[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 153 (Monday, August 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47943-47945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19591]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID: FEMA-2015-0018: OMB No. 1660-0024]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Federal Assistance for Offsite Radiological Emergency
Preparedness and Planning
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.
[[Page 47944]]
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency, as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites
the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity
to comment on a revision of a currently approved information
collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
this notice seeks comments concerning revising a currently approved
information collection to incorporate existing information collections
in use without an OMB control number representing all information
collections related to FEMA Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program
requirements described in 44 CFR parts 350 and 352.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 9, 2015.
ADDRESSES: To avoid duplicate submissions to the docket, please use
only one of the following means to submit comments:
(1) Online. Submit comments at www.regulations.gov under Docket ID
FEMA-2015-0018. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
(2) Mail. Submit written comments to Docket Manager, Office of
Chief Counsel, DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street SW., 8NE, Washington, DC 20472-
3100.
All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket
ID. Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or material,
all submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any
personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this
information makes it public. You may wish to read the Privacy Act
notice that is available via the link in the footer of
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Schafer, Chief, Engineering and
Technology Section, Professional Services and Integration,
Technological Hazards Division, at 202-341-4896. You may contact the
Records Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of
information at email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FEMA's Radiological Emergency Preparedness
(REP) Program coordinates the national effort to provide State, Tribal
and local governments with relevant and executable planning, training,
and exercise guidance and policies necessary to ensure that adequate
capabilities exist to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects
of, respond to, and recover from incidents involving commercial nuclear
power plants (NPPs).
The REP Program assists State, Tribal and local governments in the
development and conduct of off-site REP emergency planning and
preparedness activities within the emergency planning zones (EPZs) of
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-licensed commercial nuclear power
facilities.
Sec. 109 of the NRC Authorization Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-295)
directed the NRC to establish emergency preparedness as a criterion for
licensing commercial NPPs. Specifically, section 109 of Public Law 96-
295 directed the NRC to establish through rulemaking, (a) standards,
developed with FEMA, for the evaluation of State and local government
radiological emergency planning and preparedness; and (b) a requirement
that the NRC will issue operating licenses. Before issuing a license
the NRC also must determine that there is (i) a State or local
emergency response plan compliant with the standards developed with
FEMA or (ii) in the absence of such a plan, a State, local, or utility
emergency response plan that provides reasonable assurance that public
health and safety is not endangered by the NPP's operation. See Public
Law 96-295, Sec. 109(b)(1)(A)-(B)). The NRC revised its regulations in
Part 50 of Title 10 of the CFR to incorporate additional emergency
preparedness requirements, including 16 planning standards for onsite
and offsite emergency plans as required by PL 96-295. FEMA mirrors
these 16 planning standards in part 350, specifically at 44 CFR 350.5.
In the communities surrounding commercial NPPs, 44 CFR 350.5(b)
directs FEMA's REP Program to review offsite radiological emergency
plans and preparedness. Approved plans and preparedness ``must be
determined to adequately protect the public health and safety by
providing reasonable assurance that appropriate protective measures can
be taken offsite in the event of a radiological emergency.''
FEMA defines reasonable assurance as a determination that State,
Tribal, local, and utility offsite plans and preparedness are adequate
to protect public health and safety in the emergency planning areas of
commercial NPPs. FEMA will consider plans, procedures, personnel,
training, facilities, equipment, drills, and exercises, which in its
professional judgment are important to the effective implementation of
protective measures offsite in the event or any incident at a
commercial NPP. FEMA will make its adequacy determination, supported by
other Federal agencies, as necessary, by conducting inspections,
providing Staff Assistance Visits (SAVs), organizing, conducting and
reviewing training, participating in, observing and evaluating drills
and exercises, and by being an engaged partner with Federal, State,
Tribal, and local government officials and industry stakeholders.
State, Tribal, or local government participation in offsite
radiological emergency planning and preparedness is voluntary. However,
participation in the REP planning and preparedness process necessitates
adherence to the program requirements as set forth in 44 CFR part 350,
the joint NRC/FEMA document NUREG-0645/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1, ``Criteria
for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans
and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants'' (and
supplements), and the REP Program Manual (RPM). If State, Tribal, or
local governments choose not to participate in REP planning, 44 CFR
part 352 outlines the licensee's obligation to develop offsite plans/
procedures to protect the public health and safety in accordance with
the requirements in Executive Order 12657, as amended.
Collection of Information
Title: Federal Assistance for Offsite Radiological Emergency
Preparedness and Planning.
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved
information collection.
OMB Number: 1660-0024.
FEMA Forms: There are no forms. There are no forms for this
collection; rather the regulatory text details the content in which
information is transmitted to FEMA.
Abstract: The intent of this request is to revise a currently
approved information collection to incorporate existing information
collections in use without an OMB control number representing all
information collections related to FEMA REP Program requirements
described in 44 CFR parts 350 and 352. Currently, only the 44 CFR part
352 collections is included under OMB Control #1660-0024.
Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Government; and business
and other for profits.
Number of Respondents: 153.
Number of Responses: 153.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,321.
Estimated Cost: $216,219.98.
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Comments
Comments may be submitted as indicated in the ADDRESSES caption
above. Comments are solicited to (a) evaluate whether the proposed data
collection is necessary for the proper performance of the agency,
including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b)
evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) minimize the burden
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
Dated: July 31, 2015.
Janice Waller,
Acting Director, Records Management Division, Mission Support, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2015-19591 Filed 8-7-15; 8:45 am]
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