Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION:

Notice of pending NRC action to submit an information collection request to OMB and solicitation of public comment.

SUMMARY:

The NRC is preparing a submittal to OMB for review of continued approval of information collections under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted:

1. The Title of the Information Collection: 10 CFR Part 72, Licensing Requirements for the Independent Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste.

2. Current OMB Approval Number: 3150-0132.

3. How Often the Collection is Required: Required reports are collected and evaluated on a continuing basis as events occur; submittal of reports varies from less than one per year under some rule sections to up to an average of about 100 per year under other rule sections. Applications for new licenses, certificates of compliance (CoCs), and amendments may be submitted at anytime; applications for renewal of licenses are required every 20 years for an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) or Certificate of Compliance (CoC) and every 40 years for a Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility.

4. Who is Required or Asked to Report: Certificate holders of casks for the storage of spent fuel, licensees and applicants for a license to possess power reactor spent fuel and other radioactive materials associated with spent fuel storage in an ISFSI, and the Department of Energy for licenses to receive, transfer, package and possess power reactor spent fuel, high-level waste, and other radioactive materials associated with spent fuel and high-level waste storage in an MRS.

5. The Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 50.

6. The Number of Hours Needed Annually to Complete the Requirement or Request: 25,551 (22,781 hours for reporting [71 hours per response plus 2,770 hours for recordkeeping 55 hours per recordkeeper]).

7. Abstract: 10 CFR part 72 establishes mandatory requirements, procedures, and criteria for the issuance of licenses to receive, transfer, and possess power reactor spent fuel and other radioactive materials associated with spent fuel storage in an ISFSI, and requirements for the issuance of licenses to the Department of Energy to receive, transfer, package, and possess power reactor spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste, and other associated radioactive materials, in an MRS. The information in the applications, reports and records is used by NRC to make licensing and other regulatory determinations.

Submit, by February 22, 2005, comments that address the following questions:

1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility?

2. Is the burden estimate accurate?

3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected?

4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology?

A copy of the draft supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ doc-comment/omb/ index.html. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice.

Comments and questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Brenda Jo. Shelton, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, T-5 F52, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7233, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV.