Notices. Notice of the OMB review of information collection and solicitation of public comment
9,157 words·~42 min read·
/register/2005/06/13/05-11713·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB)Review; Comment Request AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). ACTION: Notice of the OMB review of information collection and solicitation of public comment. SUMMARY: The NRC has recently submitted to OMB for review the following proposal for the collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 1. *Type of submission, new, revision, or extension:* Extension. 2. *The title of the information collection:* Notice of Enforcement Discretion (NOEDs) for Operating Power Reactors and Gaseous Diffusion Plants (GDP). 3. *The form number if applicable:* Not applicable. 4. How often the collection is required: On occasion. 5. *Who will be required or asked to report:* Nuclear power reactor licensees and gaseous diffusion plant certificate holders. 6. *An estimate of the number of annual responses:* 26. 7. *The estimated number of annual respondents:* 11. 8. *An estimate of the total number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request:* 1,991 hours (1810 reporting [121 hours per response] and 181 recordkeeping [16.45 hours per recordkeeper]). 9. *An indication of whether Section 3507(d), Pub. L. 104-13 applies:* Not applicable. 10. *Abstract:* The NRC's Enforcement Policy addresses circumstances in which the NRC may exercise enforcement discretion. A specific type of enforcement discretion is designated as a Notice of Enforcement Discretion
(NOED)and relates to circumstances which may arise where a nuclear power plant licensee's compliance with a Technical Specification Limiting Condition for Operation or with other license conditions would involve an unnecessary plant transient or shutdown, or performance of testing, inspection, or system realignment that is inappropriate for the specific plant conditions, or unnecessary delays in plant startup without a corresponding health and safety benefit. Similarly, for a gaseous diffusion plant, circumstances may arise where compliance with a Technical Safety Requirement or other condition would unnecessarily call for a total plant shutdown, or, notwithstanding that a safety, safeguards or security feature was degraded or inoperable, compliance would unnecessarily place the plant in a transient or condition where those features could be required. A licensee or certificate holder seeking the issuance of an NOED must provide a written justification, in accordance with guidance provided in NRC Inspection Manual, Part 9900, which documents the safety basis for the request and provides whatever other information the NRC staff deems necessary to decide whether or not to exercise discretion. A copy of the final supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC Worldwide Web site: *http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/index.html* . The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions should be directed to the OMB reviewer listed below by July 13, 2005. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received after this date. John A. Asalone, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (3150-0136), NEOB-10202, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments can also be e-mailed to *John_A._Asalone@omb.eop.gov* or submitted by telephone at
(202)395-4650. The NRC Clearance Officer is Brenda Jo. Shelton, 301-415-7233. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of June, 2005. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Brenda Jo. Shelton, NRC Clearance Officer, Office of Information Services. [FR Doc. E5-3054 Filed 6-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. 50-325 and 50-324] Carolina Power & Light Company, Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2; Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses, Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, and Opportunity for a Hearing The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of amendments to Facility Operating License No. DPR-71 and Facility Operating License No. DPR-62 issued to Carolina Power & Light Company (the licensee), for operation of the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2, located in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The proposed changes replace the existing requirement of Technical Specification
(TS)3.4.5, “RCS [Reactor Coolant System] Leakage Detection Instrumentation,” Required Action D.1, to enter Limiting Condition for Operation
(LCO)3.0.3 if required leakage detection systems are inoperable with the requirement to be in Mode 3 within 12 hours and Mode 4 within 36 hours. The reason for the exigency is to fulfill the NRC's requirement for the request for exigent processing of the proposed amendments as indicated in NRC Inspection Manual Part 9900, “Operations—Notices of Enforcement Discretion [NOEDs],” following NRC's granting of a verbal NOED on May 12, 2005 (documented in a letter to the NRC on May 13, 2005). Before issuance of the proposed license amendments, the Commission will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act) and the Commission's regulations. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6) for amendments to be granted under exigent circumstances, the NRC staff must determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed amendments would not
(1)involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; or
(2)create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or
(3)involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented below: 1. Does the proposed change involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated? *Response:* No. The proposed change replaces the existing requirement of TS 3.4.5, Required Action D.1 to enter LCO 3.0.3 if required leakage detection systems are inoperable with the requirement to be in Mode 3 within 12 hours and Mode 4 within 36 hours. This is accomplished by deleting Condition D and including the “all required leakage detection systems inoperable” statement in Condition C. The proposed change does not involve physical changes to any plant structure, system, or component. As a result, no new failure modes of the RCS leakage detection systems are being introduced. Additionally, the RCS leakage detection systems have no impact on any initiating event frequency. Therefore, the proposed change cannot increase * * * the probability [of an accident] previously evaluated. The consequences of a previously analyzed accident are dependent on the initial conditions assumed for the analysis, the behavior of the fuel during the analyzed accident, the availability and successful functioning of the equipment assumed to operate in response to the analyzed event, and the setpoints at which these actions are initiated. The RCS leakage detection systems do not perform an accident mitigating function. ECCS [emergency core cooling system], RPS [reactor protection system], and primary and secondary containment isolation actuations all occur based on high drywell pressure and/or low vessel water level. The proposed change has no impact on any setpoints or functions related to these actuations. Therefore, the proposed change cannot increase * * * the consequences [of an accident] previously evaluated. 2. Does the proposed change create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated? *Response:* No. The proposed change eliminates the unnecessarily restrictive shutdown requirements of entering LCO 3.0.3 when all TS required leakage detection systems are inoperable. No installed equipment is being operated in a different manner. There is no alteration to the parameters within which the plant is normally operated or in the setpoints that initiate protective or mitigative actions. As a result no new failure modes are being introduced. Therefore, the proposed change does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated. 3. Does the proposed change involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety? *Response:* No. The proposed change maintains the existing level of safety by imposing shutdown requirements that are as conservative as those currently imposed by TS 3.4.4 for actual RCS operational leakage in excess of TS requirements. The net effect of this change is to allow a unit to operate for five additional hours in Mode 1 with no operable TS required leakage detection systems, while exiting the Mode of Applicability for RCS leakage detection instrumentation one hour earlier (i.e., 36 hours to be in Mode 4 versus 37 hours per the existing TS 3.4.5, Required Action D.1). Elimination of the intermediate 7 hours to Mode 2 requirement, imposed by LCO 3.0.3, allows the unit to reach the Mode 3 from full power conditions in an orderly manner and without challenging plant safety systems. Therefore, the proposed change does not result in a significant reduction in the margin of safety. The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment requests involve no significant hazards consideration. The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed determination. Any comments received within 14 days after the date of publication of this notice will be considered in making any final determination. Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendments until the expiration of the 14-day notice period. However, should circumstances change during the notice period, such that failure to act in a timely way would result, for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility, the Commission may issue the license amendment before the expiration of the 14-day notice period, provided that its final determination is that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration. The final determination will consider all public and State comments received. Should the Commission take this action, it will publish in the **Federal Register** a notice of issuance. The Commission expects that the need to take this action will occur very infrequently. Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and should cite the publication date and page number of this **Federal Register** notice. Written comments may also be delivered to Room 6D59, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to intervene is discussed below. Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, the licensee may file a request for a hearing with respect to issuance of the amendment to the subject facility operating license and any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written request for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene. Requests for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's “Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings” in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.309, which is available at the Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint North, Public File Area 01F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, *http://www.nrc.gov/ reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/.* If a request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the Commission or a presiding officer designated by the Commission or by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, will rule on the request and/or petition; and the Secretary or the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of a hearing or an appropriate order. As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding. The petition should specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the following general requirements:
(1)The name, address and telephone number of the requestor or petitioner;
(2)the nature of the requestor's/petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the proceeding;
(3)the nature and extent of the requestor's/petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and
(4)the possible effect of any decision or order which may be entered in the proceeding on the requestor's/petitioner's interest. The petition must also identify the specific contentions which the petitioner/requestor seeks to have litigated at the proceeding. Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the petitioner/requestor shall provide a brief explanation of the bases for the contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion which support the contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing. The petitioner/requestor must also provide references to those specific sources and documents of which the petitioner/requestor is aware and on which the petitioner/requestor intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion. The petitioner/requestor must provide sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact. Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the amendment under consideration. The contention must be one which, if proven, would entitle the petitioner/requestor to relief. A petitioner/requestor who fails to satisfy these requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party. Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the hearing. If a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration. The final determination will serve to decide when the hearing is held. If the final determination is that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the amendment and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance of the amendment. If the final determination is that the amendment request involves a significant hazards consideration, any hearing held would take place before the issuance of any amendment. Nontimely requests and/or petitions and contentions will not be entertained absent a determination by the Commission or the presiding officer of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the petition, request and/or the contentions should be granted based on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(a)(1)(i)-(viii). A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must be filed by:
(1)First class mail addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff;
(2)courier, express mail, and expedited delivery services: Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff;
(3)e-mail addressed to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, *HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV;* or
(4)facsimile transmission addressed to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff at
(301)415-1101, verification number is
(301)415-1966. A copy of the request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and it is requested that copies be transmitted either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail to *OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov.* A copy of the request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to David T. Conley, Associate General Counsel II—Legal Department, Progress Energy Service Company, LLC, Post Office Box 1551, Raleigh, North Carolina 27602, attorney for the licensee. For further details with respect to this action, see the application for amendment dated May 17, 2005, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site *http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.* Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to *pdr@nrc.gov.* Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of June 2005. For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Brenda L. Mozafari, Senior Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate II, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E5-3050 Filed 6-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-333] Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., James A. Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant; Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment to Facility Operating License, Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, and Opportunity for a Hearing The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. DPR-59, issued to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., (the licensee) for operation of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant (JAFNPP) located in Oswego County, New York. The proposed amendment would revise the Technical Specifications
(TSs)related to the safety-related battery systems. The revision is based on TS Task Force
(TSTF)Change Traveler TSTF-360, Revision 1, “Direct Current
(DC)Electrical Rewrite,” and would revise TSs for inoperable battery chargers, provide alternative testing criteria for battery charger testing, and revise TSs for battery cell monitoring. The licensee has requested that this proposed license amendment be processed per Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.91(a)(6), due to exigent circumstances. The exigent circumstances are that spurious intermittent alarms have been received associated with a battery charger. If the battery charger should fail, trouble-shooting activities and maintenance on the battery charger will likely take longer than the TS completion time to restore operability in 8 hours. A temporary battery charger is available to maintain the battery in a fully-charged condition. Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the Commission will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6) for amendments to be granted under exigent circumstances, the NRC staff must determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would not
(1)involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; or
(2)create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or
(3)involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented below: 1. Does the proposed change involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated? The DC Sources and Battery Cell Parameters are not initiators of any accident sequence analyzed in JAFNPP's Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). As such, the proposed changes do not involve a significant increase in the probability of an accident previously evaluated. The initial conditions of the Design Basis Accident
(DBA)and transient analyses in JAFNPP's UFSAR assume Engineered Safety Feature
(ESF)systems are operable. The DC electrical power distribution system is designed to provide sufficient capacity, capability, redundancy, and reliability to ensure the availability of necessary power to ESF systems so that the fuel, reactor coolant system, and containment design limits are not exceeded. The operability of the DC electrical power distribution system in accordance with the proposed TS is consistent with the initial assumptions of the accident analyses and is based upon meeting the design basis of the plant. Therefore, the proposed changes do not involve a significant increase in the consequences of an accident previously evaluated. 2. Does the proposed change create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated? The proposed changes do not involve any physical alteration of the JAFNPP. The temporary charger, when placed in service, will be powered from an emergency bus and have appropriate electrical isolation. Installed equipment is not being operated in a new or different manner. There are no setpoints at which protective or mitigative actions are initiated that are affected by the proposed changes. The operability of the DC electrical power distribution system in accordance with the proposed TS is consistent with the initial assumptions of the accident analyses and is based upon meeting the design basis of the plant. These proposed changes will not alter the manner in which equipment operation is initiated, nor will the functional demands on credited equipment be changed. No alteration in the procedures, which ensure the unit remains within analyzed limits, is proposed, and no change is being made to procedures relied upon to respond to an off-normal event. As such, no new failure modes are being introduced. The proposed changes do not alter assumptions made in the safety analyses. Therefore, the proposed changes do not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated. 3. Does the proposed change involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety? The proposed changes will not adversely affect operation of plant equipment. These changes will not result in a change to the setpoints at which protective actions are initiated. Sufficient DC capacity to support operation of mitigation equipment is ensured. The changes associated with the new administrative TS program will ensure that the station batteries are maintained in a highly reliable manner. The equipment fed by the DC electrical power distribution system will continue to provide adequate power to safety-related loads in accordance with analyses assumptions. Therefore, the proposed changes do not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed determination. Any comments received within 14 days after the date of publication of this notice will be considered in making any final determination. Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the expiration of the 14-day notice period. However, should circumstances change during the notice period, such that failure to act in a timely way would result, for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility, the Commission may issue the license amendment before the expiration of the 14-day notice period, provided that its final determination is that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration. The final determination will consider all public and State comments received. Should the Commission take this action, it will publish in the **Federal Register** a notice of issuance. The Commission expects that the need to take this action will occur very infrequently. Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and should cite the publication date and page number of this **Federal Register** notice. Written comments may also be delivered to Room 6D59, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal workdays. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to intervene is discussed below. Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, the licensee may file a request for a hearing with respect to issuance of the amendment to the subject facility operating license and any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written request for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene. Requests for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's “Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings” in 10 CFR Part 2. Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.309, which is available at the Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, *http://www.nrc.gov/ reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/.* If a request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the Commission or a presiding officer designated by the Commission or by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, will rule on the request and/or petition; and the Secretary or the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of a hearing or an appropriate order. As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding. The petition should specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the following general requirements:
(1)The name, address and telephone number of the requestor or petitioner;
(2)the nature of the requestor's/petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the proceeding;
(3)the nature and extent of the requestor's/petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and
(4)the possible effect of any decision or order which may be entered in the proceeding on the requestor's/petitioner's interest. The petition must also identify the specific contentions which the petitioner/requestor seeks to have litigated at the proceeding. Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the petitioner/requestor shall provide a brief explanation of the bases for the contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion which support the contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing. The petitioner/requestor must also provide references to those specific sources and documents of which the petitioner is aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion. The petition must include sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact. Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the amendment under consideration. The contention must be one which, if proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief. A petitioner/requestor who fails to satisfy these requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party. Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the hearing. If a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration. The final determination will serve to decide when the hearing is held. If the final determination is that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the amendment and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance of the amendment. If the final determination is that the amendment request involves a significant hazards consideration, any hearing held would take place before the issuance of any amendment. Nontimely requests and/or petitions and contentions will not be entertained absent a determination by the Commission or the presiding officer of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the petition, request and/or the contentions should be granted based on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i)-(viii). A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must be filed by:
(1)First class mail addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff;
(2)courier, express mail, and expedited delivery services: Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff;
(3)E-mail addressed to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, *HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV* ; or
(4)facsimile transmission addressed to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff at
(301)415-1101, verification number is
(301)415-1966. A copy of the request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and it is requested that copies be transmitted either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail to *OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov* . A copy of the request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to Mr. John Fulton, Assistant General Counsel, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., 440 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601, attorney for the licensee. For further details with respect to this action, see the application for amendment dated April 27, 2005, as supplemented June 3, 2005, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint North, File Public Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, *http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html* . Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to *pdr@nrc.gov.* Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of June 2005. For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission. John P. Boska, Sr. Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate 1, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E5-3053 Filed 6-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 71-0122, Approval No. 0122, EA-01-164] In the Matter of J. L. Shepherd & Associates, San Fernando, California; Order Modifying Confirmatory Order Relaxing Order (Effective Immediately) I J.L. Shepherd & Associates (JLS&A) was the holder of Quality Assurance
(QA)Program Approval for Radioactive Material Packages No. 0122 (Approval No. 0122), issued by the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) pursuant to 10 CFR Part 71, Subpart H. The approval was previously issued pursuant to the QA requirements of 10 CFR 71.101. QA activities authorized by Approval No. 0122 included: Design, procurement, fabrication, assembly, testing, modification, maintenance, repair, and use of transportation packages subject to the provisions of 10 CFR Part 71. Approval No. 0122 was originally issued January 17, 1980. In addition to having a QA program approved by the NRC to satisfy the provisions of 10 CFR Part 71, Subpart H, to transport or deliver for transport licensed material in a package, JLS&A was required by 10 CFR Part 71, Subpart C, to have and comply with the package's Certificate of Compliance
(CoC)issued by the NRC. Based on JLS&A failure to comply with 10 CFR Part 71, Subpart H, QA Program Approval No. 0122 was withdrawn, by the immediately effective NRC Order dated July 3, 2001 (66 FR 36603, July 12, 2001). II The NRC issued the July 3, 2001, Order (July 2001 Order) because the NRC lacked confidence that JLS&A would continue to implement the QA Program approved by the NRC ( 71-0122, Revision No. 5) in accordance with 10 CFR Part 71, Subpart H, in a manner that would assure the required preparation and use of transportation packages in full conformance with the terms and conditions of an NRC CoC and with 10 CFR Part 71. On several occasions subsequent to the July 2001 Order, JLS&A has requested, based on its proposed Near-Term Corrective Action Plan (NTCAP), interim relief from the July 2001 Order to allow shipments in U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT)specification packaging designated as 20WC. In response to JLS&A's most recent request for interim relief, and based on a showing of good cause, the NRC issued a Confirmatory Order dated May 30, 2003, (Confirmatory Order Relaxing Order (68 FR 34010, June 6, 2003)), that allowed JLS&A to make shipments through June 1, 2005, and expanded JLS&A's shipment authorization to transportation packaging as authorized by JLS&A implementation of Revision 7 of the conditionally approved QA Program Approval No. 0122. The May 30, 2003, Confirmatory Order Relaxing Order, will expire June 1, 2005, thus withdrawing JLS&A's interim Quality Assurance Program Approval. However, by letter dated April 7, 2005, JLS&A requested the Commission to rescind the Order of July 3, 2001, that withdrew JLS&A's Quality Assurance Program Approval (Docket 71-0122, EA-01-164). The staff's review of JLS&A's request will not be finished by June 1, 2005, thus perhaps unnecessarily withdrawing JLS&A's Quality Assurance Program Approval. Extending the May 30, 2003, Confirmatory Order until July 1, 2005, will maintain JLS&A's Quality Assurance Program Approval until the staff's review of JLS&A's April 7, 2005, request is complete. III In a consent form signed on May 31, 2005, JLS&A agreed to all of the commitments described in Section IV below. The Licensee further agreed that this Order would be effective upon the issuance of this Order and that JLS&A waived its right to a hearing on this Order. This Order only revises the expiration date of the May 30, 2003, Confirmatory Order Relaxing Order, and does not affect the other terms and conditions of the May 30, 2003, Confirmatory Order. Based on JLS&A's assurance that it will remain in compliance with the May 30, 2003, Confirmatory Order, which the Commission granted based on a showing of good cause, this Order is immediately effective upon issuance. IV Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 62, 81, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182 and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR Parts 71 and 110, *it is hereby ordered, effective immediately, that the May 30, 2003, Confirmatory Order Relaxing Order, is modified as provided:* 1. That the May 30, 2003, Confirmatory Order Relaxing Order, is revised to extend the expiration date of that Order from June 1, 2005, to July 1, 2005. The Director, Office of Enforcement, or the Director, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, may in writing, relax or rescind this Order upon a demonstration by the Licensee of good cause. V Any person adversely affected by this Confirmatory Order, other than the Licensee, may request a hearing within 20 days of its issuance. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be given to extending the time to request a hearing. A request for extension of time must be made in writing to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause for the extension. Any request for a hearing shall be submitted to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies also shall be sent to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, to the Assistant General Counsel for Materials Litigation and Enforcement at the same address, to the Regional Administrator, NRC Region IV, 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington, TX 76011 and to JLS&A. Because of continuing disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government offices, it is requested that answers and requests for hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101 or by e-mail to *hearingdocket@nrc.gov* and also to the Office of the General Counsel either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail to *OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov* . If a person other than the licensee requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with particularity the manner in which his interest is adversely affected by this Order and shall address the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 2.309(d) and (f). If a hearing is requested by a person whose interest is adversely affected, the Commission will issue an Order designating the time and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at such hearing shall be whether this Confirmatory Order should be sustained. In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the provisions specified in Section IV above shall be final 20 days from the date of this Order without further order or proceedings. If an extension of time for requesting a hearing has been approved, the provisions specified in Section IV shall be final when the extension expires if a hearing request has not been received. A request for hearing shall not stay the immediate effectiveness of this Order. Dated this 1st day of June, 2005. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Michael R. Johnson, Director, Office of Enforcement. [FR Doc. E5-3059 Filed 6-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 030-14680] Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for License Amendment for Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of Availability. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Ullrich, Commercial & R&D Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, 19406, telephone
(610)337-5040, fax
(610)337-5269; or by e-mail: *exu@nrc.gov.* SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC)is issuing a license amendment to Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck) for Materials License No. 29-00117-06, to authorize disposal of soil contaminated with hydrogen-3 (tritium) pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002. NRC has prepared an Environmental Assessment
(EA)in support of this action in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 51. Based on the EA, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate. The amendment will be issued following the publication of this Notice. II. EA Summary The purpose of the action is to authorize the disposal of 61 cubic meters (80 cubic yards) of solid material
(soil)containing 28 megabequerels (756 microcuries) total of tritium pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002 to an industrial landfill. The licensee provided a dose analysis to justify the disposal. The licensee performed dose assessments of the disposal of this material and determined that such disposal would result in doses of much less than 0.1 millirem in a year to a member of the public. The NRC staff has prepared an EA in support of the license amendment. The soil was excavated and surveyed prior to the licensee requesting the license amendment. The NRC staff has reviewed the information and performed dose assessments of the disposal of the soil to an industrial landfill, based on the information submitted by the licensee. Based on its review, the staff has determined that such disposal would result in doses of much less than 1 millirem in a year to members of the public. Therefore, the staff concluded that such disposal meets the requirements of 10 CFR Part 20.2002, and a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate. III. Finding of No Significant Impact The staff has prepared the EA (summarized above) in support of the license amendment to dispose of 80 cubic yards of soil contaminated with 756 microcuries of tritium. The NRC staff has evaluated the licensee's request and has concluded that the completed action complies with the criteria of 10 CFR Part 20.2002. On the basis of the EA, the NRC has concluded that the environmental impacts from the action are expected to be insignificant and has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the action. IV. Further Information Documents related to this action, including the application for the license amendment and supporting documentation, are available electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at *http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.* From this site, you can access the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession numbers for the documents related to this Notice are the Environmental Assessment [ML051570224] and the Merck & Co, Inc. amendment request dated February 23, 2004 [ML040711197]. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at
(800)397-4209 or
(301)415-4737, or by e-mail to *pdr@nrc.gov.* Documents related to operations conducted under this license not specifically referenced in this Notice may not be electronically available and/or may not be publicly available. Persons who have an interest in reviewing these documents should submit a request to NRC under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Instructions for submitting a FOIA request can be found on the NRC's Web site at *http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/foia-privacy.html.* Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, this 6th day of June, 2005. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. James P. Dwyer, Chief, Commercial and R&D Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I. [FR Doc. E5-3058 Filed 6-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Investment Company Act Release No. 26906; 812-13197] The Brazil Fund; Notice of Application June 7, 2005. AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”). Applicant: The Brazil Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”). Action: Notice of application for an order under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”) for an exemption from section 17(a) of the Act. Summary of Application: Applicant seeks an order that would permit in-kind repurchases of shares of the Fund held by certain affiliated shareholders of the Fund. Filing Dates: The application was filed on June 7, 2005. *Hearing or Notification of Hearing:* An order granting the requested relief will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission's Secretary and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 5:30 p.m. on June 28, 2005, and should be accompanied by proof of service on applicants, in the form of an affidavit or, for lawyers, a certificate of service. Hearing requests should state the nature of the writer's interest, the reason for the request, and the issues contested. Persons who wish to be notified of a hearing may request notification by writing to the Commission's Secretary. ADDRESSES: Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC, 20549-0609. Applicant, Bruce Rosenblum, Esq., c/o Deutsche Investment Management Americas, Inc., 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Kim Gilmer, Senior Counsel, at
(202)551-6871, or Janet M. Grossnickle, Branch Chief, at
(202)551-6821 (Division of Investment Management, Office of Investment Company Regulation). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the application. The complete application may be obtained for a fee at the Commission's Public Reference Desk, 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC, 20549-0102 (tel. 202-551-5850). Applicant's Representations 1. The Fund, a Maryland corporation, is registered under the Act as a closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is to provide long-term capital appreciation through investment in securities, primarily equity securities, of Brazilian companies. Applicant states that under normal circumstances it invests at least 70% of its net assets in Brazilian companies listed on one or more Brazilian stock exchanges or traded in over-the-counter markets organized by entities accredited by the Brazilian Securities Commission. 1 Shares of the Fund are listed and trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. (the “Investment Manager”) is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and serves as the investment manager to the Fund. 1 Applicant states that as of March 31, 2005, approximately 97.5% of its assets were invested in equity securities of Brazilian issuers, all of which were listed on Bolsa de Valores de Sao Paolo. 2. The Fund proposes to repurchase up to 50% of its outstanding shares at 98% of net asset value (“NAV”) on an in-kind basis with a *pro rata* distribution of the Fund's portfolio securities (with exceptions generally for odd lots, fractional shares, and cash items) (the “Initial Repurchase Offer”). The Fund also proposes to conduct six subsequent semi-annual repurchase offers, also on an in-kind basis, each for 10% of the Fund's then outstanding shares at 98% of NAV (“Subsequent Repurchase Offers” together with the Initial Repurchase Offer, the “In-Kind Repurchase Offers”). 2 The In-Kind Repurchase Offers will be conducted in accordance with section 23(c)(2) of the Act and rule 13e-4 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. 2 Each Subsequent Repurchase Offer would be conducted only if the Fund's shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange at an average weekly discount from NAV greater than 5% during a 13-week measuring period ending the last day of the preceding half-year. 3. Applicant states that the In-Kind Repurchase Offers are designed to accommodate the needs of shareholders who wish to participate in the In-Kind Repurchase Offers and long-term shareholders who would prefer to remain invested in a closed-end investment vehicle. Under the In-Kind Repurchase Offers, only participating shareholders will pay taxes on the gain on appreciated securities distributed in the In-Kind Repurchase Offers. Non-participating shareholders would avoid the imposition of a significant tax liability, which would occur if the Fund sold the appreciated securities to make payments in cash. Applicant further states that the In-Kind Repurchase Offers' in-kind payments will minimize market disruption, while allowing the Fund to avoid a cascade of distributions, required to preserve its tax status, that would reduce the size of the Fund drastically. Applicant requests relief to permit any shareholder of the Fund who is an “affiliated person” of the Fund solely by reason of owning, controlling, or holding with the power to vote, 5% or more of the Fund's shares (“Affiliated Shareholder”) to participate in the proposed In-Kind Repurchase Offers. Applicant's Legal Analysis 1. Section 17(a) of the Act prohibits an affiliated person of a registered investment company, or any affiliated person of the person, acting as principal, from knowingly purchasing or selling any security or other property from or to the company. Section 2(a)(3) of the Act defines an “affiliated person” of another person to include any person who directly or indirectly owns, controls, or holds with power to vote 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the other person. Applicant states that to the extent that the In-Kind Repurchase Offers would constitute the purchase or sale of securities by an Affiliated Shareholder, the transactions would be prohibited by section 17(a). Accordingly, applicant requests an exemption from section 17(a) of the Act to the extent necessary to permit the participation of Affiliated Shareholders in the In-Kind Repurchase Offers. 2. Section 17(b) of the Act authorizes the Commission to exempt any transaction from the provisions of section 17(a) if the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid or received, are reasonable and fair and do not involve overreaching on the part of any person concerned, and the transaction is consistent with the policy of each registered investment company and with the general purposes of the Act. Section 6(c) of the Act provides that the Commission may exempt any person, security, or transaction or any class or classes of persons, securities, or transactions, from any provision of the Act or rule thereunder, if and to the extent that such exemption is necessary or appropriate in the public interest and consistent with the protection of investors and the purposes fairly intended by the policy and provisions of the Act. 3. Applicant asserts that the terms of the In-Kind Repurchase Offers meet the requirements of sections 17(b) and 6(c) of the Act. Applicant asserts that neither the Fund nor an Affiliated Shareholder has any choice as to the portfolio securities to be received as proceeds from the In-Kind Repurchase Offers. Instead, shareholders will receive their *pro rata* portion of each of the Fund's portfolio securities, excluding
(a)securities which, if distributed, would have to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), and
(b)securities issued by entities in countries which restrict or prohibit the holding of securities by non-residents other than through qualified investment vehicles, or whose distributions would otherwise be contrary to applicable local laws, rules or regulations, and
(c)certain portfolio assets that involve the assumption of contractual obligations, require special trading facilities, or may only be traded with the counterparty to the transaction. Moreover, applicant states that the portfolio securities to be distributed in the In-Kind Repurchase Offer will be valued according to an objective, verifiable standard, and the In-Kind Repurchase Offers are consistent with the investment policies of the Fund. Applicant also believes that the In-Kind Repurchase Offers are consistent with the general purposes of the Act because the interests of all shareholders are equally protected and no Affiliated Shareholder would receive an advantage or special benefit not available to any other shareholder participating in the In-Kind Repurchase Offers. Applicant's Conditions Applicant agrees that any order granting the requested relief will be subject to the following conditions: 1. Applicant will distribute to shareholders participating in the In-Kind Repurchase Offers an in-kind *pro rata* distribution of portfolio securities of applicant. The *pro rata* distribution will not include:
(a)Securities that, if distributed, would be required to be registered under the Securities Act;
(b)securities issued by entities in countries that restrict or prohibit the holdings of securities by non-residents other than through qualified investment vehicles, or whose distribution would otherwise be contrary to applicable local laws, rules or regulations; and
(c)certain portfolio assets, such as derivative instruments or repurchase agreements, that involve the assumption of contractual obligations, require special trading facilities, or can only be traded with the counterparty to the transaction. Cash will be paid for that portion of applicant's assets represented by cash and cash equivalents (such as certificates of deposit, commercial paper and repurchase agreements) and other assets which are not readily distributable (including receivables and prepaid expenses), net of all liabilities (including accounts payable). In addition, applicant will distribute cash in lieu of fractional shares and accruals on such securities. Applicant may round down the proportionate distribution of each portfolio security to the nearest round lot amount and will distribute the remaining odd lot in cash. Applicant may also distribute a higher *pro rata* percentage of other portfolio securities to represent such items. 2. The securities distributed to shareholders pursuant to the In-Kind Repurchase Offers will be limited to securities that are traded on a public securities market or for which quoted bid and asked prices are available. 3. The securities distributed to shareholders pursuant to the In-Kind Repurchase Offers will be valued in the same manner as they would be valued for purposes of computing applicant's net asset value, which, in the case of securities traded on a public securities market for which quotations are available, is their last reported sales price on the exchange on which the securities are primarily traded or at the last sales price on a public securities market, or, if the securities are not listed on an exchange or a public securities market or if there is no such reported price, the average of the most recent bid and asked price (or, if no such asked price is available, the last quoted bid price). 4. Applicant will maintain and preserve for a period of not less than six years from the end of the fiscal year in which any In-Kind Repurchase Offer occurs, the first two years in an easily accessible place, a written record of such In-Kind Repurchase Offer that includes the identity of each shareholder of record that participated in such In-Kind Repurchase Offer, whether that shareholder was an Affiliated Shareholder, a description of each security distributed, the terms of the distribution, and the information or materials upon which the valuation was made. For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, under delegated authority. Margaret H. McFarland, Deputy Secretary. [FR Doc. E5-3056 Filed 6-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8010-01-P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [File No. 500-1] In the Matter of U.S. Windfarming, Inc.; Order of Suspension of Trading June 9, 2005. It appears to the Securities and Exchange Commission that the public interest and the protection of investors require a suspension of trading in the securities of U.S. Windfarming, Inc. (“Windfarming”) because of concerns that Windfarming may have unjustifiably relied on Rule 504 of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933 in conducting an unlawful distribution of its securities that failed to comply with the resale restrictions of Regulation D. Questions also have been raised regarding the following company disclosures:
(1)Statements regarding the company's president's background that were posted on Windfarming's website; and
(2)statements in press releases that remain posted on the company's website regarding financial projections and business agreements that Windfarming purportedly has with other entities. Windfarming, a company that has made no public filings with the Commission or the NASD, is quoted on the Pink Sheets under the ticker symbol USWF.PK. The Commission is of the opinion that the public interest and the protection of investors require a suspension of trading in the securities of the above listed company. Therefore, it is ordered, pursuant to Section 12(k) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that trading in the above listed company is suspended for the period from 9:30 a.m. EDT, June 9, 2005 through 11:59 p.m. EDT, on June 22, 2005. By the Commission. John G. Katz, Secretary. [FR Doc. 05-11713 Filed 6-9-05; 11:25 am]
Connectionstraces to 6
Traces to 6 documents
CFR
4 references not yet in our index
- Pub. L. 104-13
- 10 CFR 2
- 10 CFR 71
- 10 CFR 51
Citation graph
cites case law
Notices
Notice of the OMB review of information collection and solicitation of public comment
Pub. L.Pub. L. 104-13
Cite10 CFR 2
Cite10 CFR 71
Cite10 CFR 51
Cites 10Cited by 0 across 0 sources