### 26224 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 88 / Friday, May 6, 2011 / Proposed Rules

commercial grid power extending beyond a month, it is likely that water in spent fuel pools would heat up and boil off, fuel rods would become uncovered by water, zirconium cladding would catch fire, and large amounts of dangerous radionuclides would be released into the atmosphere. ’’

The petitioner states that ‘‘a primary rationale for this proposed amendment is a recently documented vulnerability of the North American power grids to severe space weather which could cause multiple-year power outages. ’’ In addition, the petitioner states that ‘‘agovernment-sponsored study of secondorder effects of commercial grid failure on petrochemical fuel and food supplies shows that any assumption of outside assistance to nuclear power plants, including resupply of diesel fuel and food, may not be valid. ’’ The risks to the North American commercial grids from space weather and geomagnetic disturbance, and the effects of a commercial outage on the petrochemical fuel resupply and food and water supply are discussed in the petition.

The petition also expresses the petitioner’s views on: (1) The necessity for the Department of Homeland Security to include in its National Security Guidelines a scenario for severe space weather and geomagneticdisturbance and the associated longterm and widespread commercial grid outage; (2) the August 1988 Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and NRC Report ORNL/NRC/LTR–98/12,

‘‘Evaluation of the Reliability for the Offsite Power Supply as a Contributor to the Risk of Nuclear Plants ’’ ; (3) the regulatory actions after the 2003 northeastern blackout; (4) the necessity for the North American Electric Reliability Council to publish a reliability standard for geomagnetic disturbance; and (5) the role of other Government agencies in protecting

‘‘public health and safety in regard to geomagnetic disturbance. ’’

In addition, the petitioner discusses the NRC’s probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) in NUREG–1738, ‘‘Technical Study of Spent Fuel Pool Accident Risk at Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants, ’’ February 2001, and proposes a

‘‘PRA to more precisely gauge the probability of zirconium fires at spent fuel pools due to geomagnetic disturbance and resulting long-term Loss of Outside Power (LOOP). ’’ The petitioner stated that the purpose of the
PRA is ‘‘to show that an amendment to the CFR is required. ’’

The Petition

The petitioner requests that the NRC amend its regulations in 10 CFR Part 50 to require licensees to provide reliable emergency systems to assure long-term cooling and water makeup for spent fuel pools using only onsite power sources. Specifically, the petitioner proposes amending 10 CFR Part 50 to require that the emergency systems be able to operate for a period of 2 years without human operator intervention and without offsite fuel resupply and that backup power systems for spent fuel pools be electrically isolated from other plant electrical systems during normal and emergency operation. In addition, the petitioner requests the NRC reviseits requirements to state if weatherdependent power sources are used, sufficient water or power storage must be provided to maintain continual cooling during weather conditions which may temporarily constrict power generation.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of May 2011.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Annette L. Vietti-Cook, Secretary of the Commission.

[FR Doc. 2011–11112 Filed 5–5–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 7590–01–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY** 

**40 CFR Part 52**

**[EPA–R09–OAR–2011–0302; FRL–9292–5]**

**Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Northern**  **Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NSCAPCD) and Mendocino**  **County Air Quality Management District (MCAQMD)** 

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

**ACTION :**  Proposed rule.

**SUMMARY :**  EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NSCAPCD) and Mendocino County Air Quality Management District (MCAQMD) portions of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). Both districts are required under Part C of title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to adopt and implement SIP-approved Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit programs. These proposed revisions update the definitions used in the districts’ PSD permit programs.

**DATES :**  Any comments on this proposal must arrive by June 6, 2011.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit comments, identified by docket number EPA–R09– OAR–2011–0302, by one of the following methods: 1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line
instructions.

2. E-mail: R9airpermits@epa.gov

3. Mail or deliver: Gerardo Rios (Air3), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, CA 94105–3901.

Instructions: All comments will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available online at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Information that you consider CBI or otherwise protected should be clearly identified as such and should not be submitted through http://www.regulations.gov or e-mail. http://www.regulations.gov is an

‘‘anonymous access ’’ system, and EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in thebody of your comment. If you send email directly to EPA, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the public comment. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects
or viruses.

Docket: EPA has established a docket for this action under EPA–R09–OAR– 2011–0302. Generally, documents in the docket for this action are available electronically at http:// www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at EPA Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco, California. While all documents in the docket are listed at http://www.regulations.gov, some information may be publicly available only at the hard copy location (e.g.,copyrighted material, large maps, multivolume reports) and some may not be available in either location (e.g., confidential business information (CBI)). To inspect the hard copy materials, please schedule an appointment during normal business hours with the contact listed in the **FOR**

**FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT** section.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Laura Yannayon, EPA Region IX, (415)
972–3534, yannayon.laura@epa.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  This proposal addresses the following local rules: Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NSCAPCD) Rule 130—Definitions and Mendocino County Air Quality Management District (MCAQMD) Rule 130—Definitions. In


### 26225 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 88 / Friday, May 6, 2011 / Proposed Rules

the Rules and Regulations section of this Federal Register , we are approving these local rules in a direct final action without prior proposal because we believe these SIP revisions are not controversial. If we receive adverse comments, however, we will publish a timely withdrawal of the direct final rule and address the comments in subsequent action based on this proposed rule. Please note that if we receive adverse comment on an amendment, paragraph, or section of this rule and if that provision may be severed from the remainder of the rule, we may adopt as final those provisions of the rule that are not the subject of an adverse comment.

We do not plan to open a second comment period, so anyone interested in commenting should do so at this time. If we do not receive adverse comments, no further activity is planned. For further information, please see the direct final action.

Dated: March 31, 2011. Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, Region IX.

[FR Doc. 2011–11035 Filed 5–5–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6560–50–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY** 

**40 CFR Part 721**

**[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2010–0630; FRL–8871–7]**

**RIN 2070–AJ71**

**Elemental Mercury Used in Barometers, Manometers,**  **Hygrometers/Psychrometers; Significant New Use Rule** 

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

**ACTION :**  Proposed rule.

**SUMMARY :**  EPA is proposing a significant new use rule (SNUR) under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for elemental mercury for use in barometers, manometers, and hygrometers/psychrometers. This action would require persons who intend to manufacture (including import) or process elemental mercury for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this proposed rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification would provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs. Not included in this proposed SNUR is mercury use in barometers, manometers, and hygrometers/psychrometers when they are in service as of the publication date of this proposed rule and mercuryuse in portable battery-powered motoraspirated psychrometers that contain fewer than seven grams of elemental mercury because they are currently manufactured. For this proposed rule, the general SNUR exemption for persons that import or process chemical substances as part of an article at § 721.45(f) would not apply.

**DATES :**  Comments must be received on or before July 5, 2011.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2010–0630, by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.

• Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460–

0001.

• Hand Delivery: OPPT Document Control Office (DCO), EPA East Bldg., Rm. 6428, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. Attention: Docket ID Number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2010–0630. The DCO is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the DCO is (202) 564–8930. Such deliveries are only accepted during the DCO’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

Instructions: Direct your comments to docket ID number EPA–HQ–OPPT– 2010–0630. EPA’s policy is that all comments received will be included in the docket without change and may be made available on-line at http:// www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwiseprotected through regulations.gov or email. The regulations.gov Web site is an

‘‘anonymous access ’’ system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through regulations.gov, your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects
or viruses.

Docket: All documents in the docket are listed in the docket index available

at http://www.regulations.gov. Although listed in the index, some information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, will be publicly available only in hard copy. Publicly available docket materials are available electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, or, if only available in hard copy, at the OPPT Docket. The OPPT Docket is located in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at Rm. 3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room is (202) 566–1744, and the telephone number for the OPPT Docket is (202) 566–0280. Docket visitors are required to show photographic identification, pass through a metal detector, and sign the EPA visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will be provided an EPA/DC badge that must be visible at all times in the building and returned upon departure.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For technical information contact: Sue Slotnick, National Program Chemicals Division (7404T), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460– 0001; telephone number: (202) 556– 1973; e-mail address: slotnick.sue@epa.gov.

For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 554– 1404; e-mail address: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 

I. General Information
A. Does this action apply to me?

You may be potentially affected by this action if you manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or process elemental mercury used in barometers, manometers, or hygrometers/