[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61699-61701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24866]
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NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD
Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity,
Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by the U.S. Nuclear
Waste Technical Review Board
AGENCY: U.S Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
ACTION: Final notice.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued government
wide guidelines (OMB Guidelines) as required by Section 515 of the
Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001
(Pub. L. 106-554; H.R. 5658) to ensure and maximize the quality of
information disseminated by Federal agencies. The OMB Guidelines were
published on September 28, 2001, (66 FR 49718) and on January 3, 2002,
(67 FR 369) and reprinted in their entirety on February 22, 2002, (67
FR 8452); Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality,
Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by
Federal Agencies. Each Federal agency is required to issue its own set
of guidelines to comply with the Section 515 requirements.
The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (Board) is making its
final information guidelines available both in the Federal Register and
on its Web site at www.nwtrb.gov. These information guidelines include
the proposed complaint and review process for addressing public
requests for correcting information. Please bear in mind that the
purpose of the complaint and review process is to deal with information
quality, not to resolve underlying substantive policy or legal issues
or factual disputes.
Comments received will be reviewed and their disposition included
in the Board's annual report to OMB in Section 515.
The Board's information quality guidelines apply to information
first disseminated by the Board on or after October 1, 2002 and do not
include archived information disseminated previously.
NWTRB Guidelines for Disseminating Information
Board Mandate
The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board was established by
Public Law 100-203, Part E, to ``evaluate the technical and scientific
validity of activities undertaken by the Secretary [of Energy] after
the date of the enactment of the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of
1987, including: (1) [Yucca Mountain] site characterization activities;
and (2) activities relating to the packaging or transporting of high-
level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel.''
To carry out its mandate, the Board strives for a high standard of
quality in reviewing the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) technical
and scientific activities. The Board holds open meetings, routinely
schedules time for public comment at its meetings, and actively
solicits the opinions of experts in fields allied with topics under
review.
The Board also makes every effort to ensure the quality,
objectivity, utility, and integrity of information that it
disseminates. In developing these guidelines, the Board has followed
the requirements set out by the OMB.
Information Disseminated by the Board
The Board was charged by Congress with providing technical and
scientific advice to Congress and the Secretary of Energy based on the
expert opinion of Board members. The mandate of the Board is to provide
unbiased, expert advice. The quality of the information the Board
provides is central to the Board's mission. Therefore, the Board makes
every attempt to ensure that the process it uses to derive its opinions
is open, and that standard scientific processes are sued.
In accordance with its mandate, the Board performs an evaluation of
the technical and scientific validity of factual information provided
by the DOE. The Board does not normally originate technical and
scientific research or data. Consequently, information disseminated by
the Board is almost without exception based on Board-member opinion of
the information that has been presented to it. Like all expert
judgments, Board
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opinions have a subjective element. Thus, every effort is made to
ensure that they meet the standards of objectivity, reproducibility,
and transparency described in the OMB guidelines.
To clarify how the Board conducts its reviews, the following
guidelines for the information the Board disseminates have been
formalized from procedures that were already in place. The guidelines
have three elements. first, to the extent that Board opinions derive
directly from specific technical analyses, those analyses are revealed.
Second, the Board makes clear the logic and rationale for its expert
opinions. Third, the Board makes every effort to ensure that the
information on which it bases its opinions is credible.
Technical analyses. The Board includes a discussion of technical
analyses that form the basis of its expert opinions in its twice-yearly
reports to Congress and the Secretary of Energy. In addition, such
technical analyses are referenced in Board correspondence with the DOE
and in correspondence with and testimony before Congress.
Logic and rationale. To make the logic and rationale that support
its opinions clear, the Board makes every effort to ensure that its
findings and recommendations and the technical analysis on which they
are based are understandable, relevant, and widely accessible.
Credible information. To help ensure that its opinions are based on
credible information, the Board stays informed on progress in the
program by holding meetings several times a year, by being updated on
current scientific and technical research, by conducting field
observations, and by gathering information from parties to the process
and experts in related fields. The Board cites all materials referenced
as supporting documentation in its reports and correspondence. However,
even with its scrupulous review the quality of information from
external sources cannot be guaranteed by the Board.
From time to time, the Board retains technical experts to provide
their opinions on specific technical and scientific issues related to
the Board's review of the DOE program. Expert opinion generated or
disseminated by these expert consultants are disseminated, the Board
includes an appropriate disclaimer in the document, for example: ``The
views in this document are those of the consultant and are not
necessarily those of the Board.''
In addition, Board members, staff members, and consultants may
independently publish information in their areas of expertise, without
implying the official Board endorsement of the views presented.
Process of Disseminating Information
The Board strives for a high degree of transparency in its
evaluation of the DOE program. Consequently, the Board ensures that all
Board documents, covered by these guidelines, are widely disseminated
and available to other organizations, to members of Congress, and to
members of the public. The Board mails its twice-yearly reports and its
meeting notices directly to its extensive mailing list. The Board makes
all its reports, correspondence, congressional testimony, meeting
transcripts, and other documents available on its Web site and on
request. Most of these documents can be downloaded and are accessible
to those who use assistive technology for reading online material.
Quality Management Principles
In reviewing information for dissemination, the Board complies with
statutory requirements for protecting certain information. The
statutory requirements include the Privacy Act of 1974, the Freedom of
Information Act, and the computer security provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act. The Board strives to ensure that the information in
Board documents is unbiased, relevant, accurate, and clear by using the
following procedures.
The Board reviews documents for adherence to quality standards as
part of its internal review process. Board members and Board staff
perform multiple reviews of Board reports, Board correspondence, Board
congressional testimony, and other documents. All Board documents are
reviewed for consistency and clarity. Text is edited to ensure that
thoughts and arguments flow logically and are clear, concise, easy to
read, and grammatically correct. Tables and charts are edited to ensure
that they clearly and accurately illustrate and support points made in
the text. Sound statistical and analytical techniques are used in
developing Board documents.
Complaint and Review Procedures
Information Covered by These Guidelines
Board guidelines include the following procedures for members of
the public to seek and obtain appropriate correction of information
disseminated by the NWTRB after October 1, 2002. Archived materials
released prior to this date are not included in these guidelines unless
they are revised. As required by OMB Guidelines, the NWTRB will report
annually to the director of the OMB on the number and disposition of
such requests received.
Information Not Covered By These Guidelines:
[sbull] archival records
[sbull] transcripts of meetings
[sbull] correspondence with an individual
[sbull] reports containing a disclaimer
[sbull] dissemination for adjudicative processes
The Filing and Review Process
Please follow the procedures provided on the Board's Web site for
available from the Board's office. Provide the information requested on
the form and submit it to [email protected] or to U.S. Nuclear Waste
Technical Review Board; Section 515 Compliance; 2300 Clarendon Blvd.,
Suite 1300; Arlington, VA 22201.
Each person submitting a complaint must describe the specific
information that does not comply with OMB or NWTRB guidelines, and how
they are affected by the information error. Requests that are specific
and provide evidence to support the need for and type of correction
will enable the Board to develop an appropriate response and remedy. A
decision on whether and how to correct the information will be made
within 60 days of receipt, and the requester will be notified of the
decision by mail, telephone, e-mail, or fax, excepting unusual cases,
as appropriate. If the complaint needs more time to resolve the Board
will notify the complainant that the response will be delayed, the
reason for the delay, and an estimated date for the response. The NWTRB
may choose not to respond to requests based on claims deemed frivolous
or unlikely to have substantial future effect.
If the claim is denied, the requester may ask within 30 days of the
date of the decision for reconsideration of the Board's decision. Such
requests must be made by e-mail ([email protected]) or in writing (U.S.
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board; Director of Administration; 2300
Clarendon Blvd., Suite 1300; Arlington, VA 22201). The NWTRB will then
reconsider its decision. Reconsiderations will be made by the Director
Administration or delegate. The claimant will be notified of the final
decision within six weeks.
If the claim is found valid, the Board will work with the
complainant to resolve the issue satisfactorily within the resources of
the Board. A correction may be made on the website, published in the
Federal Register, an erratum may be included in further distribution of
the material, or other avenues may be
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discussed. The information corrected and actions taken will be included
in the Boards Section 515 annual report to OMB.
Definitions
Quality: An encompassing term comprising utility, objectivity, and
integrity, as defined below.
Utility: The usefulness of the information to its intended users.
Objectivity: A focus on ensuring that information is accurate,
reliable, and unbiased, and that information products are presented in
an accurate, clear, complete, and unbiased manner.
Integrity: The security of information from unauthorized access or
revision to ensure that the information is not compromised through
corruption or falsification.
Information: Any communication or representation of knowledge, such
as facts or data, in any form. This does not include individual Board
member or staff opinions, where the agency makes it clear that what is
being offered is someone's opinion rather than fact or the Board's
view.
Dissemination: Agency-instituted or agency-sponsored distribution
of information to the public. Dissemination under these guidelines does
not include distributions limited to government employees or agency
contractors or grantees; interagency or inraagency use or sharing of
government information; and responses to requests for agency records
under the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Federal
Advisory Committee Act, or other similar law.
Influential: The Board can reasonably determine that dissemination
of the information will have or does have a clear and substantial
effect on important public policies.
Reproducibility: The information is capable of being substantially
reproduced, subject to an acceptable degree of imprecision.
Dated: September 25, 2002.
William D. Barnard,
Executive Director, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
[FR Doc. 02-24866 Filed 9-30-02; 8:45 am]
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