Public Comments Sought for Two Radiological Emergency Preparedness Documents

The two documents are Supplement 4 to "Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants" (NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev.1) and the proposed revision to the August 2002 Interim Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program Manual.

Supplement 4 provides additional guidance for the development, review and evaluation of offsite emergency response planning. The guidance assists in planning for and responding to hostile action-based (HAB) events and ensures more challenging drills and exercises. The guidance enhances exercise activities to avoid player preconditioning and predictability of scenarios and ensures that backup means for Alert and Notification Systems are in place. Additionally, the guidance integrates and updates REP policy and guidance with tenets of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA), National Incident Management System (NIMS), National Response Framework (NRF), National Exercise Program (NEP), Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) and the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101.

The REP Program Manual is intended to be the principal source of policy and guidance for the DHS/FEMA REP Program. This version of the REP Program Manual incorporates previously issued FEMA Guidance Memoranda (GMs), policy memoranda and some FEMA REP-series documents effectively retiring the documents from use as independent resources. The updated REP Program Manual also establishes "Part II" which embeds planning guidance that was not included in the 2002 Interim version.

Two public meetings have already been held and FEMA will be holding an additional four public meetings:

• June 9 at the Hilton Lisle, 3003 Corporate West Drive, Lisle, Ill., from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. central time;
• June 11 at the Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport, 4545 W. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9: 30 p.m. central time;
• June 16 at the Hyatt Place Coconut Point, 23120 Via Villagio, Estero, Fla., from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. eastern time;
• June 23 at the Marriott Residence Inn, 7335 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md., from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. eastern time.

At these meetings, hosted jointly by FEMA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), staff from both agencies will be available to answer questions about the proposed regulations and draft guidance. Attendees are strongly encouraged to read the documents on http://www.regulations.gov (Docket Nos. FEMA-2008-0022 and NRC-2008-0122) before the meeting.

Comments may be submitted for 150 days following publication. Stakeholders may submit comments on the proposed Supplement 4 and the proposed REPP Manual, identified by Docket ID FEMA–2008–0022, by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: . Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• E-mail: FEMA–POLICY@dhs.gov. Include ‘‘Docket ID FEMA–2008–0022'' in the subject line of the message.
• Fax: 703–483–2999.
• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Regulation & Policy Team, Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Room 835, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472.