27106 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices

Register on Thursday, November 20,

1997 (62 FR 62079).

Wednesday, June 3, 1998

8:30 a.m.–8:45 a.m.: Opening Remarks by

the ACRS Chairman (Open)—The ACRS

Chairman will make opening remarks

regarding conduct of the meeting.

8:45 a.m.–11:15 a.m.: AP600 Design

(Open)—The Committee will hear

presentations by and hold discussions with

representatives of the Westinghouse Electric

Company and the NRC staff regarding

Chapters 3, 6, 14, 16 and 17 of the AP600

Standard Safety Analysis Report, as well as

the PRA, regulatory treatment of the nonsafety systems, Test and Analysis Program

performed by Westinghouse in support of the

AP600 design, and the associated NRC staff’s

evaluation.

11:15 a.m.–12:00 Noon: Human

Performance Plan (Open)—The Committee

will hear presentations by and hold

discussions with representatives of the NRC

staff regarding issues/concerns raised by the

ACRS members on the revised Human

Performance Plan.

1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m.: Core Research

Capabilities at NRC (Open)—The Committee

will hear presentations by and hold

discussions with representatives of the NRC

staff regarding core research capabilities at

NRC.

2:45 p.m.–4:45 p.m.: BWR Extended Power

Uprate Application (Open/Closed)—The

Committee will hear presentations by and

hold discussions with representatives of the

General Electric Company (GE), the

Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant

licensee, and the NRC staff regarding the GE

power uprate plan for operating BWRs, and

the application from the Monticello Nuclear

Generating Plant for a power level increase

of 6.3 percent.

Note: A portion of this session may be

closed to discuss the General Electric

Company proprietary information.

5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.: Preparation of ACRS

Reports (Open)—The Committee will discuss

proposed ACRS reports on matters

considered during this meeting. During this

meeting, the Committee will also discuss a

proposed ACRS report on the NRC Safety

Research Program.

Thursday, June 4, 1998

8:30 a.m.–8:35 a.m.: Opening Remarks by

the ACRS Chairman (Open)—The ACRS

Chairman will make opening remarks

regarding conduct of the meeting.

8:35 a.m.–9:45 a.m.: Agency-Wide Plan for

High-Burnup Fuel (Open)—The Committee

will hear presentations by and hold

discussions with representatives of the NRC

staff regarding the Agency-wide plan for

high-burnup fuel.

10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.: Operating Plan for

the NRC Technical Training Programs

(Open)—The Committee will hear

presentations by and hold discussions with

representatives of the NRC staff regarding the

Operating Plan for the NRC technical training

programs and related matters.

11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Proposed

Modifications to 10 CFR 50.59, Changes,

Tests and Experiments (Open)—The

Committee will hear presentations by and

hold discussions with representatives of the

NRC staff regarding the status of staff

activities associated with the proposed

modifications to 10 CFR 50.59.

1:30 p.m.–2:45 p.m.: Proposed Final

Standard Review Plan (SRP) Section and

Regulatory Guide for Risk-Informed Inservice

Inspection of Piping (Open)—The Committee

will hear presentations by and hold

discussions with representatives of the NRC

staff regarding the proposed SRP Section and

Regulatory Guide for risk-informed inservice

inspection of piping at nuclear power plants,

as well as the issues and concerns raised

previously by the ACRS members on this

matter.

2:45 p.m.–3:15 p.m.: Future ACRS

Activities (Open)—The Committee will

discuss the recommendations of the Planning

and Procedures Subcommittee regarding

items proposed for consideration by the full

Committee during future meetings.

3:15 p.m.–3:30 p.m.: Reconciliation of

ACRS Comments and Recommendations

(Open)—The Committee will discuss

responses from the NRC Executive Director

for Operations (EDO) to comments and

recommendations included in recent ACRS

reports, including the EDO response to the

comments and recommendations included in

the April 8, 1998 ACRS report regarding

Plans to Increase the Performance-Based

Approaches in Regulatory Activities.

3:45 p.m.–7:00 p.m.: Preparation of ACRS

Reports (Open)—The Committee will

continue its discussion of proposed ACRS

reports on matters considered during this

meeting.

Friday, June 5, 1998

8:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m.: Report of the Planning

and Procedures Subcommittee (Open/

Closed)—The Committee will hear a report of

the Planning and Procedures Subcommittee

on matters related to the conduct of ACRS

business, and organizational and personnel

matters relating to the ACRS.

Note: A portion of this session may be

closed to discuss organizational and

personnel matters that relate solely to the

internal personnel rules and practices of this

Advisory Committee, qualifications of

candidates for ACRS membership, and

information the release of which would

constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of

personal privacy.

9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (12:00–1:00 p.m.

Lunch): Preparation of ACRS Reports

(Open)—The Committee will continue its

discussion of proposed ACRS reports on

matters considered during this meeting.

3:30 p.m.—4:00 p.m.: Miscellaneous

(Open)—The Committee will discuss matters

related to the conduct of Committee activities

and matters and specific issues that were not

completed during previous meetings, as time

and availability of information permit.

Procedures for the conduct of and

participation in ACRS meetings were

published in the Federal Register on

September 4, 1997 (62 FR 46782). In

accordance with these procedures, oral or

written views may be presented by members

of the public, including representatives of the

nuclear industry. Electronic recordings will

be permitted only during the open portions

of the meeting and questions may be asked

only by members of the Committee, its

consultants, and staff. Persons desiring to

make oral statement should notify Mr. Sam

Duraiswamy, Chief of the Nuclear Reactors

Branch, at least five days before the meeting,

if possible, so that appropriate arrangements

can be made to allow the necessary time

during the meeting for such statements. Use

of still, motion picture, and television

cameras during this meeting may be limited

to selected portions of the meeting as

determined by the Chairman. Information

regarding the time to be set aside for this

purpose may be obtained by contacting the

Chief of the Nuclear Reactors Branch prior to

the meeting. In view of the possibility that

the schedule for ACRS meetings may be

adjusted by the Chairman as necessary to

facilitate the conduct of the meeting, persons

planning to attend should check with the

Chief of the Nuclear Reactors Branch if such

rescheduling would result in major

inconvenience.

In accordance with Subsection 10(d) Pub.

L. 92–463, I have determined that it is

necessary to close portions of this meeting

noted above to discuss matters that relate

solely to the internal personnel rules and

practices of this Advisory Committee per 5

U.S.C. 552b(c)(2), to discuss General Electric

Company proprietary information per 5

U.S.C. 552b(c)(4), and to discuss information

the release of which would constitute a

clearly unwarranted invasion of personal

privacy per 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(6).

Further information regarding topics to be

discussed, whether the meeting has been

canceled or rescheduled, the Chairman’s

ruling on requests for the opportunity to

present oral statements and the time allotted

therefor, can be obtained by contacting Mr.

Sam Duraiswamy, Chief of the Nuclear

Reactors Branch (telephone 301/415–7364),

between 7:30 A.M. and 4:l5 P.M. EDT.

ACRS meeting agenda, meeting transcripts,

and letter reports are available for

downloading or reviewing on the internet at

http://www.nrc.gov/ACRSACNW.

Dated: May 11, 1998.

Andrew L. Bates,

Advisory Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 98–12977 Filed 5–14–98; 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 informs the public

of the interest rates and assumptions to

be used under certain Pension Benefit

Guaranty Corporation regulations. These
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 94 / Friday, May 15, 1998 / Notices 27107

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 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 May 1998. The interest

assumptions for performing

multiemployer plan valuations

following mass withdrawal under part

4281 apply to valuation dates occurring

in June 1998.

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’’ (described in

the statute and the regulation) 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.

For plan years beginning before July

1, 1997, the applicable percentage of the

30-year Treasury yield was 80 percent.

The Retirement Protection Act of 1994

(RPA) amended ERISA section

4006(a)(3)(E)(iii)(II) to change the

applicable percentage to 85 percent,

effective for plan years beginning on or

after July 1, 1997. (The amendment also

provides for a further increase in the

applicable percentage—to 100 percent—

when the Internal Revenue Service

adopts new mortality tables for

determining current liability.)

The assumed interest rate to be used

in determining variable-rate premiums

for premium payment years beginning

in May 1998 is 5.03 percent (i.e., 85

percent of the 5.92 percent yield figure

for April 1998).

(Under section 774(c) of the RPA, the

amendment to the applicable percentage

was deferred for certain regulated public

utility (RPU) plans for as long as six

months. The applicable percentage for

RPU plans has therefore remained 80

percent for plan years beginning before

January 1, 1998. For ‘‘partial’’ RPU

plans, the assumed interest rates to be

used in determining variable-rate

premiums can be computed by applying

the rules in § 4006.5(g) of the premium

rates regulation. The PBGC’s 1997

premium payment instruction booklet

also describes these rules and provides

a worksheet for computing the assumed

rate.)

The following table lists the assumed

interest rates to be used in determining

variable-rate premiums for premium

payment years beginning between June

1997 and May 1998. The rates for July

through December 1997 in the table

(which reflect an applicable percentage

of 85 percent) apply only to non-RPU

plans. However, the rates for June 1997

and for months after December 1997

apply to RPU (and ‘‘partial’’ RPU) plans

as well as to non-RPU plans.

For premium payment years

beginning in

The assumed

interest

rate is

June 1997 ....................................... 5.55

July 1997 ........................................ 5.75

August 1997 .................................... 5.53

September 1997 ............................. 5.59

October 1997 .................................. 5.53

November 1997 .............................. 5.38

December 1997 .............................. 5.19

January 1998 .................................. 5.09

February 1998 ................................ 4.94

March 1998 ..................................... 5.01

April 1998 ........................................ 5.06

May 1998 ........................................ 5.03

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 June

1998 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 May 1998.

David M. Strauss,

Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 98–12912 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS

ANNOUNCEMENT: [63 FR 26231, May 12,

1998].

STATUS: Closed Meeting.

PLACE: 450 Fifth Street, NW.,

Washington, D.C.

DATE PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED: May 12,

1998.

CHANGE IN THE MEETING: Additional Item.

The following item will be added to

the closed meeting scheduled for

Thursday, May 14, 1998, at 10 a.m.:

Amicus brief.

Commissioner Unger, as duty officer,

determined that Commission business

required the above change and that no

earlier notice thereof was possible.

At times, changes in Commission

priorities require alterations in the

scheduling of meeting items. For further

information and to ascertain what, if

any, matters have been added, deleted

or postponed, please contact:

The Office of the Secretary (202) 942–

7070.

Dated: May 13, 1998.

Jonathan G. Katz,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–13109 Filed 5–13–98; 3:05 pm]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

[Declaration of Disaster #3057]

State of California; Amendment #5

In accordance with a notice from the

Federal Emergency Management

Agency, dated April 30, 1998, the

above-numbered Declaration is hereby

amended to establish the incident

period for this disaster as beginning on

February 2, 1998 and continuing

through April 30, 1998.

All other information remains the

same, i.e., the deadline for filing

applications for physical damage is May

8, 1998 and for economic injury the

termination date is November 9, 1998.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Nos. 59002 and 59008)

Dated: April 30, 1998.

Bernard Kulik,

Associate Administrator for Disaster

Assistance.

[FR Doc. 98–12968 Filed 5–14–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P