38224 Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 135 /Thursday, July 15, 1999 / Notices

Flood Study Licenses,’’ dated May 1999.

This draft NUREG report is the14th

program-specific guidance document

developed to support an improved

material licensing process. NRC is using

Business Process Redesign (BPR)

techniques to redesign its material

licensing process, as described in

NUREG–1539, ‘‘Methodology and

Findings of the NRC’s Materials

Licensing Process Redesign.’’ A critical

element of the new process is

consolidating and updating numerous

guidance documents into a NUREGseries of reports.

This draft guide has been developed

in parallel with the proposed revision of

10 CFR part 39, ‘‘Energy Compensation

Sources for Well Logging and Other

Regulatory Clarifications,’’ published as

a Proposed Rule on April 19, 1999 (64

FR 19089). Comments received in

response to publication of this draft

guidance will be considered in

developing the final guide. Finalization

of the guidance will continue to parallel

the rulemaking resulting in a guidance

document that is consistent with the

final rule. It is intended for use by

applicants, licensees, NRC license

reviewers, and other NRC personnel.

This draft report takes a more riskinformed, performance-based approach

to licensing of well logging, tracer, and

field flood study operations, and

reduces the information (amount and

level of detail) needed to support an

application to use these devices. Note

that this document is strictly for public

comment and is not for use in preparing

or reviewing applications until it is

published in final form.

DATES: The comment period ends

September 13, 1999. Comments received

after that time will be considered if

practicable.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch,

Division of Administrative Services,

Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555–0001. Hand-deliver

comments to 11545 Rockville Pike,

Rockville, Maryland, between 7:15 a.m.

and 4:30 p.m. on Federal workdays.

Comments may also be submitted

through the Internet by addressing

electronic mail to dlm1@nrc.gov.

Those considering public comment

may request a free single copy of draft

NUREG–1556, Volume 14, by writing to

the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, ATTN: Mrs. Sally L.

Merchant, Mail Stop TWFN 9–F–31,

Washington, DC 20555–0001.

Alternatively, submit requests through

the Internet by addressing electronic

mail to slm2@nrc.gov. A copy of draft

NUREG–1556, Volume 14, is also

available for inspection and/or copying

for a fee in the NRC Public Document

Room, 2120 L Street, NW. (Lower

Level), Washington, DC 20555–0001.

The Presidential Memorandum dated

June 1, 1998, entitled, ‘‘Plain Language

in Government Writing,’’ directed that

the Federal government’s writing be in

plain language. The NRC specifically

requests comments on this licensing

guidance NUREG regarding the clarity

and effectiveness of the language used.

Comments should be sent to the address

listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs.

Sally L. Merchant, Mail Stop TWFN 9–

F–31, Division of Industrial and Medical

Nuclear Safety, Office of Nuclear

Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301)

415–7874; electronic mail address:

slm2@nrc.gov.

Electronic Access

Draft NUREG–1556, Vol. 14 is

available electronically by visiting

NRC’s Home Page (http://www.nrc.gov/

NRC/nucmat.html).

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd

day of June, 1999.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Patricia K. Holahan,

Acting Chief, Rulemaking and Guidance

Branch, Division of Industrial and Medical

Nuclear Safety, NMSS.

[FR Doc. 99–18055 Filed 7–14–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY

CORPORATION

Interest Assumption for Determining

Variable-Rate Premium; Interest on

Late Premium Payments; Interest on

Underpayments and Overpayments of

Single-Employer Plan Termination

Liability and Multiemployer Withdrawal

Liability; 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 are derivable 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 interest rate for determining

the variable-rate premium under part

4006 applies to premium payment years

beginning in July 1999. The interest

assumptions for performing

multiemployer plan valuations

following mass withdrawal under part

4281 apply to valuation dates occurring

in August 1999. The interest rates for

late premium payments under part 4007

and for underpayments and

overpayments of single-employer plan

termination liability under part 4062

and multiemployer withdrawal liability

under part 4219 apply to interest

accruing during the third quarter (July

through September) of 1999.

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. (For TTY/TDD

users, 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 in

determining a single-employer plan’s

variable-rate premium. The rate is the

‘‘applicable percentage’’ (currently 85

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’’). The yield

figure is reported in Federal Reserve

Statistical Releases G.13 and H.15.

The assumed interest rate to be used

in determining variable-rate premiums

for premium payment years beginning

in July 1999 is 5.13 percent (i.e., 85

percent of the 6.04 percent yield figure

for June 1999).

The following table lists the assumed

interest rates to be used in determining

variable-rate premiums for premium

payment years beginning between

August 1998 and July 1999.

For premium payment years

beginning in:

The

assumed

interest

rate is:

August 1998 ............................. 4.83

September 1998 ....................... 4.71

October 1998 ............................ 4.42

November 1998 ........................ 4.26

December 1998 ........................ 4.46

January 1999 ............................ 4.30
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 135 /Thursday, July 15, 1999 / Notices 38225

For premium payment years

beginning in:

The

assumed

interest

rate is:

February 1999 .......................... 4.39

March 1999 ............................... 4.56

April 1999 ................................. 4.74

May 1999 .................................. 4.72

June 1999 ................................. 4.94

July 1999 .................................. 5.13

Late Premium Payments;

Underpayments and Overpayments of

Single-Employer Plan Termination

Liability

Section 4007(b) of ERISA and

§ 4007.7(a) of the PBGC’s regulation on

Payment of Premiums (29 CFR part

4007) require the payment of interest on

late premium payments at the rate

established under section 6601 of the

Internal Revenue Code. Similarly,

§ 4062.7 of the PBGC’s regulation on

Liability for Termination of Singleemployer Plans (29 CFR part 4062)

requires that interest be charged or

credited at the section 6601 rate on

underpayments and overpayments of

employer liability under section 4062 of

ERISA. The section 6601 rate is

established periodically (currently

quarterly) by the Internal Revenue

Service. The rate applicable to the third

quarter (July through September) of

1999, as announced by the IRS, is 8

percent.

The following table lists the late

payment interest rates for premiums and

employer liability for the specified time

periods:

From Through Interest rate

(percent)

10/1/92 .............. 6/30/94 7

7/1/94 ................ 9/30/94 8

10/1/94 .............. 3/31/95 9

4/1/95 ................ 6/30/95 10

7/1/95 ................ 3/31/96 9

4/1/96 ................ 6/30/96 8

7/1/96 ................ 12/31/96 9

1/1/97 ................ 3/31/97 9

4/1/97 ................ 6/30/97 9

7/1/97 ................ 9/30/97 9

10/1/97 .............. 12/31/97 9

1/1/98 ................ 3/31/98 9

4/1/98 ................ 6/30/98 8

7/1/98 ................ 9/30/98 8

10/1/98 .............. 12/31/98 8

1/1/99 ................ 3/31/99 7

4/1/99 ................ 6/30/99 8

7/1/99 ................ 9/30/99 8

Underpayments and Overpayments of

Multiemployer Withdrawal Liability

Section 4219.32(b) of the PBGC’s

regulation on Notice, Collection, and

Redetermination of Withdrawal

Liability (29 CFR part 4219) specifies

the rate at which a multiemployer plan

is to charge or credit interest on

underpayments and overpayments of

withdrawal liability under section 4219

of ERISA unless an applicable plan

provision provides otherwise. For

interest accruing during any calendar

quarter, the specified rate is the average

quoted prime rate on short-term

commercial loans for the fifteenth day

(or the next business day if the fifteenth

day is not a business day) of the month

preceding the beginning of the quarter,

as reported by the Board of Governors

of the Federal Reserve System in

Statistical Release H.15 (‘‘Selected

Interest Rates’’). The rate for the third

quarter (July through September) of

1999 (i.e., the rate reported for June 15,

1999) is 7.75 percent.

The following table lists the

withdrawal liability underpayment and

overpayment interest rates for the

specified time periods:

From Through Rate

(percent)

10/1/92 .............. 6/30/94 6.00

7/1/94 ................ 9/30/94 7.25

10/1/94 .............. 12/31/94 7.75

1/1/95 ................ 3/31/95 8.50

4/1/95 ................ 9/30/95 9.00

10/1/95 .............. 3/31/96 8.75

4/1/96 ................ 12/31/96 8.25

1/1/97 ................ 3/31/97 8.25

4/1/97 ................ 6/30/97 8.25

7/1/97 ................ 9/30/97 8.50

10/1/97 .............. 12/31/97 8.50

1/1/98 ................ 3/31/98 8.50

4/1/98 ................ 6/30/98 8.50

7/1/98 ................ 9/30/98 8.50

10/1/98 .............. 12/31/98 8.50

1/1/99 ................ 3/31/99 7.75

4/1/99 ................ 6/30/99 7.75

7/1/99 ................ 9/30/99 7.75

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 August

1999 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 8th day

of July, 1999.

David M. Strauss,

Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 99–18033 Filed 7–14–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

POSTAL SERVICE

Information-Based Indicia Program

(IBIP) Performance Criteria for

Information-Based Indicia and Security

Architecture for Open IBI Postage

Evidencing Systems (PCIBI–O)

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability of

Performance Criteria, with request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Postal Service has

compiled a revised draft functional

Performance Criteria for open systems of

the IBI program, as defined in this

release. The current release contains the

performance criteria for the Indicium,

the Postal Security Device (PSD), the

Host System, and the IBIP Key

Infrastructure components of an open

IBI system. The Postal Service also seeks

comments on intellectual property

issues raised by IBIP Performance

Criteria, policy, and procedures if

adopted in present form. If an

intellectual property issue includes

patents or patent applications covering

any implementations of the Performance

Criteria, the comment should include a

listing of such patents and applications

and the license terms available for such

patents and applications.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Performance

Criteria noted above may be

downloaded from the IBIP website at

http://www.usps.com/ibip/

welcome.htm, or obtained from Edmund

Zelickman, United States Postal Service,

475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 1P–801,

Washington DC 20260–2444. Copies of

all written comments may be inspected,

by appointment, between 9 a.m. and 4

p.m., Monday through Friday, at the

above address.

DATES: All written comments must be

received on or before September 13,

1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan

Lord, (202) 268–4599.

Stanley F. Mires,

Chief Counsel, Legislative.

[FR Doc. 99–18097 Filed 7–14–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7710–12–P