[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 125 (Monday, June 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35240-35241]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16996]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Consolidated Guidance About Materials Licenses: Program-Specific
Guidance About Portable Gauge Licenses, Availability of NUREG
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is announcing the completion
and availability of NUREG-1556, Vol. 1. ``Consolidated Guidance about
Materials Licenses: Program-Specific Guidance about Portable Gauge
Licenses,'' dated May 1997.
ADDRESSES: Copies of NUREG-1556, Vol. 1, may be obtained by writing to
the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, P. O.
Box 37082, Washington, DC 20402-9328. Copies are also available from
the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road,
Springfield, Virginia 22161. A copy of the document is also available
for inspection and/or copying for a fee in the NRC Public Document
Room, 2120 L Street, NW. (Lower Level), Washington, DC 20555-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Patricia C. Vacca, Mail Stop TWFN
8-F5, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, Office of
Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Telephone: 301-415-7908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 3, 1996 (61 FR 51729), NRC
announced the availability of draft NUREG-1556, Volume 1,
``Consolidated Guidance about Materials Licenses: Program-Specific
Guidance about Portable Gauge Licenses,'' dated September 1996 and
requested comments on it. This draft NUREG report is the first program-
specific guidance developed to support an improved materials licensing
process. On December 6, 1996 (61 FR 64768), NRC requested volunteers to
participate in a January 1997 pilot test to evaluate the document's
content, format, and usefulness. Most of the public comments and those
of the participants in the pilot test were positive. The NRC staff
considered all of the comments, including constructive suggestions to
improve the document, in the preparation of the final NUREG report.
The final version of NUREG-1556, Volume 1, is now available for use
by applicants, licensees, NRC license reviewers, and other NRC staff.
It supersedes the guidance for applicants and licensees previously
found in Draft Regulatory Guide DG-0008, ``Applications for the Use of
Sealed Sources in Portable Gauging Devices,'' dated May 1995, and the
guidance for licensing staff now found in Policy and Guidance Directive
PG 2-07, ``Standard Review Plan for Applications for the Use of Sealed
Sources in Portable Gauging Devices,'' dated September 1994.
The performance-based approach in NUREG-1556, Volume 1, gives
portable gauge licensees greater flexibility than previously permitted
under licenses based on applications prepared according to DG-0008.
This permits licensees to make more changes in their radiation safety
program without amending their licenses, thus reducing the regulatory
burden on licensees and the NRC staff. Accordingly, existing portable
gauge licensees have the option of submitting a complete application
using NUREG-1556, Vol. 1, at the time they file an amendment request.
Portable gauge licensees choosing this option should incorporate the
requested change into the complete application, submit it with the
appropriate amendment fee, and indicate that the complete application
is an amendment request to take advantage of the new guidance. When the
NRC staff has reviewed the request and resolved any outstanding issues,
the NRC staff will amend the license in its entirety without changing
the expiration date.
Portable gauge licensees wishing to renew their licenses should
submit a complete application according to NUREG-1556, Vol. 1. The NRC
staff's action will be similar to that described for amendments, but
will include an extension of the license's expiration date. By
following this procedure, the staff expects all existing portable gauge
licenses to be converted to the more performance-based format within a
few years.
Electronic Access
NUREG-1556, Volume 1, is also available electronically by visiting
[[Page 35241]]
NRC's Home Page (http://www.nrc.gov) and choosing ``Nuclear
Materials,'' then ``Business Process Redesign project,'' then
``Library,'' and then ``NUREG-1556, Volume 1.''
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
In accordance with the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Act of
1996, the NRC has determined that this action is not a major rule and
has verified this determination with the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of June, 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Donald A. Cool,
Director, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, Office of
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 97-16996 Filed 6-27-97; 8:45 am]
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