18428 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 69 / Tuesday, April 11, 1995 / Notices

907, Arlington, VA 22230, Telephone: 306–

1696.

Purpose of Meeting: To provide advice and

recommendations concerning proposals

submitted to the NATO Postdoctoral

Fellowship Program (NATO).

Agenda: Review and Evaluate NATO

proposals.

Reasons for Closing: The proposals being

reviewed include information of a

proprietary or confidential nature, including

technical information; financial data, such as

salaries; and personal information

concerning individuals associated with the

proposals. These matters are within

exemptions 4 and 6 of 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4)

and (6) of the Government in the Sunshine

Act.

Reasons for Late Notice: Complications

with meeting logistics.

Dated: April 5, 1995.

M. Rebecca Winkler,

Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 95–8817 Filed 4–10–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY BOARD

Two Public Forums for Alaskan Air

Safety Study

As part of a special study of aviation

safety in Alaska, the National

Transportation Safety Board will

convene two public forums. The forums

will be held in Juneau, Alaska, on May

22, 1995, at the Westmark Baranof

Hotel, 127 North Franklin St., and in

Anchorage, Alaska, on May 24 and 25,

at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel, 401

East Sixth Avenue. For more

information, contact Mike Benson,

Office of Public Affairs, Washington,

D.C. 20594, telephone (202) 382–0660.

Dated: April 5, 1995.

Bea Hardesty,

Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 95–8771 Filed 4–10–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7533–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Announcement of the NRC’s Intent To

Reduce the Scope of Work to States

Under Contract to the NRC To Perform

Environmental Monitoring in the

Environs of Selected NRC Licensed

Facilities

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Opportunity for Public

Comment.

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulation

Commission (NRC) is issuing an

announcement of its intent to reduce the

scope of work for contracts with States

which perform environmental

monitoring in the environs of selected

NRC licensed facilities. The NRC is

seeking comment from interested parties

regarding the proposed contract action

discussed in the announcement

presented in the appendix to this

document. The NRC will consider

comments received from interested

parties in the final evaluation of the

proposed contract action.

DATES: Comment period expires May 26,

1995. Comments submitted after this

date will be considered if it is practical

to do so, but assurance of consideration

cannot be given except for comments

received on or before this date.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to Chief, Rules Review and Directives

Branch, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555.

Written comments may also be

delivered to 11545 Rockville Pike,

Rockville, Maryland, from 7:30 am to

4:15 pm, Federal workdays. Copies of

written comments received may be

examined at the NRC Public Document

Room, 2120 L Street, NW. (Lower

Level), Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Klementowicz, (301) 415–1084.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Announcement of the NRC’s intent to

reduce the scope of work to States under

contract to the NRC to perform

environmental monitoring in the

environs of selected NRC licensed

facilities appears in the appendix to this

document.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day

of April 1995.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Charles L. Miller,

Chief, Emergency Preparedness and

Radiation Protection Branch, Division of

Technical Support, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

Appendix—Announcement of the NRC’s

Intent to Reduce the Scope of Work to States

Under Contract to the NRC To Perform

Environmental Monitoring in the Environs of

Selected NRC Licensed Facilities

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is

soliciting comments on its plan to reduce the

scope of work for the Cooperative Agreement

program under which States are paid to

conduct radiological environmental

monitoring in the environs of selected

nuclear facilities. The NRC plans to eliminate

the scope of work in 1996 for the part of the

program under which States obtain and

analyze environmental samples. However,

the NRC plans to continue the part of the

program under which States participate in

the NRC’s direct radiation monitoring

network. This reduction in the scope of work

of the program directly affects 27 States. The

elimination of the environmental monitoring

portion of the program will not have an

impact on public health and safety and does

not represent a reduction in plant safety.

The State Cooperative Agreement Program

was established in the 1970s to provide NRC

assistance to State radiological health

programs, through the use of NRC-funded

contracts, to perform measurements of

radioactive material released into the

environment from NRC-licensed facilities.

The States issue an annual report to the NRC

of all analyses they perform with

comparisons of similar analyses performed

by the respective nuclear facility. The NRC

uses this data as a supplemental tool in

assessing the performance of environmental

monitoring programs conducted by nuclear

power plants. The contracts for

environmental monitoring were intended as

a means to assist States with nuclear facilities

to develop their own environmental

monitoring programs, but not to fully fund

them.

NRC-licensed facilities are under strict

NRC requirements to monitor and control the

release of radioactive materials to the air,

water and ground around their facilities. The

NRC inspects and reviews licensee

conformance with the requirements on a

routine basis.

In addition to the environmental

monitoring portion of the program, which

will cost $1 million for 1995, the NRC has

a provision in the contract, which will

continue to remain, for the States to

participate in the NRC’s direct radiation

monitoring network. The network provides

continuous measurement of the ambient

radiation levels around selected nuclear

facilities by using small devices called

thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). The

cost of this program for 1995 is $195,000.

The environmental monitoring portion of

the program was specifically chosen for

elimination because of the excellent record

maintained by NRC-licensed facilities in

controlling the release of radiological

effluents into the environment within

regulatory limits. In addition, the elimination

of the data supplied by the States will not

adversely affect NRC’s ability to effectively

monitor and regulate NRC licensees in this

area.

The NRC recognizes the excellent service

and cooperation the States have provided

under this program. However, the need to

constantly examine and adjust programs to

ensure that public health and safety is

protected in the most cost-effective manner

has necessitated the reduction in this

program.

[FR Doc. 95–8871 Filed 4–10–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M

[Docket No. 50–306]

Northern States Power Company;

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating

Plant, Unit 2; Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is