Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices 65451

IV

For the foregoing reasons, pursuant to

10 CFR 73.55, the NRC staff has

determined that the proposed

alternative measures for protection

against radiological sabotage meet ‘‘the

same high assurance objective,’’ and

‘‘the general performance requirements’’

of the regulation and that ‘‘the overall

level of system performance provides

protection against radiological sabotage

equivalent’’ to that which would be

provided by the regulation.

Accordingly, the Commission has

determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR

73.5, this exemption is authorized by

law and will not endanger life or

property or common defense and

security, and is otherwise in the public

interest. Therefore, the Commission

hereby grants the requested exemption

from the requirements of 10 CFR

73.55(d)(5) to allow individuals not

employed by the licensee (i.e.,

contractors) to take their photoidentification badges offsite, provided

that the proposed hand geometry

biometrics system is in effect to control

access into protected areas at the Hatch

nuclear plant.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the

Commission has determined that the

granting of this exemption will not

result in any significant adverse

environmental impact (62 FR 49539).

For further details with respect to this

action, see the request for exemption

dated July 2, 1997, which is available

for public inspection at the

Commission’s Public Document Room,

The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street,

NW., Washington, DC, and at the local

public document room located at the

Burke County Public Library, 412

Fourth Street, Waynesboro, Georgia.

This exemption is effective when

modifications, procedures, and training

to implement the hand geometry

biometrics system have been completed

and the corresponding revisions to the

Physical Security Plan for the Hatch

plant have been submitted to the NRC

staff.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day

of December 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Frank J. Miraglia,

Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–32523 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Nonforeign Area Cost-of-Living

Allowances Price and Background

Surveys; Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

seeks comments on its intention to

request a reinstatement, with change, of

two previously approved information

collections for which approval has

expired. OPM uses the two collections—

a price survey and a background

survey—to gather data to be used in

determining cost-of-living allowances

for certain Federal employees in Alaska,

Hawaii, Guam and the Commonwealth

of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto

Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The

price survey is conducted generally on

an annual basis. The background survey

is conducted approximately once every

5 years, but the survey is also conducted

on a limited basis in preparation for

each of the price surveys.

DATES: Submit comments on or before

February 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments: Send or deliver

comments to Donald J. Winstead,

Assistant Director for Compensation

Administration, Workforce

Compensation and Performance Service,

Office of Personnel Management, Room

7H31, 1900 E Street NW., Washington,

DC 20415, or FAX comments to (202)

606–4264, or email comments over the

Internet to cola@opm.gov. Copies: For

copies of this proposal, contact Jim

Farron at (202) 418–3208 or by email at

jmfarron@opm.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt

M. Springmann, (202) 606–2838.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM is

soliciting comments on the

reinstatement of its Nonforeign Area

Cost-of-Living Allowances Price and

Background Surveys for an additional 3

years. As set out in Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

regulations at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1),

comments are requested to—

• Evaluate whether the surveys are

necessary and have practical utility;

• Evaluate the accuracy of the burden

estimate, including the assumptions and

methodological validity used in

determining the burden estimate;

• Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

• Minimize the burden on

respondents.

OMB approval of this information

collection was originally scheduled to

expire on June 30, 1997. Because of

delays in conducting the price survey

during the first quarter of 1997 as

planned, OPM requested an emergency

extension of the clearance. OMB granted

an extension until September 30, 1997.

Title: Nonforeign Area Cost-of-Living

Allowances Price Survey and

Background Survey.

OMB Control Number: 3206–0199.

Summary: The Nonforeign Area Costof-Living Allowances Price Survey is

used by OPM to collect price data in the

allowance areas under four cost

components: consumption goods and

services, transportation, housing, and

miscellaneous expenses. The price

survey is conducted on approximately

an annual basis.

The Nonforeign Area Cost-of-Living

Allowances Background Survey is used

by OPM to collect information to

identify the services, items, quantities,

outlets, and locations that will be

surveyed in the annual price surveys. It

is also used to collect information on

local trade practices, consumer buying

patterns, taxes and fees, and other

economic characteristics related to

living costs. The background survey is

conducted approximately once every 5

years but is also used on a limited basis

in preparation for each of the price

surveys.

Need/Use for Surveys: The price

survey is necessary for collecting livingcost data used to determine cost-ofliving allowances (COLA’s) paid to

General Schedule, U.S. Postal Service,

and certain other Federal employees in

the nonforeign allowance areas. The

information is used to compare costs in

the allowance areas with costs in the

Washington, DC, area, and to derive a

COLA rate when the local cost of living

significantly exceeds that in the DC

area. The background survey is

necessary to determine the continued

appropriateness of items, services, and

businesses selected for the annual price

surveys. OPM uses the information

collected under this survey to define the

sources and parameters for the price

surveys and to improve the COLA

methodology.

Respondents: OPM will survey

selected retail, service, realty, and other

businesses and local governments in the

nonforeign allowance areas and in the

Washington, DC, area. Approximately

5,600 establishments will be contacted

in the price survey and approximately

300 establishments will be contacted in

the background survey.
65452 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 239 / Friday, December 12, 1997 / Notices

Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:

OPM estimates that the average price

survey interview will take

approximately 7 minutes, for a total

burden of 650 hours. The average

background survey interview will take

approximately 10 minutes, for a total

burden of 50 hours.

Office of Personnel Management.

Janice R. Lachance,

Director.

[FR Doc. 97–32581 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325–01–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Proposed Collection, Comment

Request Optional Form 306

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13) and 5 CFR 1320.5 (a) (I) (iv),

this notice announces that OPM intends

to submit to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) a request for

reclearance of an information collection.

Optional Form 306 (Declaration for

Federal Employment) is used by OPM

and other agencies to collect

information to determine an

individual’s acceptability for Federal

employment and enrollment status in

the Government’s Life Insurance

program.

‘‘Comments are particularly invited

on: whether this collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of function of the Office of

Personnel Management, and whether it

will have practical utility; whether our

estimate of the public burden of this

collection of information is accurate,

and based on valid assumptions and

methodology; and ways in which we

can minimize the burden of collection

of information on those who respond,

through the use of appropriate

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.’’

It is estimated that 474,000

individuals will respond annually for a

total burden of 118,500 hours. To obtain

copies of this proposal please contact

James M. Farron at (202) 414–3208 or by

E-mail to jmfarron@opm.gov.

DATES: Comments on this proposal

should be received on or before

February 10, 1998. Submit comments on

this proposal to Richard A. Ferris, Office

of Personnel Management, Room 5416,

1900 E. Street N. W., Washington, D.C.

20415.

Office of Personnel Management.

Janice R. Lachance,

Director.

[FR Doc. 97–32582 Filed 12–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325–01–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: Application and Claim for

Sickness Insurance Benefits; OMB

3220–0039.

Under Section 2 of the Railroad

Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA),

sickness benefits are payable to

qualified railroad employees who are

unable to work because of illness or

injury. In addition, sickness benefits are

payable to qualified female employees if

they are unable to work, or if working

would be injurious, because of

pregnancy, miscarriage or childbirth.

Under Section 1(k) of the RUIA, a

statement of sickness with respect to

days of sickness of an employee is to be

filed with the RRB within a 10-day

period from the first day claimed as a

day of sickness. The RRB’s authority for

requesting supplemental medical

information is Section 12(I) and 12(n) of

the RUIA. The procedures for claiming

sickness benefits and for the RRB to

obtain supplemental medical

information needed to determine a

claimant’s eligibility for such benefits is

prescribed in 20 CFR part 335.

The forms used by the RRB to obtain

information needed to determine

eligibility for and the amount of

sickness benefits due a claimant

follows: Form SI–1a, Application for

Sickness Benefits; Form SI–1b,

Statement of Sickness; Form SI–3, Claim

for Sickness Benefits; Form SI–7,

Supplemental Doctor’s Statement; Form

SI–8, Verification of Medical

Information; Form ID–7h, NonEntitlement to Sickness Benefits and

Information on Unemployment Benefits;

and Form ID–11a, Requesting Reason for

Late Filing of Sickness Benefit.

Completion is required to obtain or

retain benefits. One response is

requested of each respondent.

The RRB proposes to revise Form SI–

1a to add new items that obtain

information from a sickness claimant

who is filing a delayed claim for

benefits and also to reformat and clarify

an existing item that requests wage

information. Form SI–3 is being revised

to clarify an existing item that requests

wage information and also to modify the

certification statement. Form SI–8 is

being revised primarily to emphasize

that a response is needed only if the

information provided is erroneous.

Minor editorial changes which include

the addition of language required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 are

also proposed to Forms SI–1b, SI–7, SI–

8 and ID–11A.

Estimate of Annual Respondent Burden

The estimated annual respondent

burden is as follows:

Form Nos. Annual responses

Time

(minutes)

Burden

(hours)

SI–1a/1b(ee) ............................................................................................................................................. 27,700 10 4,617

SI–1a/1b(Dr.) ............................................................................................................................................ 27,000 8 3,693

SI–3 .......................................................................................................................................................... 181,000 5 15,083

SI–7 .......................................................................................................................................................... 33,600 8 4,480

SI–8 .......................................................................................................................................................... 50 5 4

ID–7H ....................................................................................................................................................... 50 5 4

ID–11A ...................................................................................................................................................... 800 3 40