Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY:

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION:

Notice of the OMB review of information collection and solicitation of public comment.

SUMMARY:

The NRC has recently submitted to OMB for review the following proposal for the collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

1. Type of submission, new, revision, or extension: Extension.

2. The title of the information collection: NRC Form 327, Special Nuclear Material (SNM) and Source Material (SM) Physical Inventory Summary Report, and NUREG/BR-0096, Instructions and Guidance for Completing Physical Inventory Summary Reports.

3. The form number if applicable: NRC Form 327.

4. How often the collection is required: The frequency of reporting corresponds to the frequency of required inventories, which depends essentially on the strategic significance of the SNM covered by the particular license. Certain licensees possessing strategic SNM are required to report inventories every 2 months. Licensees possessing SNM of moderate strategic significance must report every 6 months. Licensees possessing SNM of low strategic significance must report annually.

5. Who will be required or asked to report: Fuel facility licensees possessing special nuclear material.

6. An estimate of the number of annual responses: 23.

7. The estimated number of annual respondents: 10.

8. An estimate of the total number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 98 hours (an average of approximately 4.25 hours per response for 23 responses).

9. An indication of whether Section 3507(d), Pub. L. 104-13 applies: Not applicable.

10. Abstract: NRC Form 327 is submitted by fuel facility licensees to account for special nuclear material. The data is used by NRC to assess licensee material control and accounting programs and to confirm the absence of (or detect the occurrence of) special nuclear material theft or diversion. NUREG/BR-0096 provides specific guidance and instructions for completing the form in accordance with the requirements appropriate for a particular licensee.

A copy of the final 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 should be directed to the OMB reviewer listed below by October 1, 2004. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received after this date. OMB Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (3150-0139), NEOB-10202, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.

Comments can also be submitted by telephone at (202) 395-3087.

The NRC Clearance Officer is Brenda Jo. Shelton, 301-415-7233.