69730 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 2003 / Notices 

for unrestricted use. The University of 

Minnesota has conducted surveys of the 

facilities and provided information to 

the NRC to demonstrate that the site 

meets the license criteria in Subpart E 

of 10 CFR Part 20 for unrestricted 

release. 

The staff has prepared an EA in 

support of the proposed licensing 

action. The staff examined the 

University of Minnesota’s request and 

the information that the licensee has 

provided in support of its request, 

including the surveys performed by 

University of Minnesota to demonstrate 

compliance with 10 CFR 20.1402, 

‘‘Radiological Criteria for Unrestricted 

Use,’’ to ensure that the NRC’s decision 

is protective of the public health and 

safety and the environment. Based on its 

review, the staff has determined that the 

affected environment and the 

environmental impacts associated with 

the unrestricted use of the University of 

Minnesota’s facilities are bounded by 

the impacts evaluated by the ‘‘Generic 

Environmental Impact Statement in 

Support of Rulemaking on Radiological 

Criteria for License Termination of NRCLicensed Nuclear Facilities’’ (NUREG–

1496). Additionally, no non-radiological 

impacts were identified. 

III. Finding of No Significant Impact 

On the basis of the EA, summarized 

above, the staff has concluded that there 

are no significant environmental 

impacts from the proposed action. 

Accordingly, the staff has determined 

that a FONSI is appropriate, and has 

determined that the preparation of an 

environmental impact statement is not 

warranted. 

IV. Further Information 

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of 

the NRC’s ‘‘Rules of Practice,’’

University of Minnesota’s request, the 

EA summarized above, and the 

documents related to this proposed 

action are available electronically for 

public inspection and copying from the 

Publicly Available Records (PARS) 

component of NRC’s document system 

(ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from 

the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/

reading-rm/adams.html. These 

documents include University of 

Minnesota’s letter dated September 11, 

2003, with enclosures (Accession No. 

ML033230183); and the EA summarized 

above (Accession No. ML033280741).

Dated at Lisle, Illinois, this 2nd day of 

December 2003. 

Christopher G. Miller, 

Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of 

Nuclear Materials Safety, RIII.

[FR Doc. 03–30858 Filed 12–12–03; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

Draft Criteria for Determining 

Feasibility of Manual Actions To 

Achieve Post-Fire Safe Shutdown

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission.

ACTION: Extension of opportunity for 

public comment. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) is considering a 

revision to the fire protection 

regulations in 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix 

R, Paragraph III.G.2 to allow the use of 

manual actions by nuclear power plant 

operators to achieve hot shutdown 

conditions in the event of fires in 

certain areas provided the actions are 

evaluated against specific criteria and 

determined to be acceptable. For 

complying with the requirements of 

Appendix R, Paragraph III.G.2, licensees 

who rely on operator manual actions 

which have not been reviewed and 

approved by the NRC are generally 

considered to be in non-compliance. 

However, the NRC believes that manual 

actions relied upon by licensees are safe 

and effective if they meet appropriate 

acceptance criteria. Accordingly, until 

the fire protection regulations are 

revised, the NRC is planning to issue an 

interim enforcement policy to exercise 

enforcement discretion for noncompliant licensees if their manual 

actions meet the NRC’s interim 

acceptance criteria. The NRC is seeking 

public comments on the adequacy and 

clarity of draft interim acceptance 

criteria. On November 26, 2003 (68 FR 

66501), the NRC published its draft 

interim acceptance criteria in the 

Federal Register. The 30 day comment 

period established for these criteria was 

to have expired on December 26, 2003. 

In letters dated November 26 and 

December 2, 2003, the Nuclear 

Information and Resource Service and 

the Union of Concerned Scientists 

requested a 30 day extension to the 

comment period. The letters noted that 

the comment period included two major 

holidays and stated that the additional 

time was needed to research the issues 

and provide meaningful comments. 

Similar requests were made by many 

other members of the public. In view of 

the importance of meaningful 

stakeholder input on these criteria, the 

NRC has decided to extend the 

comment period by 30 days.

DATES: The comment period has been 

extended and now expires on January 

26, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments 

to the Chief, Rules and Directives 

Branch, Division of Administrative 

Services, Office of Administration, U.S. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail 

Stop T6–D59, Washington, DC 20555–

0001. Comments may be submitted by email to nrcrep@nrc.gov. Comments may 

be delivered to the NRC’s headquarters 

at Two White Flint North, 11545 

Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 

20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Dudley, Office of Nuclear 

Reactor Regulation, Washington, DC 

20555–0001, telephone (301) 415–1116, 

e-mail rfd@nrc.gov or Ray Gallucci, 

telephone (301) 415–1255, e-mail 

rhg@nrc.gov.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day 

of December, 2003.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Catherine Haney, 

Program Director, Policy and Rulemaking 

Program, Division of Regulatory Improvement 

Programs, Office of Nuclear Reactor 

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 03–30859 Filed 12–12–03; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY 

CORPORATION 

Required Interest Rate Assumption for 

Determining Variable-Rate Premium; 

Interest Assumptions for 

Multiemployer Plan Valuations 

Following Mass Withdrawal

AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation.

ACTION: Notice of interest rates and 

assumptions. 

SUMMARY: This notice informs the public 

of the interest rates and assumptions to 

be used under certain Pension Benefit 

Guaranty Corporation regulations. These 

rates and assumptions are published 

elsewhere (or can be derived from rates 

published elsewhere), but are collected 

and published in this notice for the 

convenience of the public. Interest rates 

are also published on the PBGC’s Web 

site (http://www.pbgc.gov).

DATES: The required interest rate for 

determining the variable-rate premium 

under part 4006 applies to premium 

payment years beginning in December 

2003. The interest assumptions for 

Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 240 / Monday, December 15, 2003 / Notices 69731

1The CSE was elected chair of the Operating 

Committee for the Joint Self-Regulatory 

Organization Plan Governing the Collection, 

Consolidation and Dissemination of Quotation and 

Transaction Information for Nasdaq-Listed 

Securities Traded on Exchanges on an Unlisted 

Trading Privilege Basis (‘‘Nasdaq UTP Plan’’ or 

‘‘Plan’’) by the Participants.

2See letter from Jeffrey T. Brown, Chairman, Plan 

Operating Committee, to Jonathan G. Katz, 

Secretary, Commission, dated August 8, 2003.

3See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 48318, 

68 FR 49534 (August 18, 2003).

4 17 CFR 240.11Aa3–2(c)(2).

5As discussed in the order granting partial 

temporary approval of Amendment No. 13 to the 

Plan, see Securities Exchange Act Release No. 

46729 (October 25, 2002), 67 FR 66685 (November 

1, 2002) (‘‘Partial Approval’’), proposed 

amendments to the Plan had been segregated into 

four categories: (1) Category 1, ‘‘Effective Upon 

Nasdaq’s Exchange Registration;’’ (2) Category 2, 

‘‘Effective Upon Launch of the Internal SIP;’’ (3) 

Category 3, ‘‘Effective Upon End of Parallel 

Period—Elimination of the Legacy SIP;’’ and (4) 

Category 4, ‘‘Timing Not An Issue.’’ Through the 

Partial Approval, the Commission approved the 

Category 2, 3, and 4 amendments on a pliot basis, 

but did not approve the Category 1 amendments. 

Therefore, the Plan the Commission extends today 

is the Plan, as modified, by all changes previously 

approved. In the Partial Approval, the Commission 

explicitly noted its intention to address the 

Category 1 amendments through separate action 

when the Commission acts on the Nasdaq exchange 

registration application. This order does not 

approve the Category 1 amendments and the 

Commission reiterates its intent to act upon the 

Category 1 amendments through separate action in 

conjunction with the Nasdaq exchange registration 

application.

performing multiemployer plan 

valuations following mass withdrawal 

under part 4281 apply to valuation dates 

occurring in January 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Harold J. Ashner, Assistant General 

Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, 

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 

1200 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20005, 202–326–4024. (TTY/TDD users 

may call the Federal relay service tollfree at 1–800–877–8339 and ask to be 

connected to 202–326–4024.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Variable-Rate Premiums 

Section 4006(a)(3)(E)(iii)(II) of the 

Employee Retirement Income Security 

Act of 1974 (ERISA) and § 4006.4(b)(1) 

of the PBGC’s regulation on Premium 

Rates (29 CFR part 4006) prescribe use 

of an assumed interest rate (the 

‘‘required interest rate’’) in determining 

a single-employer plan’s variable-rate 

premium. The required interest rate is 

the ‘‘applicable percentage’’ (currently 

100 percent) of the annual yield on 30-

year Treasury securities for the month 

preceding the beginning of the plan year 

for which premiums are being paid (the 

‘‘premium payment year’’). (Although 

the Treasury Department has ceased 

issuing 30-year securities, the Internal 

Revenue Service announces a surrogate 

yield figure each month—based on the 

30-year Treasury bond maturing in 

February 2031—which the PBGC uses to 

determine the required interest rate.) 

The required interest rate to be used 

in determining variable-rate premiums 

for premium payment years beginning 

in December 2003 is 5.12 percent.

The following table lists the required 

interest rates to be used in determining 

variable-rate premiums for premium 

payment years beginning between 

January 2003 and December 2003.

For premium payment years 

beginning in: 

The required interest rate is: 

January 2003 ............................ 4.92 

February 2003 .......................... 4.94 

March 2003 ............................... 4.81 

April 2003 ................................. 4.80 

May 2003 .................................. 4.90 

June 2003 ................................. 4.53 

July 2003 .................................. 4.37 

August 2003 ............................. 4.93 

September 2003 ....................... 5.31 

October 2003 ............................ 5.14 

November 2003 ........................ 5.16 

December 2003 ........................ 5.12 

Multiemployer Plan Valuations 

Following Mass Withdrawal 

The PBGC’s regulation on Duties of 

Plan Sponsor Following Mass 

Withdrawal (29 CFR part 4281) 

prescribes the use of interest 

assumptions under the PBGC’s 

regulation on Allocation of Assets in 

Single-Employer Plans (29 CFR part 

4044). The interest assumptions 

applicable to valuation dates in January 

2004 under part 4044 are contained in 

an amendment to part 4044 published 

elsewhere in today’s Federal Register. 

Tables showing the assumptions 

applicable to prior periods are codified 

in appendix B to 29 CFR part 4044.

Issued in Washington, DC, on this 10th day 

of December, 2003. 

Joseph H. Grant, 

Deputy Executive Director and Chief 

Operating Officer, Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 03–30948 Filed 12–12–03; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE 

COMMISSION 

[Release No. 34–48882; File No. S7–24–89] 

Joint Industry Plan; Order Extending 

for One Year the Operation of the 

Reporting Plan for Nasdaq-Listed 

Securities Traded on Exchanges on an 

Unlisted Trading Privilege Basis, 

Submitted by the National Association 

of Securities Dealers, Inc., the Boston 

Stock Exchange, Inc., the Chicago 

Stock Exchange, Inc., the Cincinnati 

Stock Exchange, Inc., the Pacific 

Exchange, Inc., the American Stock 

Exchange LLC, and the Philadelphia 

Stock Exchange, Inc. 

December 4, 2003. 

I. Introduction and Description 

On August 8, 2003, the Cincinnati 

Stock Exchange, Inc. (‘‘CSE’’) on behalf 

of itself and the National Association of 

Securities Dealers, Inc. (‘‘NASD’’), the 

American Stock Exchange LLC 

(‘‘Amex’’), the Boston Stock Exchange, 

Inc. (‘‘BSE’’), the Chicago Stock 

Exchange, Inc. (‘‘CHX’’), the Pacific 

Exchange, Inc. (‘‘PCX’’), and the 

Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc. 

(‘‘PHLX’’) (hereinafter referred to 

collectively as ‘‘Participants’’),1 as 

members of the operating committee 

(‘‘Operating Committee’’ or 

‘‘Committee’’) of the Plan submitted to 

the Securities and Exchange 

Commission (‘‘SEC’’ or ‘‘Commission’’) 

a request to extend the operation of the 

Plan and also to extend certain 

exemptive relief as described below.2

On August 12, 2003, the Commission 

issued a notice for comment and 

simultaneously granted summary 

effectiveness to the request to extend the 

operation of the Plan and certain 

exemptive relief.3 No comments were 

received in response to the publication 

of this notice.

The Nasdaq UTP Plan governs the 

collection, processing, and 

dissemination on a consolidated basis of 

quotation and last sale information for 

each of its Participants. This 

consolidated information informs 

investors of the current quotation and 

recent trade prices of Nasdaq Stock 

Market, Inc. (‘‘Nasdaq’’) securities. It 

enables investors to ascertain from one 

data source the current prices in all the 

markets trading Nasdaq securities. The 

Plan serves as the required transaction 

reporting plan for its Participants, 

which is a prerequisite for their trading 

Nasdaq securities. Currently, the Plan is 

scheduled to expire on December 16, 

2003. 

This order approves, pursuant to Rule 

11Aa3–2(c)(2) under the Securities 

Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’),4 the 

request to extend operation of the Plan 

and the request to extend certain 

exemptive relief (‘‘Date Extension’’) for 

a one-year period 5 expiring one year 

from the date of publication in the 

Federal Register.

II. Exemptive Relief 

While both Nasdaq and the NASD 

operate under the umbrella of a single