[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8126-8128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3838]


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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 on the proposed changes and extension for three years beyond 
the current expiration of the Forms EIA-851, ``Domestic Uranium 
Production Report,'' and EIA-858, ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey.''

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DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 17, 2000. 
If you anticipate difficulty in submitting comments within that period, 
contact the person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Douglas Bonnar, Office of Coal, Nuclear, 
Electric and Alternate Fuels, EI-52, Forrestal Building, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585. Alternatively, Mr. Bonnar 
may be reached by phone at 202-426-1249, by e-mail to 
[email protected], or by FAX 202-426-1311.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments

I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 
U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the Department of Energy Organization Act (Pub. 
L. 95-91, 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the Energy Information 
Administration (EIA) to carry out a centralized, comprehensive, and 
unified energy information program. This program collects, evaluates, 
assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information on energy resource 
reserves, production, demand, technology, and related economic and 
statistical information. This information is used to assess the 
adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer term domestic 
demands.
    The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides 
the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to 
comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in 
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the EIA to prepare 
data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected, 
and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. 
Also, the EIA will later seek approval by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) of the collections under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.
    The EIA-851 collects data on uranium production at conventional 
mills and nonconventional plants (byproduct recovery and in-situ leach 
plants). The Form EIA-858 collects data on uranium raw materials 
activities (Schedule A) and uranium marketing activities (Schedule B). 
Data collected on these forms provide a comprehensive statistical 
characterization of the domestic uranium industry. Published data from 
these surveys are used by Congress, Federal and State agencies, the 
uranium and nuclear-electric industries, and the general public. 
Published data appear in the EIA publications, ``Uranium Industry 
Annual,'' and the ``Annual Energy Review.''

II. Current Actions

    This action is an extension with minor changes proposed to the 
existing collections. In keeping with its mandated responsibilities, 
EIA proposes to extend the information collection aspects of EIA-851, 
``Domestic Uranium Production Report,'' and EIA-858, ``Uranium Industry 
Annual Survey'' for three years from the currently approved OMB 
expiration date (10/31/2000).
    Proposed change in the EIA-858 Schedule B and Instructions: Replace 
``Utilities'' with ``Owners or Operators of Civilian Nuclear Power 
Reactors,'' in Item 2 ``Enrichment Services Purchases by Utilities;'' 
Item 4 ``Utility Uranium Inventory Policy;'' and Item 5 ``Uranium Used 
in Fuel Assemblies in the Survey Year (Utilities Only)'' because of 
recent civilian nuclear reactor ownership by nonutility power 
producers.
    Recommended change to the EIA-858 computer processing system: 
Transfer the EIA-858 form from DOS-based to Windows-based program and/
or consider an optional collection of data through the Internet.
    Recommended changes in the EIA-858 Schedule B and Instructions:
    (1) Change the country codes to be consistent with the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission in Item 1E ``Country Codes.''
    (2) Delete the market-related ``no floor'' and ``floor'' pricing 
mechanisms from Item 1F ``Uranium Deliveries,'' columns 10-11 of 
``Pricing Mechanisms.''
    (3) Have less than the seven different uranium inventory types in 
Item 3 ``Uranium Inventories.''

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 comments. Please indicate to 
which form(s) your comments apply.

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 be made 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 need clarification?
    B. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
    C. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average 3 hours per response on Form EIA-851 and 25 hours per response 
on Form EIA-858. The estimated burden includes the total time, effort, 
or financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose 
and provide the information. Please comment on the accuracy of the 
estimate.
    D. The agency estimates that the only costs to the respondents are 
for the time it will take them to complete the collection. Please 
comment if respondents will incur start-up costs for reporting, or any 
recurring annual costs for operation, maintenance, and purchase of 
services associated with the information collection.
    E. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of 
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    F. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar 
information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the 
methods of collection.

As a Potential User

    A. Is the information useful at the levels of detail indicated on 
the form?
    B. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
    C. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they 
useful? If so, what are their weaknesses 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. No. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).


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    Issued in Washington, DC., February 10, 2000.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-3838 Filed 2-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P