[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 79 (Friday, April 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20388-20389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10938]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection; 
comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed revision, and extension of the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) expiration date of the form RW-859, 
``Nuclear Fuel Data Survey'', and the termination of RW-859S ``Nuclear 
Fuel Data Supplement''.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted within 60 days of the 
publication of this notice. 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 Jim Finucane, Office of Coal, Nuclear, 
Electric and Alternate Fuels, EI-52, Forrestal Building, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585-0650, telephone: (202) 426-
1960, e-mail: [email protected], and fax (202)-426-1280.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the form and instructions should be directed to Jim Finucane 
at the address listed above.

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. 93-275) and the Department of 
Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91), the Energy Information 
Administration (EIA) is obliged to carry out a central, comprehensive, 
and unified energy data and information program. As part of this

[[Page 20389]]

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 EIA, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden required by section 3506(c)(2)(A)g of 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 prepare data requests in the 
desired format, minimize reporting burden, develop clearly 
understandable reporting forms, and assess the impact of collection 
requirements on respondents. Also, EIA will later seek approval by OMB 
for the collections under sections 3507(g) and (h) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, title 44, U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    This data collection will provide the Office of Civilian 
Radioactive Waste Management of the Department of Energy (DOE) with 
detailed information concerning the spent nuclear fuel generated by the 
respondents (all generators of spent nuclear fuel within the U.S. are 
respondents to this survey). The DOE will take possession of this spent 
fuel and needs this data to properly design the spent fuel repository 
(spent fuel receiving systems, spent fuel handling systems, etc.) which 
will be the final storage/disposal site for all of the spent fuel and 
high level radioactive waste materials.

II. Current Actions

    The current proposed actions are: (1) An extension of an existing 
data collection, RW-859, with a change in the frequency of its 
collection, and (2) the termination of a second data collection, RW-
859S. A three-year extension of the data collection, RW-859, is 
proposed. The revisions of RW-859 affect the frequency of the 
collection. Instead of occurring every year, the collection will occur 
every three to five years. The RW-859S, which was collected every five 
years, will be terminated and four data items from that form will be 
collected by RW-859. Such data items include information on each 
discharged assembly, canistered materials, uncanistered materials, and 
non-fuel components. As before, all data will be collected once; only 
changes in the specific data element will require updating. This 
revision will also permit the data elements to be collected to be 
streamlined. Specifically, all of the data which is needed on an 
assembly specific basis will be collected at one time; thereafter 
referring this data by reference to the assembly serial number. In 
addition, the certification statement, the crane data, the site data, 
the transportation data, and the request for data on fresh fuel in core 
will be eliminated.

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.

General Issues

    A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the 
information have practical utility? Practical utility is defined as 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 by the due date?
    C. Public reporting burden for Form RW-859 is estimated to average 
40 hours per response. Burden includes the total time, effort, or 
financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose 
or provide 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 information technology.
    D. EIA estimates that respondents will incur no additional costs 
for reporting other than the hours required to complete the collection. 
What is the estimated: (1) Total dollar amount annualized for capital 
and start-up costs, and (2) recurring annual costs of operation and 
maintenance, and purchase of services associated with this data 
collection?
    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 form?
    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?
    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. 104-13) title 44, U.S.C. Chapter 35).

    Issued in Washington, DC April 17, 1998.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-10938 Filed 4-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P