2026-17093: Draft Regulatory Guide: Assessing Public Health Risk Associated With Chemical Hazards of Licensed Material

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026) [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)] [Notices] [Pages 54406-54407] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-17093] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2026-3334] Draft Regulatory Guide: Assessing Public Health Risk Associated With Chemical Hazards of Licensed Material

Agency

Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Action

Draft guide; request for comment. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment a draft Regulatory Guide (DG), DG-1444, proposed Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.264, ``Assessing Public Health Risk Associated with Chemical Hazards of Licensed Material.'' This DG describes a methodology that is acceptable to the staff of the NRC to meet regulatory requirements assessing public health risk associated with chemical hazards of licensed material.

Dates

Submit comments by September 21, 2026. 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-2026-3334. Address questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.govto Bridget Curran; telephone: 301-415-1003; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact the individual(s) listed in the ``For Further Information Contact'' section of this document. Mail comments to: Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Mail Stop: TWFN-5-A85, U.S. Nuclear [[Page 54407]] Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Guidance and Publications Branch. 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

Anders Gilbertson, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, telephone: 301-415-1541; email: [email protected] and Stanley Gardocki, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301-415-1067; email: [email protected]. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

Supplementary Information

II. Additional Information

The NRC is issuing for public comment a DG in the NRC's ``Regulatory Guide'' series. This series was developed to describe methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the agency's regulations, to explain techniques that the staff uses in evaluating specific issues or postulated events, and to describe information that the staff needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. Proposed RG 1.264 entitled ``Assessing Public Health Risk Associated with Chemical Hazards of Licensed Material Under 10 CFR part 53,'' is temporarily identified by its task number, DG-1444. This DG is being issued to provide guidance on an acceptable approach for meeting the regulation under paragraph 53.440(k) of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), which requires defining design features and related functional design criteria such that analyses demonstrate a low risk of permanent injury to public health due to the health effects of chemical hazards of licensed material. The staff is also issuing for public comment a draft regulatory analysis (ADAMS Accession No. ML26091A264). The staff developed a regulatory analysis to assess the value of issuing or revising an RG as well as alternative courses of action.

III. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality

Issuance of DG-1444, if finalized, would not constitute backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109, ``Backfitting,'' and as described in NRC Management Directive (MD) 8.4, ``Management of Backfitting, Forward Fitting, Issue Finality, and Information Requests''; affect issue finality of any approval issued under 10 CFR part 52, ``Licenses, Certificates, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants''; or constitute forward fitting as defined in MD 8.4, because, as explained in this DG, licensees would not be required to comply with the positions set forth in this DG.

IV. Submitting Suggestions for Improvement of Regulatory Guides

A member of the public may, at any time, submit suggestions to the NRC for improvement of existing RGs or for the development of new RGs. Suggestions can be submitted on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/contactus.html. Suggestions will be considered in future updates and enhancements to the ``Regulatory Guide'' series.

V. Executive Order (E.O.) 12866

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs determined that this DG is not a significant regulatory action under E.O. 12866. Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq. Dated: August 19, 2026. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Nicholee Valentine, Chief, Guidance and Publication Branch, Division of Guidance, Rulemaking, Economic Analysis, and Technical Editing, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 2026-17093 Filed 8-20-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P