Document ID: PHMSA-2010-0130-0005
Agency: phmsa
Document Type: Rule
Title: Hazardous Materials: International Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (TS-R-1); Draft Revision Available for Comment
Posted Date: 2010-07-01T04:00Z

[Federal Register: July 1, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 126)]
[Notices]               
[Page 38168-38169]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jy10-130]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2010-0130 (Notice No.10-2)]

 
Hazardous Materials: International Regulations for the Safe 
Transport of Radioactive Material (TS-R-1); Draft Revision Available 
for Comment

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
DOT.

ACTION: Notice; document availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: PHMSA is seeking public comment on a draft revision of the 
International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) ``Regulations for the Safe 
Transport of Radioactive Material'' (TS-R-1), which is scheduled for 
publication in 2012. PHMSA and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC) will jointly be submitting comments on the draft document to the 
IAEA. We are requesting input from the public to assist in developing 
the U.S. comments.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 29, 2010. 
Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical 
to do so, however we are only able to assure consideration for comments 
received on or before this date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the docket number 
(PHMSA-2010-0130) by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Routing 
Symbol M-30, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: To Docket Operations, Room W12-140 on the 
ground floor of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number for this notice at the beginning of the comment. Note 
that all comments received will be posted without change to the docket 
management system, including any personal information provided.
    Docket: For access to the dockets to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov, or DOT's Docket 
Operations Office (see ADDRESSES).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rick Boyle, Office of Hazardous 
Materials Technology, (202) 366-4545, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Safety Administration.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any 
written communications and comments received into any of our dockets by 
the name of the individual submitting the document (or signing the 
document, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor 
union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in 
the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) or you 
may visit http://www.regulations.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The IAEA works with its Member States and multiple partners 
worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies. 
The IAEA established and maintains an international standard, 
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (TS-R-1), to 
promote the safe and secure transportation of radioactive material. The 
IAEA periodically reviews, and as deemed appropriate, revises 
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material to reflect 
new information and accumulated experience. The DOT is the U.S. 
competent authority before the IAEA for radioactive material 
transportation matters. The NRC provides technical support to the DOT 
in this regard, particularly with regard to Type B and fissile 
transportation packages.
    The IAEA is about to release for 120-day Member State review a 
draft revision of TS-R-1 intended for publication in 2012. To assure 
opportunity for public involvement in the international regulatory 
development process, we are requesting

[[Page 38169]]

input from the public on the proposed revisions to TS-R-1. Comments are 
being solicited only on the changes made between the published 2009 
edition and the draft 2012 edition.
    The draft 2012 edition and the 2009 version are available online in 
the public docket for this notice. To assist in comparing these two 
documents, the IAEA has prepared a table in which the original text 
(2009, as published) is compared with the proposed text (draft 2012 
edition); the table may also be found online in the public docket for 
this notice. A redline/strikeout version of the 2012 draft showing the 
changes from the 2009 version is also available in the docket.
    Any comments made should refer to the relevant paragraph number in 
the draft 2012 edition, and when appropriate, proposed alternative 
text.
    Please note that to date, PHMSA has harmonized the U.S. domestic 
hazardous materials regulations in 49 CFR with the 1996 edition of TS-
R-1, as revised in 2000 [Docket No. RSPA-99-6283 (HM-230)]. A 
rulemaking is in development which will be issued in draft for public 
review at a later date to harmonize with the 2009 edition of TS-R-1. 
PHMSA is not currently considering adoption of the 2012 amendments. 
However, subsequent domestic compatibility rulemakings by both NRC and 
DOT will be considered after IAEA final publication of the 2012 revised 
TS-R-1.

II. Public Participation

    Methods and instructions for submitting comments are specified in 
the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Comments must be submitted in 
writing (Microsoft Word file is the preferred format for electronic 
submissions) and should include:
     Name;
     Address;
     Relevant paragraph number in the document being reviewed, 
and
     When appropriate, proposed alternative text.

Commenters may also provide contact information, such as a telephone 
number and/or e-mail address.
    PHMSA and the NRC will review the comments received and based in 
part on the information received, will develop comments on the revised 
draft of TS-R-1 to be submitted to the IAEA. Comments from the United 
States and other IAEA member states will be considered at an IAEA 
Transport Safety Standards Committee (TRANSSC) Meeting to be convened 
by IAEA on November 29, 2010, in Vienna, Austria.

    Issued in Washington, DC on June 24, 2010.
Magdy El-Sibaie,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
[FR Doc. 2010-16073 Filed 6-30-10; 8:45 am]
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