95-18391. Proposed Agency Information Collection Under OMB Review  

  • [Federal Register Volume 60, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 2, 1995)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 39377-39378]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 95-18391]
    
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
    Energy Information Administration
    
    
    Proposed Agency Information Collection Under OMB Review
    
    AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy.
    
    ACTION: Notice of the Proposed Revision of Form RW-859, ``Nuclear Fuel 
    Data,'' Proposed New Form RW-859S, ``Nuclear Fuel Data Supplement,'' 
    and Solicitation of Comments.
    
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    SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
    comments concerning the proposed revision to the Form RW-859, ``Nuclear 
    Fuel Data,'' and proposed new survey Form RW-859S, ``Nuclear Fuel Data 
    Supplement.''
    
    DATES: Written comments must be submitted by October 2, 1995. If you 
    anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult 
    to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should 
    advise the contact listed below of your intention to do so as soon as 
    possible.
    
    ADDRESSES: Send comments to Ms. Kathy Gibbard, Program Manager, Form 
    RW-859 and RW-859S, U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information 
    Administration (EI-531), 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 
    20585, or via e-mail (internet) [email protected] FAX (202) 
    254-5765.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
    copies of the form and instructions should be directed to Ms. Gibbard 
    at the address listed above, telephone (202) 254-5559.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    
    I. Background
    II. Current Actions
    III. Request for Comments
    
    I. Background
    
        In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Energy 
    Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275) and the Department of 
    Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95-91), the Energy Information 
    Administration is obliged to carry out a central, comprehensive, and 
    unified energy data and information program. As part of this program, 
    EIA collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates data and 
    information related to energy resource reserves, production, demand, 
    and technology, and related economic and statistical information 
    relevant to the adequacy of energy resources to meet demands in the 
    near and longer term future for the Nation's economic and social needs.
        The Energy Information Administration, as part of its continuing 
    effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required by the 
    Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13)), conducts a presurvey 
    consultation program to provide the general public and other Federal 
    agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
    reporting forms. This program helps to ensure that requested data can 
    be provided in the desired format, reporting burden is minimized, 
    reporting forms are clearly understood, and the impact of collection 
    requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
        The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended (NWPA), 42 U.S.C. 
    10101 et seq., requires that the Secretary develop and implement 
    programs to dispose of spent nuclear fuel. The Office of Civilian 
    Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) uses the information from Form RW-
    859 to understand and explore the specific requirements of developing 
    and conducting programs to effectuate the purposes of the NWPA.
        The EIA administers the Form RW-859, ``Nuclear Fuel Data'', which 
    is used to collect data from owners of commercial nuclear power plants 
    and owners and caretakers of spent nuclear fuel. The Federal Energy 
    Administration Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) authorizes the EIA 
    to collect data. The current Form RW-859 collects data on every fuel 
    assembly discharged from domestic commercial nuclear reactors, 
    
    [[Page 39378]]
    spent fuel projected to be discharged, and spent fuel storage pool 
    inventories and capacities. The form has been approved through December 
    31, 1997. Major revisions to Form RW-859 necessitate that the proposed 
    form and new supplemental schedule be approved by the Office of 
    Management and Budget (OMB).
    II. Current Actions
    
        This notice is to solicit comments on proposed revisions to Form 
    RW-859 and corresponding instructions. The extension request to OMB 
    will be through December 31, 1998. The DOE is proposing to reduce the 
    content of the Form RW-859 survey to only collect data elements that 
    require annual update. Data that are not subject to annual revision 
    will be collected every five years on a new Form RW-859S supplementary 
    survey form. A summary of the proposed changes follows.
        The following items will no longer be collected on the survey:
         Capacity data other than licensed capacity and current 
    usable capacity
         Temporarily discharged fuel (all discharged fuel will now 
    be designated as permanently discharged) and changes in assembly status
         Cross-reference assembly identifiers including American 
    National Standard Institute (ANSI) identifier and fuel fabricator 
    assembly identifiers
         Data on reconstituted fuel.
        The following items will no longer be collected annually on the 
    Form RW-859 survey, but will be collected once every five years on the 
    Form RW-859S survey supplement:
         Dates not subject to annual revision (license renewal, 
    reactor retirement, etc.)
         Cask-handling data
         Specific data on canisters and their contents
         Nonfuel components data.
        The following items have been added to the annual Form RW-859 
    survey:
         Questions on quality assurance procedures and traceability
         Assembly-specific information on initial uranium content, 
    initial enrichment, and burnup
         Current cycle start date.
        The following will now be collected on the five-year Form RW-859S 
    supplement:
         Reactor information including type, nuclear steam system 
    supplier, design type, operational status, location, and rating
         Pool site configuration
         Crane data including capacity, limiting factors, 
    dimensions, and clearance
         Site specific access and configuration data for the 
    receiving/upending area, cask handling area, pool cask loading area, 
    and set-down platform area
         Transportation data including information on on-site 
    roads, rail, and barge
         Historical assembly-specific data not previously reported.
    
    III. Request for Comments
    
        Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
    on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are 
    provided to assist in the preparation of responses. Please indicate to 
    which form(s) your comments apply.
    
    General Issues
    
        EIA is interested in receiving comments from persons regarding:
        A. Whether the proposed collection(s) of information is necessary 
    for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
    whether the information will have practical utility. Practical utility 
    is the actual usefulness of information to or for an agency, taking 
    into account its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the 
    agency's ability to process the information it collects.
        B. What enhancements can EIA make to the quality, utility, and 
    clarity of the information to be collected?
    
    As a Potential Respondent
    
        A. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
    not, which instructions require clarification?
        B. Can data be submitted in accordance with the due date specified 
    in the instructions?
        C. Public reporting burden for the annual Form RW-859 data 
    collection is estimated to average 40 hours per response. Public 
    reporting burden for the five-year Form RW-859S supplement is estimated 
    to be 100 hours for the initial data collection and 20 hours for 
    subsequent data collections. Burden includes the total time, effort, or 
    financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose 
    or provide the information including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2) 
    developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems 
    for the purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, 
    maintaining, disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the 
    existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and 
    requirements; (4) training personnel to respond to a collection of 
    information; (5) searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing 
    the collection of information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise 
    disclosing the information.
        Please comment on (1) the accuracy of our estimate and (2) how the 
    agency could minimize the burden of the collection of information, 
    including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
    information technology.
        D. What is the estimated cost of completing these forms, including 
    the direct and indirect costs associated with the data collection? 
    Direct costs should include all costs, such as administrative costs, 
    directly attributable to providing this information.
        E. Do you know of any other Federal, State, or local agency that 
    collects similar data? If you do, specify the agency, the data 
    element(s), and the methods of collection.
    As a Potential User
    
        A. Can you use data at the levels of detail indicated on the forms?
        B. For what purpose would you use the data? Be specific.
        C. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? If so, 
    what are their deficiencies and/or strengths?
        D. For the most part, information is published by EIA in U.S. 
    customary units, e.g., cubic feet of natural gas, short tons of coal, 
    and barrels of oil. Would you prefer to see EIA publish more 
    information in metric units, e.g., cubic meters, metric tons, and 
    kilograms? If yes, please specify what information (e.g., coal 
    production, natural gas consumption, and crude oil imports), the metric 
    unit(s) of measurement preferred, and in which EIA publication(s) you 
    would like to see such information.
        Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
    and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form. They also 
    will become a matter of public record.
    
        Statutory Authority: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
    Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13).
    
        Issued in Washington, DC, July 20, 1995.
    John Gross,
    Acting Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information 
    Administration.
    [FR Doc. 95-18391 Filed 8-1-95; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
    
    

Document Information

Published:
08/02/1995
Department:
Energy Information Administration
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of the Proposed Revision of Form RW-859, ``Nuclear Fuel Data,'' Proposed New Form RW-859S, ``Nuclear Fuel Data Supplement,'' and Solicitation of Comments.
Document Number:
95-18391
Dates:
Written comments must be submitted by October 2, 1995. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contact listed below of your intention to do so as soon as possible.
Pages:
39377-39378 (2 pages)
PDF File:
95-18391.pdf