Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 179 / Friday, September 13, 1996 / Notices 48513

Monteleone, Brookhaven National

Laboratory, Department of Nuclear

Energy, Building 130, Upton, NY 11973,

telephone (516) 282–7235; or Christine

Bonsby, Office of Nuclear Regulatory

Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555,

telephone (301) 415–5838.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day

of September, 1996.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Alois J. Burda,

Deputy Director, Financial Management,

Procurement and Administration Staff, Office

of Nuclear Regulatory Research.

[FR Doc. 96–23513 Filed 9–12–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUREG–0700, Rev. 1; Issuance,

Availability

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(NRC) has developed guidance for the

review of advanced control room

designs and advanced human-system

interfaces that may be located within

conventional control rooms. This is

being issued as Revision 1 to NUREG–

0700, ‘‘Human-System Interface Design

Review Guideline,’’ which is the

successor to, and integrates relevant

sections of, the previous guidance used

by the NRC staff, NUREG–0700 (1981),

‘‘Guidelines for Control Room Design

Reviews.’’ NUREG–0700, Revision 1

provides human factors engineering

(HFE) guidance to the NRC staff for its:

(1) review of the human system

interface (HSI) design submittals

prepared by licensees or applicants for

a license or design certification of

commercial nuclear power plants, and

(2) performance of HSI reviews that

could be undertaken as part of an

inspection or other type of regulatory

review involving HSI design or

incidents involving human

performance. The guidance consists of a

review process and HFE guidelines. It

describes those aspects of the HSI

design review process that are important

to the identification and resolution of

human engineering discrepancies that

could adversely affect plant safety. It

provides guidance for the NRC staff to

use in their review of an applicant’s HSI

design review process or to guide the

NRC staff development of a review or

inspection plan. It also provides

detailed HFE guidelines for the

assessment of HSI design

implementations.

NUREG–0700, Revision 1 consists of

three stand-alone volumes. Volume 1,

‘‘Process and Guidelines,’’ is the

principal technical document and

includes a detailed discussion of both

the review procedures and the HFE

guidelines. In Volume 2, ‘‘Reviewer’s

Checklist,’’ the HFE guidelines are in a

checklist format. Volume 3, ‘‘Review

Software and User’s Guide,’’ is an

interactive software application to

support design reviews.

Revision 1 to NUREG–0700 is not a

backfit and does not impose new

requirements on current plants. It is not

a generic communication that proposes

a new NRC staff position or seeks

additional licensee commitments. This

document would not apply to licensees

under 10 CFR Part 50 for the review of

human-system interfaces unless the

licensee initiated a voluntary upgrade.

Revision 1 to NUREG–0700 was

developed to apply primarily to

advanced reactors. New plant designs

submitted to the NRC for review and

approval under 10 CFR 52.47(a)(1)(ii)

must meet 10 CFR 50.34(f)(2)(iii), which

requires a ‘‘control room design that

reflects state-of-the-art human factors

principles.’’ Revision 1 to NUREG–0700

will be used by the NRC staff as part of

the comprehensive human factors

engineering review process for

advanced reactors described in the

‘‘Human Factors Engineering Program

Review Model,’’ NUREG–0711 (July

1994).

Revision 1 to NUREG–0700 is

consistent with a previously established

Commission position in that it does not

include generic design certification

communications or generic decisions for

future plants (see SECY–92–224, June

22, 1992). The NUREG itself is not

mandatory. Rather, the guidelines

contained within it represent good

human factors engineering practice

based upon state-of-the-art research and

validated review criteria developed in

the nuclear industry as well as in other

fields, primarily military and aerospace.

The guidelines have been subjected to

extensive independent peer review by

subject matter experts as part of their

development.

When this document was issued as a

draft for comment in March 1995, the

Commission encouraged comment

‘‘from all interested parties, and

specifically from facilities licensed

under 10 CFR Part 50, with regard to the

NRC staff’s contention that no

backfitting is intended for current

licensees with the issuance of this

guidance document unless a licensee

initiates a voluntary upgrade to its

human-system interface.’’ No such

comments were received.

Four sets of written comments were

received during the comment period, of

which two were essentially identical.

One additional set of comments was

received after the expiration of the

comment period. All comments were

considered by the NRC staff in its

preparation of the final NUREG. Copies

of the submitted comments, together

with a copy of the NRC staff’s

‘‘Response to Public Comments on Draft

NUREG–0700, Revision 1’’ (September

21, 1995), are available for inspection at

the Commission’s Public Document

Room, 2120 L Street NW. (Lower Level),

Washington, DC. Requests for single

copies of NUREGs (which may be

reproduced) should be made in writing

to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555,

Attention: Distribution and Mail

Services Section. Telephone requests

cannot be accommodated. NUREGs are

not copyrighted, and Commission

approval is not required to reproduce

them.

In accordance with the Small

Business Regulatory Enforcement

Fairness Act of 1996, the NRC has

determined that this action is not a

major rule and has verified this

determination with the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs of

OMB.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry

Wachtel, Office of Nuclear Regulatory

Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555,

telephone (301) 415–6498; e-mail

JXW4@NRC.GOV.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day

of August 1996.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Franklin D. Coffman, Jr.,

Chief, Control, Instrumentation & Human

Factors Branch, Division of Systems

Technology, Office of Nuclear Regulatory

Research.

[FR Doc. 96–23514 Filed 9–12–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY

CORPORATION

Interest 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 provides

information about 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); the PBGC furnishes the

information in this notice simply for the

convenience of the public. Interest rates
48514 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 179 / Friday, September 13, 1996 / Notices

are also published on the PBGC’s home

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

DATES: The interest rate for determining

the variable-rate premium under part

4006 applies to premium payment years

beginning in September 1996. The

interest assumptions for performing

multiemployer plan valuations

following mass withdrawal under part

4281 apply to valuation dates occurring

in October 1996.

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 (202–326–4179

for TTY and TDD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Variable-rate Premiums

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

Employee Retirement Income Security

Act of 1974 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 a specified

percentage (currently 80 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 September 1996 (i.e., 80 percent of

the yield figure for August 1996) is

5.47%. The following table lists the

assumed interest rates to be used in

determining variable rate premiums for

premium payment years beginning in

the one-year period ending with

September 1996.

For premium payment years beginning in

The required

interest

rate is

October 1995 .................................... 5.24

November 1995 ................................ 5.10

December 1995 ................................ 5.01

January 1996 .................................... 4.85

February 1996 .................................. 4.84

March 1996 ....................................... 4.99

April 1996 .......................................... 5.28

May 1996 .......................................... 5.43

June 1996 ......................................... 5.54

July 1996 .......................................... 5.65

August 1996 ...................................... 5.62

September 1996 ............................... 5.47

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 October

1996 under part 4044 are contained in

an amendment to part 4044 published

elsewhere in today’s Federal Register.

Issued in Washington, DC, on this 9th day

of September 1996.

Martin Slate,

Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 96–23475 Filed 9–12–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request Review of a

Revised Information Collection; RI 30–

2, RI 30–44

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13, May 22, 1995), this notice

announces that the Office of Personnel

Management is submitting to the Office

of Management and Budget a request for

clearance of a revised information

collection. RI 30–2, Annuitant’s Report

of Earned Income, is used annually to

determine if disability retirees under age

60 have earned income which will

result in the termination of their annuity

benefits. Beginning with the 1995

information collection, only annuitants

who have qualifying earned income are

required to respond. RI 30–44,

Annuitant’s Report of Income-Followup,

is sent to annuitants whose returned RI

30–2 forms are unusable or damaged.

We estimate 21,000 RI 30–2 forms and

260 RI 30–44 forms are completed

annually. The RI 30–2 takes

approximately 35 minutes to complete

for an estimated annual burden of

12,250 hours. The RI 30–44 takes

approximately 5 minutes to complete

for an estimated annual burden of 22

hours. The total annual estimated

burden is 12,272 hours.

For copies of this proposal, contact

Jim Farron on (202) 418–3208, or E-mail

to jmfarron@mail.opm.gov

DATES: Comments on this proposal

should be received on or before October

15, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments

to—

Victor C. Roy, Chief, Eligibility Division,

Retirement and Insurance Service,

U.S. Office of Personnel Management,

1900 E Street, NW, Room 2342,

Washington, DC 20415

Joseph Lackey, OPM Desk Officer,

Office of Information & Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, New Executive Office

Building, Room 10235, Washington,

DC 20503.

FOR INFORMATION REGARDING

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATION—CONTACT:

Mary Beth Smith-Toomey, Management

Services Division, (202) 606–0623.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Lorraine A. Green,

Deputy Director.

[FR Doc. 96–23507 Filed 9–12–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325–01–M

Submission for OMB Review:

Comment Request for Review of a

Revised Information Collection: RI 38–

107

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13, May 22, 1995), this notice

announces that the Office of Personnel

Management has submitted to the Office

of Management and Budget a request for

review of a revised information

collection. RI 38–107, Verification of

Who is Getting Payments, is used to

verify that the entitled person is indeed

receiving the monies payable. Failure to

collect this information would cause

OPM to pay monies absent the

assurance of a correct payee.

We estimate 25,400 RI 38–107 forms

are completed annually. Each form takes

approximately 10 minutes to complete.

The annual estimated burden is 4,234

hours.

For copies of this proposal, contact

Jim Farron on (202) 418–3208, or E-mail

to jmfarron@mail.opm.gov

DATES: Comments on this proposal

should be received on or before October

15th, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments

to—

Lorraine E. Dettman, Chief, Operations

Support Division, Retirement and

Insurance Service, U.S. Office of