 8:45 am]
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