This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

73763 

Vol. 88, No. 207 

Friday, October 27, 2023 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 984 

[Doc. No. AMS–SC–23–0030] 

Walnuts Grown in California; 

Decreased Assessment Rate 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: This proposed rule would 

implement a recommendation from the 

California Walnut Board (Board) to 

decrease the assessment rate established 

for the 2023–2024 and subsequent 

marketing years. The proposed 

assessment rate would remain in effect 

indefinitely unless modified, 

suspended, or terminated. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

November 27, 2023 to be assured 

consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments 

concerning this proposed rule. 

Comments can be sent to the Docket 

Clerk, Market Development Division, 

Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 

0237, Washington, DC 20250–0237. 

Comments can also be submitted to the 

Docket Clerk electronically by Email: 

MarketingOrderComment@usda.gov or 

via the internet at: https://

www.regulations.gov. Comments should 

reference the document number and the 

date and page number of this issue of 

the Federal Register. Comments 

submitted in response to this proposed 

rule will be included in the record, will 

be made available to the public, and can 

be viewed at: https://

www.regulations.gov. Please be advised 

that the identity of the individuals or 

entities submitting the comments will 

be made public on the internet at the 

address provided above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joshua R. Wilde, Marketing Specialist, 

or Gary Olson, Chief, West Region 

Branch, Market Development Division, 

Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA; 

Telephone: (503) 326–2724, or Email: 

Joshua.R.Wilde@usda.gov or 

GaryD.Olson@usda.gov. 

Small businesses may request 

information on complying with this 

regulation by contacting Richard Lower, 

Market Development Division, Specialty 

Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; 

Telephone: (202) 720–8085, or Email: 

Richard.Lower@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, 

proposes to amend regulations issued to 

carry out a marketing order as defined 

in 7 CFR 900.2(j). This proposed rule is 

issued under Marketing Agreement and 

Order No. 984, both as amended (7 CFR 

part 984), regulating the handling of 

walnuts grown in California. Part 984 

(referred to as the ‘‘Order’’) is effective 

under the Agricultural Marketing 

Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 

U.S.C. 601–674), hereinafter referred to 

as the ‘‘Act.’’ The Board locally 

administers the Order and is comprised 

of growers and handlers of California 

walnuts operating within the area of 

production, and a public member. 

The Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS) is issuing this proposed rule in 

conformance with Executive Orders 

12866, 13563, and 14094. Executive 

Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies 

to assess all costs and benefits of 

available regulatory alternatives and, if 

regulation is necessary, to select 

regulatory approaches that maximize 

net benefits (including potential 

economic, environmental, public health 

and safety effects, distributive impacts, 

and equity). Executive Order 13563 

emphasizes the importance of 

quantifying both costs and benefits, 

reducing costs, harmonizing rules, and 

promoting flexibility. Executive Order 

14094 supplements and reaffirms 

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 and 

directs agencies to conduct proactive 

outreach to engage interested and 

affected parties through a variety of 

means, such as through field offices, 

and alternative platforms and media. 

This action falls within a category of 

regulatory actions that the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

exempted from Executive Orders 12866, 

13563, and 14094 review. 

This proposed rule has been reviewed 

under Executive Order 13175— 

Consultation and Coordination with 

Indian Tribal Governments, which 

requires Federal agencies to consider 

whether their rulemaking actions would 

have Tribal implications. AMS has 

determined that this proposed rule is 

unlikely to have substantial direct 

effects on one or more Indian Tribes, on 

the relationship between the Federal 

Government and Indian Tribes, or on 

the distribution of power and 

responsibilities between the Federal 

Government and Indian Tribes. 

This proposed rule has been reviewed 

under Executive Order 12988, Civil 

Justice Reform. Under the Order now in 

effect, California walnut handlers are 

subject to assessments. Funds to 

administer the Order are derived from 

such assessments. It is intended that the 

assessment rate would be applicable to 

all assessable California walnuts for the 

2023–2024 marketing year, and 

continue until amended, suspended, or 

terminated. 

The Act provides that administrative 

proceedings must be exhausted before 

parties may file suit in court. Under 

section 608c(15)(A) of the Act, any 

handler subject to an order may file 

with the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) a petition stating that the order, 

any provision of the order, or any 

obligation imposed in connection with 

the order is not in accordance with law 

and request a modification of the order 

or to be exempted therefrom. Such 

handler is afforded the opportunity for 

a hearing on the petition. After the 

hearing, USDA would rule on the 

petition. The Act provides that the 

district court of the United States in any 

district in which the handler is an 

inhabitant, or has his or her principal 

place of business, has jurisdiction to 

review USDA’s ruling on the petition, 

provided an action is filed not later than 

20 days after the date of the entry of the 

ruling. 

This proposed rule would decrease 

the assessment rate for California 

walnuts handled under the Order from 

$0.0125 per inshell pound, the rate that 

was initially established for the 2023– 

2024 and subsequent marketing years, to 

$0.011 per inshell pound. 

Section 984.68 authorizes the Board, 

with the approval of AMS, to formulate 

an annual budget of expenses and 

collect assessments from handlers to 


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73764 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 207 / Friday, October 27, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

administer the program. The members 

of the Board are familiar with the 

Board’s needs and with the costs of 

goods and services in their local area 

and are able to formulate an appropriate 

budget and assessment rate. The 

assessment rate is formulated and 

discussed in a public meeting, and all 

directly affected persons have an 

opportunity to participate and provide 

input. 

On September 21, 2021, at the request 

of the Board, AMS issued a temporary 

moratorium on the enforcement of the 

Order’s grading and assessment 

requirements as the Board considered 

multiple amendments to modify the 

Federal marketing order for California 

walnuts through the formal rulemaking 

process. On April 19 and 20, 2022, AMS 

held a public hearing on the proposed 

amendments, including a 

recommendation by the Board to 

establish an assessment rate of $0.0125 

per inshell pound of walnuts. The Board 

recommended the assessment rate of 

$0.0125 per inshell pound to ensure the 

Board would have the ability to collect 

assessments to generate funds needed to 

sustain Board activities and programs 

moving forward. The Board determined 

$0.0125 as appropriate given the 

available data at that time and with the 

understanding that a rate change may be 

necessary if updated market data 

indicates such an adjustment is 

necessary after the completion of the 

formal rulemaking. The formal 

rulemaking was completed when a final 

rule was published in the Federal 

Register on August 21, 2023 (88 FR 

56745), and effective September 20, 

2023, an assessment rate of $0.0125 per 

inshell pound of walnuts was 

established. 

Prior to the publication of the final 

rule, the Board met on June 9, 2023, and 

unanimously recommended 2023–2024 

marketing year expenditures of 

$16,811,250 and agreed to amend the 

2023–2024 marketing year assessment 

rate to $0.011 per inshell pound of 

California walnuts handled. By 

comparison, the 2022–2023 budgeted 

expenditures were $5,275,000 and the 

2021–2022 budgeted expenditures were 

$18,892,500. 

Assessments are applied uniformly on 

all handlers, and some of the costs may 

be passed on to growers. The assessment 

rate of $0.0125 per inshell pound of 

walnuts along with non-assessment 

revenue is sufficient to cover the 

upcoming marketing year’s budgeted 

expenditures; however, during Board 

meetings, industry members expressed 

that the cost of production is greater 

than grower revenue and that growers 

are struggling. The Board then 

deliberated on a rate that would provide 

a cost relief for handlers while 

balancing the Board’s assessment 

income with budgeted expenses for the 

2023–24 and subsequent marketing 

years. 

The Board ultimately recommended 

decreasing the assessment rate to $0.011 

per inshell pound. The proposed 

assessment rate of $0.011 per inshell 

pound is $0.0015 lower than the rate 

established by the August 21, 2023, final 

rule, with an effective date of September 

20, 2023. The Board believes the 

decreased assessment rate would 

balance assessment income with 

budgeted expenditures and provide 

some financial relief to walnut growers 

after industry members expressed 

concern over the increasing cost of 

production as outpacing grower 

revenue, leading to tighter operating 

margins. 

For the past two years, the Board has 

operated using available financial 

reserves to meet its expenses. The Board 

expects to enter the 2023–2024 

marketing year with a reserve balance of 

approximately $10,043,811, which is 

within the maximum permitted under 

§ 984.69 of the Order of approximately 

two marketing years’ budgeted 

expenses. The Board projects handler 

receipts of 700,000 tons (1.4 billion 

pounds) of assessable California walnuts 

for the 2023–2024 marketing year, 

which is the same quantity that was 

projected for the 2022–2023 marketing 

year. 

The major expenditures 

recommended by the Board for the 

2023–2024 marketing year include 

$10,588,750 for domestic marketing; 

$2,472,500 for employee expenses; 

$1,700,000 for production research; 

$725,000 for grades and standards 

activities; $585,000 for industry crop/ 

acreage reporting; $350,000 for office 

expenses; and $390,000 for other 

operating expenses. For comparison, 

there were no Board-authorized 

expenses for domestic marketing for the 

2022–2023 marketing year due to the 

moratorium. Instead, the Board 

authorized reserve funding during the 

2022–2023 marketing year for budgeted 

expenses, which included $1,894,000 

for employee expenses; $1,700,000 for 

production research; $725,000 for 

grades and standard activities; $184,000 

for industry crop/acreage reporting; 

$282,000 for office expenses; and 

$284,000 for operating expenses. 

The Board derived the recommended 

assessment rate by considering 

anticipated expenses, the estimated 

volume of assessable walnuts, and the 

amount of funds available in the 

authorized reserve. The expected 

700,000 tons (1.4 billion pounds) of 

California walnuts from the 2023–2024 

marketing year crop would generate 

$15,400,000 in assessment revenue at 

the proposed assessment rate (1.4 

billion pounds multiplied by the $0.011 

assessment rate). The remaining 

$1,411,250 needed to cover budgeted 

expenditures would come from an 

approved administrative services 

agreement with the California Walnut 

Commission, which shares staff and 

office expenses with the Board. The 

income generated from assessments, 

along with non-assessment revenue, 

should be sufficient to meet the Board’s 

estimated program expenditures of 

$16,811,250. 

Prior to arriving at this budget and 

assessment rate recommendation, the 

Board considered information from 

various sources, such as the Board’s 

Executive Committee. The Board 

discussed various alternatives to its 

recommended action, including 

maintaining the current assessment rate 

of $0.0125 per inshell pound of 

assessable walnuts and decreasing the 

assessment rate by a different amount. 

However, the Board determined that the 

recommended assessment rate would be 

necessary to effectively achieve the 

Board’s goals of covering budgeted 

expenses for the 2023–2024 marketing 

year and maintaining adequate funds in 

its financial reserve while providing a 

cost relief to handlers which may be 

passed on to growers. 

This new proposed assessment rate 

would continue in effect indefinitely 

unless modified, suspended, or 

terminated by AMS upon 

recommendation and information 

submitted by the Board or other 

available information. 

Although this assessment rate would 

be in effect for an indefinite period, the 

Board will continue to meet prior to or 

during each marketing year to 

recommend a budget of expenses and 

consider recommendations for 

modification of the assessment rate. The 

dates and times of Board meetings are 

available from the Board or AMS. Board 

meetings are open to the public and 

interested persons may express their 

views at these meetings. AMS would 

evaluate Board recommendations and 

other available information to determine 

whether modification of the assessment 

rate is needed. Further rulemaking 

would be undertaken as necessary. The 

Board’s 2023–2024 marketing year 

budget, and those for subsequent 

marketing years, will be reviewed and, 

as appropriate, approved by AMS. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 207 / Friday, October 27, 2023 / Proposed Rules 73765 

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

Pursuant to requirements set forth in 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 

U.S.C. 601–612), AMS has considered 

the economic impact of this proposed 

rule on small entities. Accordingly, 

AMS has prepared this initial regulatory 

flexibility analysis. 

The purpose of the RFA is to fit 

regulatory actions to the scale of 

businesses subject to such actions in 

order that small businesses will not be 

unduly or disproportionately burdened. 

Marketing orders issued pursuant to the 

Act, and the rules issued thereunder, are 

unique in that they are brought about 

through group action of essentially 

small entities acting on their own 

behalf. 

There are approximately 4,500 walnut 

growers in the production area and 80 

handlers subject to regulation under the 

Order. Small agricultural growers of 

California walnuts are defined by the 

Small Business Administration (SBA) as 

those having annual receipts of less than 

$3,750,000, and small agricultural 

service firms are defined as those whose 

annual receipts are less than 

$34,000,000 (13 CFR 121.201). 

Data from USDA’s National 

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 

indicate a three-year average value of 

utilized walnut production of $1.069 

billion for the most recent seasons for 

which data is available (2019–2020 

through 2021–2022 marketing years). 

Dividing that figure by the number of 

walnut growers (4,400) yields an 

average annual crop value per grower of 

approximately $243,045. This figure is 

well below the SBA small agricultural 

producer threshold of $3,750,000 in 

annual sales. Assuming a normal 

distribution, this provides evidence that 

a large majority of walnut growers 

would likely be considered small 

agricultural producers according to the 

SBA definition. Additionally, data from 

NASS’s 2017 Agricultural Census show 

that 86 percent of California farms 

growing walnuts at the time had walnut 

sales of less than $1 million. 

Based on information from the Board, 

approximately 70 percent of California’s 

walnut handlers shipped assessable 

walnuts valued under $34 million 

during the 2022–2023 marketing year 

and would, therefore, be considered 

small handlers according to the SBA 

definition. In light of the foregoing, it is 

reasonable to conclude that a substantial 

majority of both walnut growers and 

handlers would be considered small 

business entities according to current 

SBA definitions. 

This proposed rule would decrease 

the assessment rate collected from 

handlers for the 2023–2024 and 

subsequent marketing years from 

$0.0125 to $0.011 per inshell pound of 

California walnuts. Authority for this 

action can be found under § 984.68 of 

the Order. The Board unanimously 

recommended 2023–2024 marketing 

year expenditures of $16,811,250 and an 

assessment rate of $0.011 per inshell 

pound of California walnuts. The 

proposed assessment rate of $0.011 is 

$0.0015 lower than the current rate. The 

Board expects the industry to handle 

700,000 tons (1.4 billion pounds) of 

California walnuts during the 2023– 

2024 marketing year. Thus, the $0.011 

per inshell pound assessment rate 

should provide $15,400,000 in 

assessment income (1.4 billion pounds 

multiplied by $0.011). The Board also 

expects to receive $1,411,250 from an 

administrative services agreement with 

the California Walnut Commission. 

Income derived from these sources 

should be adequate to meet budgeted 

expenditures for the 2023–2024 

marketing year. 

The major expenditures 

recommended by the Board for the 

2023–2024 marketing year include 

$10,588,750 for domestic marketing, 

$2,472,500 for employee expenses, 

$1,700,000 for production research, 

$725,000 for grades and standards 

activities, $585,000 for industry crop/ 

acreage reporting, $350,000 for office 

expenses, and $390,000 for other 

operating expenses. For comparison, 

there were no Board-authorized 

expenses for domestic marketing for the 

2022–2023 marketing year while 

assessment collection was temporarily 

suspended. The other 2022–2023 

marketing year budgeted expenses were 

$1,894,000, $1,700,000, $725,000, 

$184,000, $282,000, and $284,000 

respectively. 

The Board recommended decreasing 

the assessment rate in order to provide 

relief to California walnut growers while 

still generating adequate income to 

cover all of the Board’s budgeted 

expenses for the 2023–2024 marketing 

year. Prior to arriving at this budget and 

assessment rate recommendation, the 

Board considered information from 

various sources and discussed various 

alternatives to its recommended action. 

These include maintaining the current 

assessment rate of $0.0125 per inshell 

pound of assessable walnuts and 

decreasing the assessment rate by a 

different amount. However, the Board 

determined that the recommended 

assessment rate would be necessary to 

effectively achieve the Board’s goals of 

covering budgeted expenses for the 

2023–2024 marketing year and 

maintaining adequate funds in its 

financial reserve. This action would 

maintain the Board’s reserve balance at 

a level that the Board believes is 

appropriate and is compliant with the 

provisions of the Order. 

Based upon information from NASS, 

the grower price reported for walnuts in 

the 2021 crop year was $1,410 per ton 

($0.71 per pound). To determine the 

estimated assessment revenue as a 

percentage of the total grower revenue, 

we calculate the assessment rate ($0.011 

per inshell pound) divided by the 

grower price ($0.71 per pound) and 

multiply that number by 100. Therefore, 

estimated assessment revenue as a 

percentage of total grower revenue for 

the 2023–2024 marketing year would be 

about 1.5 percent. 

This proposed action would decrease 

the assessment obligation imposed on 

handlers. Assessments are applied 

uniformly on all handlers, and some of 

the costs may be passed on to growers. 

However, these costs are expected to be 

offset by the benefits derived by the 

operation of the Order. 

The Board’s meetings are widely 

publicized throughout the production 

area. The California walnut industry 

and all interested persons are invited to 

attend the meetings and participate in 

Board deliberations on all issues. Like 

all Board meetings, the June 9, 2023, 

meeting was a public meeting and all 

entities, both large and small, were able 

to express views on this issue. Finally, 

interested persons are invited to submit 

comments on this proposed rule, 

including the regulatory and 

information collection impacts of this 

action on small businesses. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35), the Order’s information 

collection requirements have been 

previously approved by OMB and 

assigned OMB No. 0581–0178, 

Vegetable and Specialty Crops. No 

changes in those requirements would be 

necessary as a result of this proposed 

rule. Should any changes become 

necessary, they would be submitted to 

OMB for approval. 

This proposed rule would not impose 

any additional reporting or 

recordkeeping requirements on either 

small or large California walnut 

handlers. As with all Federal marketing 

order programs, reports and forms are 

periodically reviewed to reduce 

information requirements and 

duplication by industry and public 

sector agencies. 

AMS is committed to complying with 

the E-Government Act, to promote the 

use of the internet and other 

information technologies to provide 

decreased opportunities for citizen 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
73766 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 207 / Friday, October 27, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

access to Government information and 

services, and for other purposes. 

AMS has not identified any relevant 

Federal rules that duplicate, overlap, or 

conflict with this proposed rule. 

A small business guide on complying 

with fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop 

marketing agreements and orders may 

be viewed at: https://

www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/ 

moa/small-businesses. Any questions 

about the compliance guide should be 

sent to Richard Lower at the previously 

mentioned address in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section. 

After consideration of all relevant 

material presented, including the 

information and recommendations 

submitted by the Board and other 

available information, USDA has 

determined that this proposed rule is 

consistent with and will effectuate the 

purposes of the Act. 

A 30-day comment period is provided 

to allow interested persons to respond 

to this proposed rule. All written 

comments timely received will be 

considered before a final determination 

is made on this proposal. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 984 

Marketing agreements, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Walnuts. 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, the Agricultural Marketing 

Service proposes to amend 7 CFR part 

984 as follows: 

PART 984—WALNUTS GROWN IN 

CALIFORNIA 

■ 1. The authority citation for 7 CFR 

part 984 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601–674. 

■ 2. Section 984.347 is revised to read 

as follows:

§ 984.347 Assessment rate.

On and after September 1, 2023, an

assessment rate of $0.011 per inshell 

pound is established for California 

walnuts. 

Erin Morris, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23729 Filed 10–26–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

10 CFR Part 35 

[NRC–2018–0297] 

RIN 3150–AK80 

Rubidium-82 Generators, Emerging 

Technologies, and Other Medical Use 

of Byproduct Material; Extension of 

Comment Period 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. 

ACTION: Regulatory basis; extension of 

comment period. 

SUMMARY: On July 3, 2023, the U.S. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 

solicited comments on the regulatory 

basis for the planned rulemaking on 

‘‘Rubidium-82 Generators, Emerging 

Technologies, and Other Medical Use of 

Byproduct Material.’’ The public 

comment period was originally 

scheduled to close on October 31, 2023. 

The NRC has decided to extend the 

public comment period to allow more 

time for members of the public to 

develop and submit their comments. 

DATES: The due date of comments 

requested in the document published on 

July 3, 2023 (88 FR 42654) is extended. 

Comments should be filed no later than 

December 15, 2023. Comments received 

after this date will be considered, if it 

is practical to do so, but the NRC is able 

to ensure consideration only for 

comments received on or before this 

date. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods; 

however, the NRC encourages electronic 

comment submission through the 

Federal rulemaking website: 

• Federal Rulemaking website: Go to

https://www.regulations.gov and search 

for Docket ID NRC–2018–0297. Address 

questions about NRC dockets to Dawn 

Forder; telephone: 301–415–3407; 

email: Dawn.Forder@nrc.gov. For 

technical questions contact the 

individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 

document. 

• Email comments to:

Rulemaking.Comments@nrc.gov. If you 

do not receive an automatic email reply 

confirming receipt, then contact us at 

301–415–1677. 

• Fax comments to: Secretary, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission at 301– 

415–1101. 

• Mail comments to: Secretary, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 

Washington, DC 20555–0001, ATTN: 

Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff. 

• Hand deliver comments to: 11555

Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 

20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. 

eastern time, Federal workdays; 

telephone: 301–415–1677. 

For additional direction on obtaining 

information and submitting comments, 

see ‘‘Obtaining Information and 

Submitting Comments’’ in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this document. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Andrew Carrera, Office of Nuclear 

Material Safety and Safeguards, 

telephone: 301–415–1078, email: 

Andrew.Carrera@nrc.gov; and Maryann 

Ayoade, Office of Nuclear Material 

Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301– 

415–0862, email: Maryann.Ayoade@

nrc.gov. Both are staff of the U.S. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 

Washington, DC 20555–0001. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Obtaining Information and

Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2018–

0297 when contacting the NRC about 

the availability of information for this 

action. You may obtain publicly 

available information related to this 

action by any of the following methods: 

• Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to

https://www.regulations.gov and search 

for Docket ID NRC–2018–0297. 

• NRC’s Agencywide Documents

Access and Management System 

(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly 

available documents online in the 

ADAMS Public Documents collection at 

https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ 

adams.html. To begin the search, select 

‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For 

problems with ADAMS, please contact 

the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) 

reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, at 

301–415–4737, or by email to 

PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS 

accession number for each document 

referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) 

is provided the first time that it is 

mentioned in this document. 

• NRC’s PDR: The PDR, where you

may examine and order copies of 

publicly available documents, is open 

by appointment. To make an 

appointment to visit the PDR, please 

send an email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov 

or call 1–800–397–4209 or 301–415– 

4737, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern 

time, Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

B. Submitting Comments

The NRC encourages electronic

comment submission through the 

Federal Rulemaking website (https:// 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1