[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 200 (Friday, October 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 55653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27812]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Assessment of the Use of Potassium Iodide (KI) As a Public 
Protective Action During Severe Reactor Accidents; Withdrawal of Draft 
NUREG

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Withdrawal of draft NUREG-1633.

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SUMMARY: On July 20, 1998, the NRC announced the availability of Draft 
NUREG-1633, ``Assessment of the Use of Potassium iodide (KI) As a 
Public Protective Action During Severe Reactor Accidents,'' and 
requested comments by September 14, 1998. Based on the many useful 
public comments received, a substantially revised document that takes 
those comments into account will be issued in its place, and the draft 
NUREG is therefore being withdrawn.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Aby S. Mohseni, Incident Response Division, Office for Analysis and 
Evaluation of Operational Data, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, telephone 301-415 6409, e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 26, 1998, the Commission granted a 
petition for rulemaking on the use of KI around nuclear power plants 
and directed the staff to issue the draft NUREG-1633 for public 
comment. On September 30, 1998, the Commission directed the staff to 
issue a Federal Register notice stating that, in light of the many 
useful public comments on draft NUREG-1633, a substantially revised 
document that takes those comments into account will be issued in its 
place, and that the draft NUREG is therefore being withdrawn. The 
reissued document will include an improved discussion on how the 
practical problems in KI stockpiling, distribution, and use are handled 
in the States that already use KI as a supplement and in the numerous 
nations which use KI as a supplement. A discussion, in some detail, of 
the various guidance documents of the World Health Organization and 
International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration, on this subject will also be included in the revised 
document. The revised NUREG will be consistent with the policy adopted 
by the Commission in response to the petition for rulemaking and will 
fairly discuss the factors that need to be weighed in the State and 
local decisions. The staff anticipates making the revised draft NUREG-
1633 in its final form by September, 1999. Subsequently, the staff will 
develop an information brochure based on NUREG-1633 to assist State and 
local planners in reaching an informed decision as to whether KI is an 
appropriate protective supplement.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of October 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Frank J. Congel,
Director, Incident Response Division, Office for Analysis and 
Evaluation of Operational Data.
[FR Doc. 98-27812 Filed 10-15-98; 8:45 am]
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