[Federal Register: May 18, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 94)]
[Notices]
[Page 23198-23200]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18my09-69]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID FEMA-2008-0022]
Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency
Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants;
NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1/Rev. 1 Supplement 4 and FEMA Radiological
Emergency Preparedness Program Manual
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting
comments on two documents: the proposed Supplement 4 (Supplement 4) to
``Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency
Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants,''
NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1/Rev. 1 (NUREG-0654), and the proposed
Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program Manual (the REPP Manual).
NUREG-0654 is a joint document issued by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) and FEMA that contains the Evaluation Criteria against
which FEMA and the NRC measure the emergency preparedness plans of
Nuclear Power Plant owners and operators and the State, local, and
Tribal jurisdictions in which they sit. The REPP Manual provides
additional implementation guidance for State, local, and Tribal
jurisdictions.
Supplement 4 revises and provides additional offsite requirements
for emergency preparedness programs at the Nation's nuclear power
plants, as well as requirements for backup means for alert and
notification, and coordination between licensees and offsite
responders. The REPP Manual consolidates all of the FEMA Radiological
Emergency Preparedness Program's many operative guidance and policy
documents into one location, and provides additional guidance on the
proposed changes in Supplement 4.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 3, 2009.
ADDRESSES: The proposed Supplement 4 and the proposed REPP Manual are
available online at http://www.regulations.gov. You may also view hard
copies of these documents at the Office of Chief Counsel, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Room 835, 500 C Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20472. You may submit comments on the proposed Supplement 4 and the
proposed REPP Manual, identified by Docket ID FEMA-2008-0022, by one of
the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: FEMA-POLICY@dhs.gov. Include ``Docket ID FEMA-2008-0022''
in the subject line of the message.
Fax: 703-483-2999.
Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Regulation & Policy Team, Office of
Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Room 835, 500 C
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and Docket ID. Also, because FEMA is collecting comments on two
documents in this docket, please also identify the document to which
your comment applies. 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
[[Page 23199]]
Privacy Act notice that is available on the Privacy and Use Notice link
on the Administration Navigation Bar of http://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://
www.regulations.gov, and search for Docket ID ``FEMA-2008-0022.''
Submitted comments may also be inspected at FEMA, Office of Chief
Counsel, Room 835, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Fiore, Deputy Chief,
Radiological Emergency Preparedness Branch, Technological Hazards
Division, National Preparedness Directorate, craig.fiore@dhs.gov, (703)
605-4218.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) is accepting comments on the proposed Supplement 4 to ``Criteria
for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans
and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants,'' NUREG-0654/FEMA-
REP-1/Rev. 1 (Supplement 4), and the proposed Radiological Emergency
Preparedness Program Manual (the REPP Manual). The substance of these
proposed policies conforms to changes proposed in the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking entitled
``Enhancements to Emergency Preparedness Regulations.'' The NRC
rulemaking can be found on http://www.regulations.gov in Docket ID NRC-
2008-0122.
Supplement 4
As part of the domestic licensing of commercial nuclear power
plants (NPPs), FEMA and the NRC evaluate emergency preparedness
activities at these facilities. Preparedness activities for a
radiological incident at an NPP are an essential part of planning for
communities that could be affected by such events. FEMA's role is to
review and provide findings to the NRC on planning and preparedness
activities of State, local, and Tribal governments, licensee emergency
response organizations, if applicable, and other supporting
organizations (collectively referred to as Offsite Response
Organizations or OROs). FEMA performs this activity before the NRC
issues a license to operate a NPP, as well as provides ongoing
certifications that planning and preparedness efforts are effective and
consistent with relevant regulatory guidelines. The NRC evaluates
applicants for NPP site permits, construction permits, and operating
licenses. As a part of that evaluation, the NRC reviews the onsite
facility licensees' emergency plans and preparedness efforts.
NPP licensees and OROs must show that they have plans in place that
provide a reasonable assurance that adequate protective measures will
be taken to protect public health and safety in the event of an
incident at an NPP. The NRC evaluates the adequacy of the onsite plans
and capabilities, and FEMA evaluates the adequacy of the offsite plans
and capabilities by applying 16 planning standards. The planning
standards are contained in FEMA regulations at 44 CFR 350.5 and NRC
regulations at 10 CFR part 50 (including Appendix E).
The NRC and FEMA have also developed a number of evaluation
criteria that the agencies use to determine compliance with each of the
16 planning standards. Those evaluation criteria are contained in
NUREG-0654 which is incorporated by reference into FEMA's regulations
at 44 CFR part 350, as well as contained in NRC regulations at 10 CFR
part 50. As such, the criteria established in NUREG-0654 are binding
upon both NPP licensees and the OROs responsible for offsite emergency
preparedness planning in the areas surrounding the NPP.
Supplement 4 adds to, and in limited situations revises, evaluation
criteria contained in NUREG-0654. The changes in Supplement 4 are being
proposed to address four emerging issues: (1) Preparing for and
responding to hostile action-based (HAB) events at NPPs; (2) enhancing
scenario realism and reducing negative training and pre-conditioned
responses to exercise participants; (3) aligning the offsite
Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program with the national
preparedness initiatives under Homeland Security Presidential
Directives 5 and 8; and (4) ensuring backup means are in place for
alert and notification systems.
As previously mentioned, NUREG-0654 is currently incorporated by
reference into FEMA's regulations at 44 CFR part 350. Should Supplement
4 become final, FEMA intends to update the incorporation by reference
to include not only the original NUREG-0654, but also its supplements,
including Supplement 4. In doing so, FEMA intends to make the substance
proposed in Supplement 4 binding on OROs.
The REPP Manual
The REPP Manual is intended to be the principal source of policy
and guidance for FEMA's REP Program. The REPP Manual provides an
overview along with additional guidance to aid ORO planners,
responders, and emergency management professionals. This manual
provides additional guidance with respect to the planning standards
established in 44 CFR part 350 and the evaluation criteria contained in
NUREG-0654 and its Supplements. The REPP Manual does not create new
requirements or evaluation criteria.
In August 2002, FEMA released a Draft REPP Manual for interim use
by OROs, NPP licensees, FEMA Regional staff, the NRC, and other
stakeholders in developing plans or assessing planning and preparedness
in communities surrounding the Nation's NPPs. The document currently
available for comment is an updated version of the REPP Manual. This
document contains only proposed guidance, however, and it will not be
effective until comments have been received and adjudicated by FEMA,
and the final version has been published.
The proposed REPP Manual incorporates and updates previously-issued
FEMA Guidance Memoranda (GMs), policy memoranda, and some FEMA-REP
series documents. The REPP Manual effectively retires these documents
from use as independent resources. Guidance on specific technical areas
and other REP Program documents that FEMA was unable to incorporate
have been retained as ``technical references.'' The remaining stand-
alone FEMA-REP series documents and these technical references are
listed in Appendix C and cited in the applicable parts of this proposed
REPP Manual. The retired guidance documents are listed in Appendix D as
a historical resource. To the greatest extent possible, FEMA will issue
all future REP Program guidance as amendments to the applicable parts
of the REPP manual.
In updating the 2002 Draft REPP Manual, FEMA made important changes
to both the language and the substance of the document. First, FEMA
conducted a ``plain English'' review to produce a more easily
understandable document by considering the audience's needs and
avoiding unnecessary words, jargon, technical terms, and long and
ambiguous sentences. Second, the new REPP Manual provides guidance on
the integration of terms and concepts found in the National Incident
Management System/Incident Command System and in the National Exercise
Program, Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP). (Note:
Because both HSEEP and REP are evolving programs, additional revisions
and modifications may be necessary.) Further, the REPP
[[Page 23200]]
Manual provides additional guidance on the new or revised evaluation
criteria proposed in Supplement 4 and the NRC's proposed rulemaking.
Authorities: FEMA proposes to issue the new REPP Manual, and
FEMA and the NRC propose to issue Supplement 4 to NUREG-0654 under
the authority of: Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978; Presidential
Directive of Dec. 7, 1979; Executive Order 12148 ``Federal Emergency
Management''; section 201 of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974, 42
U.S.C. 5131, as amended by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended (Pub. L. 93-288); Homeland
Security Act of 2002, 6 U.S.C. 101 et seq., as amended by the Post
Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (Pub. L. 109-295); NRC
Authorization Acts of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-295) and 1982-1983 (Pub. L.
97-415); Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2011 et
seq.; Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.;
Energy Policy Act of 2005, 42 U.S.C. 15801 note; Homeland Security
Presidential Directive 5: Management of Domestic Incidents; and
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8: National Preparedness;
10 CFR part 50; 10 CFR part 50, Appendix E; 44 CFR part 350.
Dated: May 5, 2009.
David Garratt,
Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. E9-10951 Filed 5-15-09; 8:45 am]
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