[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 123 (Friday, June 26, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 34946-34947] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-17094] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION The Role of Industry Stakeholder Meeting AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The objective of the meeting is to obtain stakeholder insights into potential approaches or options the NRC could implement to more efficiently and effectively utilize consensus standards, industry initiatives that would be substitutes for regulatory action, and improvements to the regulatory framework. Plenary and breakout sessions will be held. Concurrent breakout sessions will provide a forum for discussion and feedback on (1) Consensus Codes and Standards Development and Endorsement/Use, (2) Industry Initiatives as Substitutes for Regulatory Action, and (3) Improvements to the Regulatory Framework. DATES: Pre-registration will be August 31, 1998. The stakeholder meeting will be held on September 1, 1998. ADDRESSES: The stakeholder meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel, 9300 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, Illinois, 60018. Telephone: (847) 696-1234, Facsimile: (847) 698-1039. (Refer to NRC Meeting for special conference rate.) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For additional information contact: Thomas N. Cerovski, USNRC, Telephone: (301) 415-8099; FAX: (301) 415-5151; Internet: [email protected]. Participation This conference is open to the general public; however, advance registration by August 1, 1998 is recommended. To register, contact: Thomas N. Cerovski, USNRC, Telephone: (301) 415-8099; Facsimile: (301) 415-5151; Internet: [email protected]. Program Following is the preliminary program for the meeting: August 31, 1998 Pre-Registration 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. September 1, 1998 Registration--7:00 a.m.-8:00 am. Plenary Session--Opening and Welcome--8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions (I, II, and III)--9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Lunch--11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Afternoon Breakout Sessions (I, II, and III)--1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Plenary Session--Closing and Summary--4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. * * * * * The agenda for each breakout session is as follows: Breakout Session I: Codes and Standards Development and Endorsement/Use Open discussion is invited on the following topics: (1) Actions the NRC is taking to implement PL 104-113, ``National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995,'' March 7, 1996, (2) Options for NRC participation in the development of consensus codes and standards organizations, (3) Whether the NRC should make greater use of available codes and standards in its regulations and regulatory guides, (4) Options for endorsement/use of codes and standards, including potential changes regarding requirements for licensees to upgrade every 120-months to the latest ASME Code edition and addenda incorporated by reference in Sec. 50.55a, (5) Options for a process to interact with standards development organizations to discuss potential needs for new codes, standards, and guides and recommendations for areas of emphasis, (6) Impediments to the adoption of updated codes and standards. Breakout Session II: Industry Initiatives as Substitutes for Regulatory Action Open discussion is invited on the proposed NRC review process of industry initiatives as substitutes for regulatory action: A. Proposed process to be used by the NRC for review of industry initiatives: (1) Industry submittal: defines parameters of issue, schedule, resources, end products, (2) Acceptance review by NRC: resources, public access, fees, monitoring activities, enforcement policy, (3) Detailed technical review by NRC: maintenance of desired level of safety and boundary conditions relative to agency policy. B. Discussion of the process: (1) Process will be used to determine whether an industry initiative can be relied on as an adequate and effective substitute for NRC regulatory activities: a. Is the process workable from a conceptual perspective? b. Should it be refined or more clearly defined? (2) Are there similar processes which have been developed by public agencies or the governments of other countries from which the NRC could learn? [[Page 34947]] (3) How should NRC assure that public access is maintained in the following areas: a. In the agency's review of the industry initiatives? b. To information related to the bases for the agency's acceptance of the initiative? Breakout Session III: Improvements to Regulatory Framework Open discussion is invited on the following topics: A. Reactor event reporting requirements. 10 CFR Sec. 50.72, ``Immediate notification requirements for operating nuclear power reactors,'' and 10 CFR Sec. 50.73, ``Licensee event report system'' are currently the subject of a rulemaking effort to: (a) update the current rules, including reducing the reporting burden associated with events of little or no safety significance, and (b) better align the rules with the NRC's current needs, including (i) obtaining information better related to risk and (ii) reconsidering the required reporting times in relation to the need for prompt NRC action. (1) Other reporting requirements applicable to nuclear power plants. Are there additional areas (outside of Sec. 50.72 and Sec. 50.73) where event reporting requirements can be risk-informed and/or simplified? (2) What changes should be made in those areas? For example, the time limit for reporting could be adjusted based on the safety significance of the event and the need for NRC's immediate action. The burden associated with reporting events or conditions with little or no safety or risk significance should be minimized. (3) What would be the change in reporting burden associated with such changes? B. Development of a systematic process and identification of candidate issues for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of rules, standards, regulatory guidance, and their application. (1) NRC Process Development. The staff will discuss and seek comments from stakeholders on the staff process of (i) candidate issue identification utilizing a variety of readily available sources and databases; (ii) the analysis of the candidate issue for generic applicability, risk, effectiveness and efficiency; (iii) issue prioritization and disposal, and (iiii) the initiative to achieve more performance-based regulation. (2) Candidate Issue Proposals. The staff welcomes the proposal of candidate issues for improving rules, standards, regulatory guidance, and their application. This will include consideration of issues that may improve safety, as well as issues that may reduce regulatory impact. Candidate issues will be most seriously addressed if they are provided with a discussion of (i) resource impact on the industry and the NRC, (ii) a quantitative or qualitative assessment of their impact on risk, and (iii) options of ways to address the issue. Dated in Rockville, Maryland this 23rd day of June, 1998. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Frank C. Cherny, Acting Chief, Generic Safety Issues Branch, Division of Regulatory Applications, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. [FR Doc. 98-17094 Filed 6-25-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P