Notice2022-03393
Hazardous Materials: Request for Comments on Issues Concerning International Atomic Energy Agency Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials
Primary source
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Published
February 17, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Abstract
PHMSA and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are jointly seeking comments on issues concerning requirements in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations for the safe transport of radioactive materials. The IAEA is considering revisions to their regulations as part of its periodic review cycle for a new edition.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9102-9103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03393]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No.: PHMSA-2022-0008; Notice No. 2022-03]
Hazardous Materials: Request for Comments on Issues Concerning
International Atomic Energy Agency Regulations for the Safe Transport
of Radioactive Materials
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: PHMSA and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are jointly
seeking comments on issues concerning requirements in the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations for the safe transport of
radioactive materials. The IAEA is considering revisions to their
regulations as part of its periodic review cycle for a new edition.
DATES: Submit comments by March 4, 2022. Comments received after this
date will be considered if it is practical to do so; however, we are
only able to assure consideration for proposals received on or before
this date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the docket number
(PHMSA-2022-0008) by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
<bullet> Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
<bullet> Mail: Docket Operations, U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Routing
Symbol M-30, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: To Docket Operations, Room W12-140 on the
ground floor of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except federal holidays.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
docket number for this notice at the beginning of the comment. Note
that all comments received will be posted without change to the docket
management system, including any personal information provided.
Docket: For access to the dockets to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, or DOT's Docket
Operations Office (see ADDRESSES).
Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any
written communications and comments received into any of our dockets by
the name of the individual submitting the document (or signing the
document, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor
union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in
the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) or you
may visit <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Confidential Business Information (CBI): CBI is commercial or
financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as
private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5
U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments
responsive to this notice contain commercial or financial information
that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as
private, and that is relevant or responsive to this notice, it is
important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI.
Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN.''
PHMSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the
FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this notice.
Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Rick Boyle, Sciences and
Engineering Division, (202) 366-4545, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Any commentary that PHMSA
receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in
the public docket for this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rick Boyle, Sciences and
Engineering Division, (202) 366-4545, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) works with its Member
States and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure, and
peaceful nuclear technologies. The IAEA established and maintains an
international standard, Regulations for the Safe Transport of
Radioactive Material (SSR-6 (Rev. 1)), to promote the safe and secure
transportation of radioactive material. The IAEA periodically reviews
and, as deemed appropriate, revises its regulations to reflect new
information and
[[Page 9103]]
accumulated experience. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is the
U.S. competent authority for radioactive material transportation
matters. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) provides
technical support to DOT in this regard, particularly regarding Type B
and other fissile transportation packages.
The IAEA recently initiated a review cycle for its regulations.
This is a first step in the review cycle for the IAEA transport
regulations, but it does not constitute a decision to revise the
transport regulations. To assure opportunity for public participation
in the international regulatory development process, DOT and NRC are
soliciting comments and information pertaining to issues with the IAEA
regulations.
The focus of this solicitation is to identify issues or concerns
with SSR-6 (Rev. 1). SSR-6 (Rev. 1) can be found online at <a href="https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/PUB1798_web.pdf">https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/PUB1798_web.pdf</a>.
The IAEA requests that any proposal for a change in the transport
regulations should demonstrate that the proposed change is:
<bullet> Required to ensure safety and to protect people, property,
and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation during
the transport of radioactive material.
<bullet> Needed to define or redefine the level of protection of
people, property, and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing
radiation during the transport of radioactive material.
<bullet> Required for consistency within the Transport Regulations.
<bullet> Required as a result of advances in technology.
<bullet> Needed to improve implementation of the Transport
Regulations.
The IAEA also requests that a submission of an identified problem
in the regulations for which new text is not proposed should also
demonstrate a clear link to the criteria outlined above. Comments and
proposed changes should reference the particular paragraphs of concern
in SSR-6 (Rev. 1).
This information, and any associated discussions, will assist DOT
in examining the full range of views and alternatives as the agency
develops proposals to be submitted to the IAEA for consideration. DOT
has not yet fully harmonized its US regulations with the 2012 and 2018
editions of SSR-6. DOT will follow its normal rulemaking procedures in
any action to harmonize requirements for domestic and international
transportation of radioactive materials. This call for input to the
IAEA process is separate from any future or current domestic
rulemakings.
II. Public Participation
PHMSA and the NRC are jointly seeking comments on issues concerning
requirements in SSR-6 (Rev. 1). The IAEA is considering revisions to
the SSR-6 (Rev. 1) regulations as part of its periodic review cycle for
a new edition. Proposals must be submitted in writing (electronic file
in Microsoft Word format preferred).
DOT and NRC will review the proposed issues and identified
problems. Proposed issues and identified problems from all Member
States and International Organizations will be initially considered at
an IAEA Transport Safety Standards Committee (TRANSSC) Meeting to be
convened by IAEA on June 20-24, 2022, in Vienna, Austria. The
subsequent meeting of TRANSSC, to be held in November 2022, will
determine whether the aggregate of the accepted proposed changes
amounts to a change in requirements that is important in terms of
safety. If this is the case, a revision of the transport regulations
will be initiated by the IAEA. If there is no safety imperative, the
issues agreed upon will be considered during the next review cycle
scheduled to start in 2023.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2022.
William S. Schoonover,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-03393 Filed 2-16-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 17, 2022.
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