ML20058K400

Urges NRC to Reconsider Any Proposal to Remove Nuclear Reactor Licensing Fee to non-profit Educational Institutions,Per Encl Ltrs from Faculty Members at Univ of Missouri-Rolla

ML20058K400
Person / Time
Site:	University of Missouri-Rolla
Issue date:	09/20/1993
From:	Emerson B HOUSE OF REP.
To:	Selin I, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20058K392	List: ML20058K388 ML20058K400
References
FRN-58FR50859, RULE-PR-171 CCS, NUDOCS 9312150198
Download: ML20058K400 (1)

Text

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i o**m BILL EMERSON  ;

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Mr. Ivan Selin Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852

Dear Mr. Chairman:

I am writing to urge that you reconsider any proposals to remove the nuclear reactor licensing fee to non-profit educational instutions. I have been informed by the faculty members at the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR) that the Commission is considering such a move.

Currently, this exemption provides critical financial relief to UMR, and the removal will certainly facilitate the closure of its reactor. I have enclosed a copy of two letters that I have received from UMR. I would like to ask for your careful review of these comments and your thoughtful considerations of the-points that have been raised.

I would appreciate knowing of your response. Please advise David Lavalle in my Washington office of your reply. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this matter.

Sin,erely,

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EMER O T Member of Congress BE/dl 9312150198 PDR PR 931012 -

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i e Cffice of tha Vico Ch:nceller l

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-- Academic Affairs UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ROLLA 204 Parker Had A1issouri's Technological University R*** MO 65401-0249 \

Teiephone (314) 341-4138 '

FAX (314) 341-6306 l

July 15,1993 l

Secretary U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

, Washington, DC 20555 l

l Attention: Docketing and Service Branch

Subject:

Continued Fee Exemption for Non-Profit Educational Institutions

Dear Sirs:

We have been informed that the removal of the fee exemption for university reactors is being considered by the Commission. If the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission imposes the level l of reactor licensing fees on the University of Missouri-Rolla Reactor (License Number R-79) l that has been rumored ($65,000), it will surely lead to the premature closure of our~ facility, l since its annual operating budget (not including salaries and wages) is less than $15,000.

Our facility has been in operation since December 1961 as a joint federal-state venture.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy invested heavily in new low-enriched uranium fuel that was installed in our reactor, in the reactor instrumentation upgrade program, and in the reactor sharing program. Additionally, the University has invested 32 years' worth of time, money and effort in the continued operation of our facility. It would be a tremendous waste to close it due to the imposition of NRC fees.

Ours is truly a non-profit educational activity. We typically receive no external or industrial support. Our work is focused on providing students with the education necessary to cope with the nuclear engineering challenges facing America. Our graduates will go to work in fields such

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as nuclear power generation, nuclear waste management, radiation safety, nuclear medicine, and, of course, regulatory agencies (e.g. NRC, DOE, EPA, etc.) i The entire nation will suffer if the fee exemption for university reactors is removed. This action j will result in the closure of several of the remaining facilities. Thus, there would be a direct and significant impact on the quality and number of nuclear engineering graduates available in l the work force. There is a tremendous demand for well educated nuclear engineering graduates l and this demand is increasing every year.

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I en ecual opporturuty err.piover

' We provide the additional service of public tours through our facility. Last year alone, we had over 3.400 visitors. The tours increase public understanding of nuclear reactors. Often, these tours offer visitors their only contact with persons knowledgeable in the nuclear sciences. This provides a fomm for questions and answers. There is no doubt that our facility alone is making an impact on the public perception of nuclear energy. This educational campaign benefits the entire country.

We have been asked to suggest alternative ways of funding, thus we suggest charging additional fees to all other licensees and government agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, that directly benefit from the end product of universities -- well-educated graduates for the work force. All licensees, from mill tailings operations to power plants and regulatory bodies, would be adversely affected by the removal of the fee exemption, in that several facilities would be forced to close.

The UMR Reactor is a very important element of our nuclear engineering degree program and provides valuable educational experience for both our undergraduate and graduate students. The 1988 National Academy of Sciences study and final report called for additional federal support of the university research reactors, not a decrease.

Our reactor facility provides exceptionally large externalized benefits that cannot be captured in tuition or other market prices. Those benefits are applicable to personnel in the entire nuclear field and to society, as a whole.

Thus, we urgently request that the Commission vote to allow the exemption of licensing fees to non-profit educational institutions, including the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Sincerely,

, Walter J. Gajda, Jr.

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs WGJ/vr cc: Ivan Selin (NRC Commission Chairman)

Kenneth C. Rogers (Commission Member)

James R. Curtiss (Commission Member)

Forrest J. Renick (Commission Member)

Gail de Planque (Commission Member)

Senator John Danforth Senator Christopher Bond Congressman Bill Emerson v U.S. Energy Secretary Hazel O' Leary Dean Lee Saperstein Professor Albert E. Bolon l

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Route 6. Box 523 Rolla. MO 65401 (f' 30 July 1993

'r m The Honorable Bill Emerson U.S. House of Representauves 418 Cannon Office Bldg l Waslungton D C. 20515

Dear Representauu Emerson:

l The Nuclear Regulatory Comnussion (NRC) informed the University of Missouri-Rolla that a l 562000 fee has to be paid for the nuclear Reactor operating at L'MR. This fee is imposed after the NRC

decided to end the exemption of non-profit educanonal instituuons in an effon to comply mth the public law OBRA-1990.

On the face ofit. the imposition of the fee seems fair. Howestr. deeper examination will show that the imposition of the fee will have disastrous consequences for this and all the other Unisersity reactors in the country. The fee imposed upon power reactors is about $2.3 million per reactor. Multiply this by 109 to obtain an annual revenue fee of about $250 million. I beliest that there are about 10 University reactors left. Therefore, the extra income from University reactors is minusettle. The fees from power reactors could and should cover the senices provided to University reactors as well. Why? Because, simply, the Uruversities educate the Engineers who work for the nuclear industry.

Educanonal facilities benefit the wh' ole count v. They should be exempted from the fee because the proposed fee is a considerable burden that may result in having to shut dowtt the facility to the considerable dernment of our educational mission. Consider this: The fee of $62000 for UMR is more than half of the annual operating budget of the nuclear reactor! UMR cannot pass this cost on to the l students (customers), as the power reactors will certainly do.

1 Please help the University by legislative or other action that will return the non-exempt status to Univers tv research reactors.

Thank you very much.

1 Since ely gw M  ;

l Ncholas Tsoulf 's, Ph.D P.E. l I

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I Cffice of the Chancett:-

206 Pan er we.

. Roha VO 65401-0249

• Teleonore (3146 341-41 4 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-RCt.LA Missouri's Technologica1 Universay

.. . ]. i Ydd August 17.1993 Secretary U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, DC 20555 Attention

Docketing and Service Branch

Dear Mr. Secretary and Distinguished Members of the Commission:

The University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR) respectfully submits additional comments concerning the removal of the fee exemption for nonprofit educational institutions as published in 58 Fed. Reg.21116 (April 19,1993). Initial comments were sent to you in our letter dated July 15,1993 and signed by Dr. Walter J. Gajda, Jr., Vice Chancellor for Academic ' Affairs, during my absence from the campus.

The UMR Reactor Facility is primarily utilized as an educational tool that allows students to understand phenomena associated with reactor operations and radiation through " hands-on" experience. The facility plays an indispensable role in supporting our Nuclear Engineering curriculum. Courses taught at the facility include NE205, Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering, NE 300, Special Problems, NE304, Reactor Laboratory I, NE306, Reactor Operations, NE 308, Reactor Laboratory II, and NE 400, Special Problems (Graduate). Last Year,46 Nuclear Engineering students used the facility as part of their required course work.

If the annual fee of 562,000 was charged to the students, the cost to each student would be

$1,350 per year. As a result of this training, our Nuclear Engineering program supplies well-trained graduates to the nuclear industry and regulatory agencies. Without the experience at the reactor facility, our graduates would enter their fields with much less skill and knowledge.

The UMR Reactor Facility also provides support for classes in other disciplii.es including Chemistry, Physics, and Life Sciences. 12st year the Reactor Facility provided laboratory sessions for 1,004 UMR students from majors outside of Nuclear Engineering. Although these sessions are not a required part of their curriculum, they certainly augment their learning experience. Because of the cooperative nature of this support, cost recovery from these participants would be impractica' t01368MclIsl-Sn tQual CDportunsty sSt# tut On

., Page Two August 17.1993 I The UMR Reactor facility also provides training and " hands-on" esperience for other regional universities, colleges and high schools through our Reactor Sharing Program. Under ,

this program, students from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Univers:ty of Arkansas. I Southwest Missouri State Unisersity, and East Central College have come to our facility to perform experiments and researcn. Additionally, several regional high schools have come to our facility to participate in reactor laboratory experiments. In all, over 500 students from other educationalinstitutions utilize our reactor facility annually under the Reac:ct Sharing Program.

The educational bene 6t of this service is particularly important in that it provides encouragement for young students to enter the 5 elds of science and engineering when selecting a college curriculum.

i We provide the additional. externalized benefit of educating the public through our j aggressive public tours program. Last year alone we had over 3.400 visitors at our facility. '

The tours increase public understanding and awareness of nuclear power There is no doubt that our facility is making an impact on the public perception of nuclear energy.

We urgently request that the Commission reinstate the fee exemption for non-profit educationalinstitutions. The imposition of the proposed fees will create an unbearable financial burden to facilities such as ours. We believe the externalized bene 6ts provided to society, as a whole, from our facility far outweigh the short-term, Gnancial bene 6ts that the NRC may gain by imposing such fees.

incer y, i

fI ohn T. Park Chancellor University of Missouri-Rolla cc.

Ivan Selin (NRC Commission Chairman)

Kenneth C. Rogers (Commission Member)

James R. Curtiss (Commission Member)

Forrest J. Remik (Commission Member)

Gail de Planque (Commission Member)

Senator John Danforth Senator Christopher Bond Conjir'essm'aiBilfEni~ersoni U.S. Energy Secretary Hazel O' Leary Dean Lee Saperstein Professor Albert E. Bolon l

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comanzsszonaz, commzarownzuct sysTzx oocUxzur ParrAmatrou casexLIST  !

! i This checklist is he submitted with each dosumsat (or oup of i G3/As) sent for . ing into the CCS. 1

1. BRIEF DEScaTDT!Oa of DOCUMzMT(S)

2. TTrz oF-noegunge correspondessem Esariager(OsWW

3. Doccxtu? couTBox, sensitive (NBC only) N_ Non-Seasitive

4. ccNanzasrou1L coxxzTTEE and SUBCOMMITTEES (if applicable) congressional committee subcommittee

5. sDBJzcT CODES l

(a)

(b)

(c)

s. SOURCE OF DOCUMENTS l

(a) 5520 (document name j (b) M soma. . (c) Atlashments (a) Satey (e) other

7. sy3 TEM ZA3G DATES (al f /OfCl3 Data m esat desuneat to ecs (b) Date ocS.receiveesdesuneet .

(as Data returned to och for additional information (a) Data resubmitted by-oC1 to ces -

Data entered into CCS by

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(a)

(f) Date och notified that. document is in CCS

8. cCMHzNTS