42270 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 151 / Wednesday, August 6, 1997 / Notices

decisionmaking process. The

Subcommittees will review the

proposed action plan to improve the

Senior Management Meeting process

and the voluntary approach proposed by

the industry for reporting reliability and

availability information for risksignificant systems and equipment. The

Subcommittees will also review the

NRC program for risk-based analysis of

reactor operating experience, as well as

the results of special studies performed

by the staff (e.g., auxiliary feedwater,

Westinghouse reactor protection

systems, loss of offsite power, initiating

events, reactor core isolation cooling,

high pressure core injection, fire events,

etc.). The purpose of this meeting is to

gather information, analyze relevant

issues and facts, and to formulate

proposed positions and actions, as

appropriate, for deliberation by the full

Committee.

Oral statements may be presented by

members of the public with the

concurrence of the Subcommittee

Chairman; written statements will be

accepted and made available to the

Committee. Electronic recordings will

be permitted only during those portions

of the meeting that are open to the

public, and questions may be asked only

by members of the Subcommittees, their

consultants, and staff. Persons desiring

to make oral statements should notify

the cognizant ACRS staff engineer

named below five days prior to the

meeting, if possible, so that appropriate

arrangements can be made.

During the initial portion of the

meeting, the Subcommittees, along with

any of their consultants who may be

present, may exchange preliminary

views regarding matters to be

considered during the balance of the

meeting.

The Subcommittees will then hear

presentations by and hold discussions

with representatives of the NRC staff, its

consultants, and other interested

persons regarding this review.

Further information regarding topics

to be discussed, whether the meeting

has been cancelled 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 the cognizant

ACRS staff engineer, Mr. Michael T.

Markley (telephone 301/415–6885)

between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (EDT).

Persons planning to attend this meeting

are urged to contact the above named

individual one or two working days

prior to the meeting to be advised of any

potential changes to the agenda, etc.,

that may have occurred.

Dated: July 31, 1997.

Sam Duraiswamy,

Chief, Nuclear Reactors Branch.

[FR Doc. 97–20654 Filed 8–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING: Nuclear

Regulatory Commission.

DATE: Weeks of August 4, 11, 18 and 25,

1997.

PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference

Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,

Maryland.

STATUS: Public and Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Week of August 4

Monday, August 4

2:00 p.m. Affirmation Session (Public

Meeting). A. Atlas Corporation: Docket

No. 40–3453–MLA; LBP–97–9.

Memorandum and Order (Denying

Hearing Request).

2:05 p.m. Briefing by International

Programs (Closed—Ex. 2).

3:00 p.m. Briefing on Investigative

Matters (Closed—Ex. 5 and 7).

Wednesday, August 6

9:30 a.m. Meeting with Northeast

Nuclear on Millstone (Public Meeting).

Contact: Bill Travers, 301–415–1200.)

2:00 p.m. Briefing on Shutdown Risk

Proposed Rule for Nuclear Power Plants

(Public Meeting). (Contact: Tim Collins,

301–415–2897.)

3:30 p.m. Affirmation Session (Public

Meeting). (If needed.)

Thursday, August 7

9:30 a.m. Meeting with NRC

Executive Council (Public Meeting).

(Contact: James L. Blaha, 301–415–

1703.)

Week of August 11—Tentative

There are no meetings scheduled for

the week of August 11.

Week of August 18—Tentative

Friday, August 22

11:30 a.m. Affirmation Session

(Public Meeting). (If needed.)

Week of August 25—Tentative

There are no meetings scheduled for

the week of August 25.

*The schedule for Commission

meetings is subject to change on short

notice. To verify the status of meetings

call (recording)—(301) 415–1292.

Contact person for more information:

Bill Hill (301) 415–1661.

* * * * *

The NRC Commission Meeting

Schedule can be found on the Internet

at: http://www.nrc.gov/SECY/smj/

schedule.htm

This notice is distributed by mail to

several hundred subscribers; if you no

longer wish to receive it, or would like

to be added to it, please contact the

Office of the Secretary, Attn: Operations

Branch, Washington, DC 20555 (301–

415–1661).

In addition, distribution of this

meeting notice over the internet system

is available. If you are interested in

receiving this Commission meeting

schedule electronically, please send an

electronic message to wmh@nrc.gov or

dkw@nrc.gov.

Dated: August 1, 1997.

William M. Hill, Jr.,

SECY Tracking Officer, Office of the

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–20760 Filed 8–1–97; 4:21 pm]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M

POSTAL RATE COMMISSION

[Docket No. MC97–5; Order No. 1188]

Notice and Order on Filing of Request

for Establishment of a Provisional

Classification and Fee Schedule for

Packaging Service

Issued July 31, 1997.

Before Commissioners: Edward J. Gleiman,

Chairman; H. Edward Quick, Jr., Vice

Chairman; George W. Haley; W.H.

‘‘Trey’’ LeBlanc III

Notice is hereby given that on July 29,

1997, the United States Postal Service

filed a request with the Postal Rate

Commission pursuant to 3623 of the

Postal Reorganization Act, 39 U.S.C. 101

et seq., for a recommended decision on

proposed additions to the Domestic

Mail Classification Schedule (DMCS).

The request also includes proposed new

fees. The request includes attachments

and is supported by the testimony of

three witnesses and seven library

references. It is on file in the

Commission Docket Room and is

available for inspection during the

Commission’s regular business hours.

Provisional Character of the Proposed

Classifications and Fees

The Postal Service indicates that it is

requesting new classifications and fees

in order to introduce a packaging

service on a provisional basis. The

Service proposes that the packaging

service be offered for a period not to

exceed two years, unless it submits an
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 151 / Wednesday, August 6, 1997 / Notices 42271

1Proposed DMCS § 17.020, § 953.21. In

Attachment A to its Request, the Postal Service

includes two alternative sets of proposed DMCS

provisions: one corresponding to the numbering

convention currently in effect for the schedules of

special services, and the other in accordance with

a new numbering system it has proposed in the

pending omnibus rate proceeding, Docket No. R97–

1.

2Should the Commission decide to recommend

the proposed provisional packaging service, it may

recommend the fees proposed by the Postal Service

or a different set of fees, depending upon its

assessment of record evidence in light of the

policies and factors prescribed by the Postal

Reorganization Act.

3 In Docket No. C96–1, the Commission’s inquiry

focused exclusively on whether the subject Pack &

Send service was ‘‘postal’’ or ‘‘non-postal’’ in

character, in order to determine whether it was

being offered in contravention of the procedural

requirements of chapter 36 of title 39, United States

Code. The Commission did not assess the merits of

the Pack & Send service in light of substantive

statutory policies and factors. See Order No. 1145,

December 16, 1996; Order No. 1156, February 3,

1997.

4The Postal Service filed a Request for a

recommended decision on proposed changes in

domestic postage rates and fees, and proposed

changes in certain mail classifications, on July 10,

1997. See Order No. 1186, 62 FR 39660–39709 (July

23, 1997).

interim request for establishment as a

permanent mail classification, in which

case the provisional service could be

offered for one additional year.

Description of Request

The Postal Service proposes creation

of a separate special service for

packaging service, which ‘‘would enable

the Postal Service to offer customers the

option of having items professionally

packaged and staged for dispatch by the

Postal Service.’’ Request at 1. Packaging

service would be available for ‘‘mailable

articles deemed suitable by the Postal

Service for packaging[,]’’ 1 and which

are to be sent as Express Mail, Letters

and Sealed Parcels, Priority Mail, or

Parcel Post. While in effect, the

provisional packaging service would be

offered on a nationwide basis ‘‘at postal

retail outlets where demand would be

sufficient to justify investment in

training and inventory.’’ Ibid.

Fees for the packaging service would

vary according to required carton size,

the fragility of the item(s) to be

packaged, and whether special

packaging techniques are deemed

necessary. The proposed fees range from

$ 8.50 for a small, nonbreakable item to

$ 22.50 for a large item requiring a

special packaging technique.2

According to the Postal Service,

provision of the proposed service would

build upon its prior experience in

testing Pack & Send service, which was

the subject of Docket No. C96–1, a

complaint proceeding.3 However, the

Service states that the packaging service

it proposes in this docket differs from its

predecessor in several respects. First,

the proposed service would be offered

only in conjunction with existing mail

services, not as a stand-alone service.

Second, fees for the proposed service

and the special packaging techniques

that may be required have been refined

and simplified into three groupings

based on the surface area of the required

carton. Third, the service would be

offered at selected postal retail outlets

on a nationwide basis, rather than in a

few markets. Finally, various

components of the retail operation in

which items are packaged for mailing

would be automated.

Expedited Consideration of the Request

The Postal Service’s request invokes

the operation of subpart J of the

Commission’s rules of practice and

procedure, 39 CFR 3001.171 through

3001.176, which provide for expedited

consideration of requests for provisional

service changes of limited duration. The

purpose of these expedited procedures,

as stated in 39 CFR 3001.174, ‘‘is to

allow for consideration of proposed

provisional services within 90 days,

consistent with the procedural due

process rights of interested persons.’’

According to the Service, the

requested classification is suitable for

consideration under the provisional

service rules because it would create a

separate special service, ancillary to the

carriage of mail and available on a

strictly optional basis, that would

broaden the array of services available

to mailers while recovering its costs and

making a contribution to institutional

costs. Thus, the Postal Service states,

the proposed service would

‘‘supplement, but will not alter, existing

classifications and rates[,]’’ as specified

in 39 CFR 3001.171(a). The Postal

Service also claims that adoption of

packaging service on a provisional basis

would be consistent with the

Commission’s policy of recommending

‘‘the introduction of provisional services

that enhance the range of postal services

available to the public, without

producing a material adverse effect

overall on postal revenues or costs, and

without causing unnecessary or

unreasonable harm to competitors of the

Postal Service.’’ Ibid.

In a separate notice dated July 29,

1997, a copy of which was filed with its

Request, the Postal Service certifies that

it has complied with the early

notification requirement specified for

provisional service requests in 39 CFR

3001.173(d).

Compliance With Certain Filing

Requirements

The Postal Service’s request was also

accompanied by a Notice Concerning

Compliance Statement, Or, In The

Alternative, Motion Of The United

States Postal Service For Waiver Of

Certain Provisions Of Rule 64(h). In this

Notice, the Service observes that the

circumstances of this docket, and

compliance with the filing requirements

specified in 39 CFR 3001.54 and

3001.64, are complicated by the

pendency of the omnibus rate

proceeding in Docket No. R97–1.4 The

Service states that the information it

presented in support of its Request in

R97–1 is responsive to the requirements

of 39 CFR 3001.54 and 3001.64 for both

that proceeding and the instant docket,

and that its compliance statement in

this docket accordingly incorporates

certain information provided in R97–1

by reference.

Nevertheless, the Service states that it

has developed cost estimates for the

proposed packaging service ‘‘using

inputs from prior rate proceedings.’’

Notice at 2. The Postal Service explains

that this approach is intended to

accommodate participants’ and the

Commission’s needs to evaluate the cost

information and theories it presents in

R97–1 without tying the procedural

schedule in this proceeding to the

schedule in the ongoing omnibus rate

case, and thus to allow consideration of

its provisional service proposal within

the 90-day schedule specified in

§ 3001.174.

However, should the Commission

consider the current filing’s reliance on

documentation presented in the

pending omnibus rate case to be an

impediment to expedited consideration

of its packaging proposal, the Postal

Service moves in the alternative for

waiver of certain requirements set out in

§ 3001.64(h). Specifically, the Service’s

alternative motion seeks a waiver of 39

CFR 3001.54(b)(3) in part, (d) in part,

(f)(2) and (f)(3), (h), (j), and (l) in part.

In general, the Service justifies waiver of

these provisions in light of the limited

nature and anticipated effects of the

packaging proposal.

Further Procedures.

Section 173(b) provides that

interested persons may intervene in a

provisional service proceeding within

28 days after the filing of the Postal

Service’s Request. Accordingly, anyone

wishing to be heard in this matter is

directed to file a written notice of

intervention with Margaret P. Crenshaw,

Secretary of the Commission, 1333 H

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20268–

0001, on or before August 26, 1997.

Intended participants should indicate

whether they request formal
42272 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 151 / Wednesday, August 6, 1997 / Notices

intervention or limited participator

status. See 39 CFR 3001.20 and

3001.20a.

Section 173(e) of the rules of practice

(39 CFR 3001.173(e)) states that the

Commission will hold hearings on a

Postal Service Request for a provisional

service change ‘‘when it determines that

there is a genuine issue of material fact

to be resolved, and that a hearing is

needed to resolve that issue.’’ To assist

that determination, the same provision

directs parties who wish to dispute a

genuine issue of material fact to file a

request for a hearing, which:

shall state with specificity the fact or facts set

forth in the Postal Service’s filing that the

party disputes, and when possible, what the

party believes to be the true fact or facts and

the evidence it intends to provide in support

of its position.

Ibid.

Any participant who wishes to

dispute a genuine issue of material fact

to be resolved in this proceeding shall

file a request for a hearing as specified

in § 173(e) by August 26, 1997. In order

to assist the Commission’s

determination of whether a hearing is

necessary, should any written discovery

be directed to the Postal Service by a

participant before August 26, 1997, the

Postal Service shall respond within 10

days.

A prehearing conference will be held

in this proceeding on Thursday, August

28, 1997, at 9:30 a.m. in the

Commission’s hearing room.

Participants should be prepared to

discuss what formal procedures,

including hearings, may be necessary

and appropriate in this docket. If the

Commission determines that formal

hearings to resolve genuine issues of

material fact are required, hearings to

evaluate the supporting evidence

presented by the Postal Service may be

scheduled to begin as soon as

September 3, 1997. The presiding officer

will establish subsequent procedural

dates.

Representation of the General Public

In conformance with 39 U.S.C.

3624(a), the Commission designates W.

Gail Willette, Director of the

Commission’s Office of the Consumer

Advocate (OCA), to represent the

interests of the general public in this

proceeding. Pursuant to this

designation, Ms. Willette will direct the

activities of Commission personnel

assigned to assist her and, when

requested, will supply their names for

the record. Neither Ms. Willette nor any

of the assigned personnel will

participate in or provide advice on any

Commission decision in this

proceeding. The OCA shall be

separately served with three copies of

all filings, in addition to and

contemporaneous with, service on the

Commission of the 24 copies required

by § 10(c) of the rules of practice (39

CFR 3001.10(c)).

It is ordered:

1. The Commission will sit en banc in

this proceeding.

2. Notices of intervention shall be

filed no later than August 26, 1997.

3. Participants who wish to request a

hearing in this matter shall submit a

request in conformance with 39 CFR

§ 3001.173(e) no later than August 26,

1997.

4. Answers to the Postal Service’s

Notice Concerning Compliance

Statement, or, in the Alternative, Motion

for waiver of Certain Provisions of Rule

64(h) are to be submitted no later than

August 26, 1997.

5. The Postal Service shall provide

responses to any written discovery

requests submitted to it before August

26, 1997, within 10 days.

6. W. Gail Willette, Director of the

Commission’s Office of the Consumer

Advocate, is designated to represent the

general public.

7. A prehearing conference in this

docket shall be held on Thursday,

August 28, 1997, at 9:30 a.m. in the

Commission’s hearing room.

8. The Secretary shall cause this

notice and order to be published in the

Federal Register.

By the Commission.

Margaret P. Crenshaw,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–20628 Filed 8–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

requirement of Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

which provides opportunity for public

comment on new or revised data

collections, the Railroad Retirement

Board (RRB) will publish periodic

summaries of proposed data collections.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed information collection is

necessary for the proper performance of

the functions of the agency, including

whether the information has practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of the RRB’s

estimate of the burden of the collection

of the information; (c) ways to enhance

the quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected; and (d)

ways to minimize the burden related to

the collection of information on

respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

Title and purpose of information

collection:

Lag Service Reports; OMB 3220–0005

Under Section 9 of the Railroad Act

(RRA), railroad employers are required

to submit reports of employee service

and compensation to the RRB as needed

for administering the RRA. To pay

benefits due on a deceased employee’s

earnings records or determine

entitlement to and amount of annuity

applied for, it is necessary at times to

obtain from railroad employers current

(lag) service and compensation

information not yet reported to the RRB

through the annual reporting process.

The reporting requirements are

specified in 20 CFR 209.4 and 209.5.

The RRB utilizes Form AA–12, Notice

of Death and Statement of

Compensation, and Form G–88A,

Employer’s Supplemental Report of

Service and Compensation to obtain the

required lag service and compensation

and related information from railroad

employers.

The RRB proposes minor editorial

changes to Form AA–12 and G–88A to

incorporate language required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. No

other changes are proposed. The

completion time for the AA–12 is

estimated at 6 and 1⁄2 minutes per

response. The completion time for form

G–88A is estimated at 5 minutes per

response. The RRB estimates that

approximately 800 Form AA–12’s and

400 G–88’s are completed annually.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

To request more information or to

obtain a copy of the information

collection justification, forms, and/or

supporting material, please call the RRB

Clearance Officer at (312) 751–3363.

Comments regarding the information

collection should be addressed to

Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad Retirement

Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago,

Illinois 60611–2092. Written comments

should be received within 60 days of

this notice.

Chuck Mierzwa,

Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–20607 Filed 8–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7905–01–M