Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 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: DOE/NRC Form 741, Nuclear Material Transaction Report; DOE/NRC Form 740M, Concise Note; and NUREG/BR-0006, Instructions for Completing Nuclear Material Transaction Reports (DOE/NRC Forms 741 and 740M).

2. Current OMB approval number: DOE/NRC Form 741: 3150-0003 and DOE/NRC Form 740M: 3150-0057.

3. How often the collection is required: DOE/NRC Form 741: As occasioned by special nuclear material or source material transfers, receipts, or inventory changes that meet certain criteria. Licensees range from not submitting any forms to submitting over 5,000 forms annually.

DOE/NRC Form 740M: As necessary to inform the U.S. or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of any qualifying statement or exception to any of the data contained in any of the other reporting forms required under the US/IAEA Safeguards Agreement. On average, 15 licensees submit about 10 forms each per year—150 forms annually.

4. Who is required or asked to report: Persons licensed to possess specified quantities of special nuclear material or source material, and licensees of facilities on the U.S. eligible list who have been notified in writing by the Commission that they are subject to Part 75.

5. The estimate of the number of annual respondents: DOE/NRC Form 741: 400. DOE/NRC Form 740M: 15.

6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: DOE/NRC Form 741: 45,813 hours for NRC and Agreement State licensees (or an average of 1.25 hours per response); DOE/NRC Form 740M: 113 hours (or an average of .75 hours per response).

7. Abstract: NRC and Agreement State licensees are required to make inventory and accounting reports on DOE/NRC Form 741 for certain source or special nuclear material, or for transfer or receipt of 1 kilogram or more of source material. Licensees affected by Part 75 and related sections of Parts 40, 50, 70, and 150 are required to submit DOE/NRC Form 740M to inform the U.S. or the IAEA of any qualifying statement or exception to any of the data contained in any of the other reporting forms required under the US/IAEA Safeguards Agreement. The use of Forms 740M and 741, together with NUREG/BR-0006 Revision 6, the instructions for completing the forms, enables NRC to collect, retrieve, analyze as necessary, and submit the data to IAEA to fulfill its reporting responsibilities.

Submit, by January 31, 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 (T-5 F52), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7233, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV.