Press Release-19-012, NRC Proposes Fy 2020 Budget to Congress
| ML19070A294 | |
| Person / Time | |
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| Issue date: | 03/11/2019 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
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| Category:Press Release | |
| References | |
| Press Release-19-012 | |
| Download: ML19070A294 (1) | |
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No: 19-012 March 11, 2019 CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200 NRC Proposes FY 2020 Budget to Congress The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to Congress a budget of $921 million for Fiscal Year 2020, $10 million higher than FY 2019s budget, reflecting 44 fewer full-time equivalent employees.
The increase takes into account the inclusion of $38 million to support licensing activities for the proposed deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. The budget also includes $15 million for the continued development of a regulatory infrastructure for advanced reactor technologies. The agencys budget has decreased by more than $130 million, including a reduction of more than 700 FTE since 2014.
Details of the budget include:
- Funding of $449.5 million for nuclear reactor safety; $165.7 million for nuclear materials and waste safety, which includes the $38 million for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository; and $292.6 million for corporate support.
- Support for 3,062 full-time equivalent employees, including the Office of Inspector General, and a reduction of 44 FTE from the FY 2019 enacted budget. Proposed reductions in staffing are primarily due to declining workload, efficiencies in the processing of licensing actions, three plants to be decommissioned, the merger of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and the Office of New Reactors, and Wyomings transition to Agreement State status.
- The inclusion of $13.3 million for the OIG, an independent office that conducts audits and investigations to ensure the efficiency and integrity of NRC programs, and to promote cost-effective management. The OIGs budget also includes funding to provide auditing and investigation services for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
Since the NRC recovers approximately 90 percent of its budget from licensee fees, which are sent directly to the U.S. Treasury, the resulting net appropriation request is $161 million.
The budget briefing slides and the Congressional Budget Justification will be available on the NRC website. (Due to the period of lapsed appropriations earlier this year, the full budget will not be available until approximately March 18.)