Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 7 / Thursday, January 10, 2002 / Notices 1355

1Consistent with FEMA initiative 4.0–4.4,

Include Native American Tribal Nations in the REP

Continued

sewage disposal hours of operation

are 5:00am–8:00pm seven days per

week, from May through September.

Ocean Pines Marina is an 86-slip marina

located near the Route 90 bridge in

Ocean Pines on the St. Martins River.

The marina has one fixed pumpout

located at the end of pier A. The

marina’s sewage disposal hours of

operation are 8:00am–6:00pm

Monday through Friday, 7:00am–

7:00pm Saturday and 7:00am–6:00pm

Sunday, from May through October.

Sunset Marina is a 204-slip marina

located at the Ocean City Inlet in West

Ocean City on Isle of Wight Bay. The

marina has one fixed pumpout with

two remote stands, each at the end of

successive piers, one portable unit

with potty wand attachment for

emptying portable toilets, and one

dump station on the bulkhead. The

marina’s sewage disposal hours of

operation are 9:00am–5:00pm seven

days per week, from May through

September.

Townes of Nantucket II is a 92-slip

marina located at Nantucket Point

near the Delaware state line in Ocean

City on Assawoman Bay. The marina

has one fixed pumpout and one dump

station for portable toilets, both

located at the ‘‘A’’ bulkhead. The

marina’s sewage disposal hours of

operation are 24 hours a day, seven

days per week, from April through

October.

Marinas participating in the Maryland

Pumpout Program are required by law

(Natural Resources Article § 8–707) to

have an approved method of sewage

disposal as determined by MDE and

local (county or municipal) health

inspectors. Four of the six marinas

participated in the Maryland Pumpout

Program, and therefore are in

compliance with state and Federal laws.

Information about the removal of

pumpout waste from the other two

marinas was obtained through marina

surveys. Of the six marinas described

above, five discharge to the Ocean City

Wastewater Treatment Plant; the

remaining marina discharges to the

Ocean Pines Wastewater Treatment

Plant.

The MDNR maintains records of all

documented and registered boats in the

state. In order to estimate the number of

transient boaters, several methods were

employed. First a marina survey was

conducted where marina owners were

asked to estimate the percentage of

transient boaters that utilize their

facility and the northern Coastal Bays.

Second, information collected from a

1999 aerial survey of the northern

Coastal Bays, conducted by the MDNR

Fisheries Department, was used to

determine types and sizes of boats using

the waters on a peak day in-season.

Finally, a land survey was conducted

where MDNR employees surveyed

Coastal Bay vessel usage on a typical

day during the season. All of these

methods were employed to come up

with a best estimate for transient usage.

It was estimated, using the above

techniques, that Ocean City/northern

Coastal Bays have approximately 10,000

wet slips. It was also assumed that the

transient boat population mirrored the

resident population as far as relative

percent of the size and numbers of

boats. Based on this information the

vessel population of the northern

Coastal Bays based on length is 2,800

vessels less than 16 feet, 6,600 vessels

between 16 and 26 feet, 600 vessels

between 26 and 40 feet, and 100 vessels

over 40 feet. Based on the number and

size of boats, and using various methods

to estimate the number of holding tanks

and portable toilets, it was determined

that the northern Coastal Bays need

three pumpouts and five dump stations.

There are currently eight operating

pumpouts and one proposed pumpout

in the northern Coastal Bays along with

two dump stations and three pumpouts

equipped to empty portable toilets

making a total of five portable toilet

waste facilities. There is also one

proposed pumpout that would accept

portable toilets by the start of the next

boating season in early 2002.

Finding

The EPA hereby makes a final

affirmative determination that adequate

facilities for the safe and sanitary

removal and treatment of sewage from

all vessels are reasonably available for

Herring Bay, Anne Arundel County,

Maryland, and the northern Coastal

Bays (Ocean City Inlet, Ocean City

commercial fish harbor (Swordfish

Basin), Isle of Wight Bay and

Assawoman Bay), Worcester County,

Maryland. This final determination will

result in a Maryland state prohibition of

any sewage discharges, whether treated

or not, from vessels into Herring Bay

and the northern Coastal Bays.

Donald S. Welsh,

Regional Administrator, Region III.

[FR Doc. 02–627 Filed 1–9–02; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

DATE & TIME: Tuesday, January 15, 2002

at 10:00 a.m.

PLACE: 999 E Street, NW., Washington,

DC.

STATUS: This meeting will be closed to

the public.

ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED: 

Compliance matters pursuant to 2

U.S.C. § 437g.

Audits conducted pursuant to 2

U.S.C. § 437g, § 438(b), and Title 26,

U.S.C.

Matters concerning participation in

civil actions or proceedings or

arbitration.

Internal personnel rules and

procedures or matters affecting a

particular employee.

DATE & TIME: Thursday, January 17, 2002

at 10:00 a.m.

PLACE: 999 E Street, NW., Washington,

DC (Ninth Floor).

STATUS: This meeting will be open to the

public.

ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED: 

Correction and Approval of Minutes.

Revised Draft Advisory Opinion

2001–17: DNC Services Corporation/

Democratic National Committee by

counsel, Neil Reiff.

Draft Advisory Opinion 2001–18:

BellSouth Corporation by counsel, Jan

Witold Baran.

Draft Advisory Opinion 2001–19:

Oakland Democratic Campaign

Committee by Gary Kohut, Chair.

Administrative matters.

PERSON TO CONTACT FOR INFORMATION:

Mr. Ron Harris, Press Officer,

Telephone: (202) 694–1220.

Mary W. Dove,

Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 02–776 Filed 1–8–02; 2:32 am]

BILLING CODE 6715–01–M

FEDERAL EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Federal Policy on Use of Potassium

Iodide (KI)

AGENCY: Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice of revised Federal policy.

SUMMARY: The Federal Radiological

Preparedness Coordinating Committee

(FRPCC) has revised the 1985 Federal

policy regarding the use of potassium

iodide (KI) as a thyroidal blocking agent

by emergency workers, institutionalized

persons and the general public in the

vicinity of nuclear power plants. This

policy is for use by State 1 and local

1356 Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 7 / Thursday, January 10, 2002 / Notices

Preparedness Process, references to State

governments include Tribal governments.

2Nauman, J., and Wolff, J., Iodide Prophylaxis in

Poland After the Chernobyl Reactor Accident:

Benefits and Risks, American Journal of Medicine,

Vol. 94, p. 524, May 1993.

agencies responsible for radiological

emergency planning and preparedness

in the unlikely event of a major

radiological emergency at a commercial

nuclear power plant.

The Federal position is that KI should

be stockpiled and distributed to

emergency workers and

institutionalized persons for

radiological emergencies at a nuclear

power plant and its use should be

considered for the general public within

the 10-mile emergency planning zone

(EPZ) of a nuclear power plant.

However, the decision on whether to

use KI for the general public is left to

the discretion of States and, in some

cases, local governments.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The modifications to

this policy are effective January 10,

2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Russell Salter, Chair, Federal

Radiological Preparedness Coordinating

Committee; (202) 646–3030;

russ.salter@fema.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

This revised Federal policy on the use

of potassium iodide as a thyroidal

blocking agent for the general public in

the vicinity of nuclear power plant 10-

mile emergency planning zones is part

of a Federal interagency effort

coordinated by FEMA for the FRPCC.

FEMA chairs the FRPCC and assumes

the responsibility for this publication.

The FRPCC is an interagency

organization, with membership from 17

Federal agencies, established to

coordinate all Federal responsibilities

for assisting State and local

governments in emergency planning

and preparedness for peacetime nuclear

emergencies.

The issue is addressed in terms of two

components of the population that

might require or desire potassium

iodide use: (a) Emergency workers and

institutionalized individuals, and (b)

general population. With respect to

emergency workers and

institutionalized individuals, the

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

and FEMA have issued guidance to

State and local authorities, as well as to

licensees of operating commercial

nuclear power plants, in NUREG–0654/

FEMA–REP–l, Rev.1. The NUREG and

FEMA guidance recommends the

stockpiling and distribution of KI to

emergency workers and to

institutionalized individuals for

thyroidal blocking during emergencies.

The guidance provides information

regarding protective actions to be taken

in the event of an incident at a

commercial nuclear power plant.

NUREG 0654 and the 1985 FRPCC KI

policy recommend thyroidal blocking

for emergency workers and

institutionalized individuals because

they are thought to be more likely than

other members of the public to be

exposed to the radioiodine in an

airborne radioactive release.

The decision for using KI as a

protective measure for the general

public is left to the discretion of States,

or in some cases, local governments,

since these entities are ultimately

responsible for the protection of their

citizens. The policy guidance in this

Federal Register notice is intended for

State and local governments that, within

the limits of their authority, should

consider these recommendations in the

review of their emergency plans and in

determining appropriate actions to

protect the general public. In making a

decision whether to stockpile KI, the

States should be aware that the Federal

government believes that the use of KI

is a reasonable and prudent measure as

a supplemental protective action for the

public.

Revision of the policy to include

members of the public reflects lessons

learned from the Chernobyl Nuclear

Power Plant accident of 1986, both

about the consequences of an accident

and about the safety and efficacy of KI.

The Chernobyl accident demonstrated

that thyroid cancer can indeed be a

major result of a large reactor accident.

Based on the experiences from

Chernobyl, young children are at

greatest risk of thyroid cancer from

radioactive iodine exposure. Moreover,

although the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) declared KI ‘‘safe

and effective’’ as long ago as 1978, the

drug had never been deployed on a large

scale until Chernobyl. The experience of

Polish health authorities during the

accident has provided confirmation that

large-scale deployment of KI is safe.2

The Chernobyl experiences also led to

wide-scale changes in international

practice, specifically 1989 World Health

Organization recommendations

(updated in 1995 and 1999) and 1996

and 1997 International Atomic Energy

Agency standards and guidance, which

have led to the use of KI as a

supplementary protective measure in

much of Europe, as well as in Canada

and Japan.

The NRC published changes to its

emergency planning regulations at 66

FR 5441–5443, January 19, 2001. For

States within the 10-mile planning zone

of a nuclear power plant(s), the NRC

believes that the use of KI is a

reasonable and prudent measure as a

supplement to sheltering and

evacuation and in response to specific

local conditions. The NRC requires

consideration in the formulation of

emergency plans as to whether to

include the use of KI as a supplemental

protective measure.

The FDA has evaluated the medical

and radiological risks of administering

KI for emergency conditions, has

concluded that it is safe and effective,

and has approved over-the-counter sale

of the drug for this purpose. FDA has

concluded that ‘‘* * * the effectiveness

of KI as a specific blocker of thyroid

radioiodine uptake is well-established

as are the doses necessary for blockage.

As such, it is reasonable to conclude

that KI will likewise be effective in

reducing the risk of thyroid cancer in

individuals or populations at risk for

inhalation or ingestion of radioiodines.’’

Since the FDA has authorized the

nonprescription sale of KI, it may be

available to individuals who, based on

their own personal analysis, choose to

have the drug immediately available.

The FDA guidance is the definitive

Federal guidance on medical aspects of

KI prophylaxis.

Considerations

In making a decision whether to

stockpile KI, States should be aware that

the Federal government believes that the

use of KI is a reasonable and prudent

measure as a supplemental protective

action for the public.

While there may be logistical

difficulties in providing KI to the

general public, any distribution scheme

should take care to ensure that KI

distribution does not impede or delay

orderly evacuation. There also may be a

few medical side effects in predistributing the drug to potentially

affected individuals or in distributing

the drug to the general public in a

radiological emergency. Although the

post-Chernobyl data from Poland

revealed few serious medical side

effects associated with this drug, this

possibility cannot be discounted,

especially in certain groups of people.

For example, people who are allergic to

iodine should not take KI.

Other considerations to be evaluated

by the State and local authorities in

deciding whether to institute a program

for the use of KI by the general public

Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 7 / Thursday, January 10, 2002 / Notices 1357

include: (a) Whether KI should be

distributed to the population before an

accident occurs or as soon as possible

after an accident occurs; (b) whether the

risks of exposure to radioactivity will be

lower if the evacuation of the general

population is initiated—with or without

the use of KI—or if the general

population is sheltered and the

administration of KI initiated; (c) how

KI will be distributed during the

emergency; (d) if KI is pre-distributed,

what assumptions should be made

about its actual availability and use in

the event of an incident; (e) what

medical assistance will be available for

the individuals who may have some

adverse reaction to KI; (f) how medical

authorities will advise the population to

take KI and under what circumstances

this advice will be given, i.e., methods

for public education, information and

instruction; and (g) how the authorities

will provide KI to transient populations.

In addition, there are some sitespecific considerations to evaluate. Any

decision by State and local authorities

to use KI following a specific emergency

should be based on the site environment

and conditions for the specific operating

commercial nuclear power plant and

would include detailed plans for

distribution, administration and

medical assistance.

Revised Policy

In most cases, evacuation and in-place

sheltering are considered adequate and

effective protective actions for the

general public in the event of a

radiological emergency at a commercial

nuclear facility. However, the inclusion

of KI as a supplemental protective

measure is beneficial in certain

circumstances. It should be noted that

the timely use of KI effectively reduces

the radiation exposure of only the

thyroid gland. While this is an

important contribution to the health and

safety of the individual, it is not as

effective as measures that protect the

total body of the individual from

radioactivity. Both in-place sheltering

and precautionary evacuations can

reduce the exposure to the thyroid and

total body. The use of KI for thyroidal

blocking is not an effective means by

itself for protecting individuals from the

radioactivity in an airborne release

resulting from a nuclear power plant

accident and, therefore, should only be

considered in conjunction with

sheltering or evacuation, or a

combination thereof.

While the use of KI can clearly

provide additional protection in certain

circumstances, the assessment of the

effectiveness of KI and other protective

actions and their implementation

indicates that the decision to use KI (or

other protective actions) should be

made by the States and, when

appropriate, local authorities on a sitespecific basis. Thus, the decision on use

of KI by the general public during an

actual emergency is the responsibility of

these authorities.

In summary, the Federal position is

that KI should be stockpiled and

distributed to emergency workers and

institutionalized persons for

radiological emergencies at a nuclear

power plant, and its use should be

considered for the general public within

the 10-mile EPZ of a nuclear power

plant. However, the decision on

whether to use KI for the general public

is left to the discretion of States and, in

some cases, local governments.

This revised policy should not be

taken to imply that the present

generation of U.S. nuclear power plants

is any less safe than previously thought.

On the contrary, present indications are

that nuclear power plant safety has

steadily improved.

References

The following references are intended

to assist State and local authorities in

decisions related to use of KI:

1. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, final

rule, Consideration of Potassium Iodide in

Emergency Plans, 66 FR 5427, January 19,

2001.

2. World Health Organization, Guidelines

for Iodine Prophylaxis Following Nuclear

Accidents, 1999. Http://www.who.int/

environmental information/

Information_resources/documents/Iodine/

guide.pdf.

3. National Council on Radiation

Protection and Measures (NCRP) Protection

of the Thyroid Gland in the Event of Releases

of Radioiodine. NCRP Report No. 55, August

1, 1977.

4. Food and Drug Administration (Health

and Human Services), Potassium Iodide as a

Thyroid-Blocking Agent in a Radiation

Emergency, 43 FR 58798, December 15, 1978.

5. Food and Drug Administration, Notice,

Guidance on Use of Potassium Iodide as a

Thyroid Blocking Agent in Radiation

Emergencies; Availability, 66 FR 64046,

December 11, 2001.

6. Report of the President’s Commission on

the Accident at Three Mile Island, National

Technical Information Service, Springfield,

VA 22161.

7. Federal Emergency Management

Agency, Federal Policy on Distribution of

Potassium Iodide Around Nuclear Power

Sites for Use as a Thyroidal Blocking Agent,

50 FR 30258, July 24, 1985.

8. Nauman, J., and Wolff, J., Iodide

Prophylaxis in Poland After the Chernobyl

Reactor Accident: Benefits and Risks,

American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 94, p.

524, May 1993.

9. International Atomic Energy Agency,

International Basic Safety Standards for

Protection Against Ionizing Radiation and for

Safety of Radiation Sources. Safety Series No.

115, 1996.

Dated: January 2, 2002.

Joe M. Allbaugh,

Director.

[FR Doc. 02–637 Filed 1–9–02; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6718–02–P

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

Formations of, Acquisitions by, and

Mergers of Bank Holding Companies

The companies listed in this notice

have applied to the Board for approval,

pursuant to the Bank Holding Company

Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.)

(BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR Part

225), and all other applicable statutes

and regulations to become a bank

holding company and/or to acquire the

assets or the ownership of, control of, or

the power to vote shares of a bank or

bank holding company and all of the

banks and nonbanking companies

owned by the bank holding company,

including the companies listed below.

The applications listed below, as well

as other related filings required by the

Board, are available for immediate

inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank

indicated. The application also will be

available for inspection at the offices of

the Board of Governors. Interested

persons may express their views in

writing on the standards enumerated in

the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the

proposal also involves the acquisition of

a nonbanking company, the review also

includes whether the acquisition of the

nonbanking company complies with the

standards in section 4 of the BHC Act

(12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise

noted, nonbanking activities will be

conducted throughout the United States.

Additional information on all bank

holding companies may be obtained

from the National Information Center

website at www.ffiec.gov/nic/.

Unless otherwise noted, comments

regarding each of these applications

must be received at the Reserve Bank

indicated or the offices of the Board of

Governors not later than February 4,

2002.

A. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

(Phillip Jackson, Applications Officer)

230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago,

Illinois 60690–1414:

1. Marshall & Ilsley Corporation,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin; to merge with

Century Bancshares, Inc., Eden Prairie,

Minnesota, and thereby indirectly

acquire 100 percent of the voting shares

of Century Bank, Eden Prairie,

Minnesota.