ML010820119
| ML010820119 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/22/2001 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Press Release-01-033 | |
| Download: ML010820119 (2) | |
See also: see also:Press Release-01-033
Text
NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs
Telephone: 301/415-8200
Washington, DC 20555-001
E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA
No.01-033
March 22, 2001
NRC SEEKS COMMENT ON PROPOSAL TO AMEND
LICENSING, INSPECTION AND ANNUAL FEES
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking comment on the proposed fees it charges to
licensees for fiscal year 2001.
The agency is required to collect nearly all of its budget through two types of fees. One type is
for NRC services such as licensing and inspection activities. The other is an annual fee paid by all
licensees, which recovers general regulatory expenses and other costs not recovered through fees for
specific services. These fees are contained in Commission regulations 10 CFR Part 170 (licensing and
inspection fees) and 10 CFR Part 171 (annual fees).
The NRC must recover $453.3 million for fiscal year (FY) 2001 (October 1, 2000 - September
30, 2001). This does not include $21.6 million appropriated from the Nuclear Waste Fund for high-
level waste activities. Neither does it include $3.2 million appropriated for NRCs selected regulatory
reviews and assistance provided to federal agencies and states. Funding for these activities is excluded
from license fee revenues by law. The total amount to be recovered is about $6.3 million more than last
year.
The annual fees proposed by the NRC have been determined under the re-baseline method. The
Commission decided to use re-baseline annual fees this year after considering all factors, including the
changes in the amount of the budget allocated to classes of licensees, and weighing the complex issues
related to both fairness and stability of the fees. Re-baselined annual fees would result in reduced
annual fees for a majority of licensees, including power reactors, uranium recovery licensees,
radiography and broad-scope medical licensees. Annual fees would increase for other categories of
licensees, such as fuel-fabrication facilities and distributors of radiopharmaceuticals.
There is also a $6 increase over FY 2000 in the hourly labor rate proposed for services
performed in the reactor program, and a $1 increase for services performed in the nuclear materials
program. The proposed hourly rates are $150 for the reactor program activities and $144 for the nuclear
materials program activities.
In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act that requires agencies to consider the impacts
of rule changes on small businesses, the NRC reviewed its fees established in FY 2000 for such
businesses. It has concluded that a change to the reduced annual fees for small entities is not warranted
for this fiscal year.
The proposed FY 2001 annual fees for some licensees are as follows:
Categories of Licensees
FY 2000 Annual Fee
FY 2001 Annual Fee
Operating Power Reactors (including
$2,815,000
$2,809,000
spent fuel storage/reactor
decommissioning annual fee)
High-enriched Uranium Fuel Facility
3,327,000
3,551,000
Low-enriched Uranium Fuel Facility
1,116,000
1,191,000
Uranium Recovery (Conventional Mills)
132,000
94,300
Radiographers
14,900
12,500
Broad Scope Medical
28,100
24,200
Distribution of Radiopharmaceuticals
3,800
3,900
Other changes proposed by the NRC include a fee of $450 to be assessed for each annual
registration of generally licensed devices, consistent with the recent revisions to 10 CFR Parts 30, 31
and 32 establishing the registration program. An assessment of the registration fee would begin after
the generally licensed devices currently in use are first registered with the agency.
As a streamlining measure, the NRC is proposing to eliminate fees now assessed to Agreement
State licensees for revisions they file related to the types and locations of licensed activities they
conduct in areas under NRC jurisdiction based on the agencys reciprocity provisions. The fees
assessed for the initial applications for reciprocity filed by these Agreement State licensees would
increase from $1,200 to $1,400 to recover the costs of processing the revisions.
Written comments on the proposed amendments to 10 CFR Parts 170 and 171 of the
Commissions regulations should be received within 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
They should be addressed to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, D.C., 20555-0001, ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications staff. Comments also may be
submitted via the NRCs electronic rulemaking Web site at http://www.nrc.gov .
Select rulemaking from the tool bar and then rulemaking forum.