[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 83 (Monday, May 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25586-25587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6529]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

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

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SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on the proposed changes and 
three-year extension to the Form EIA-851A, ``Domestic Uranium 
Production Report (Annual),'' Form EIA-851Q, ``Domestic Uranium 
Production Report (Quarterly),'' and Form EIA-858, ``Uranium Marketing 
Annual Survey.''

DATES: Comments must be filed by June 30, 2006. 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. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date, submission by FAX (202-287-1944) or e-mail 
([email protected]) is recommended. The mailing address is 
U.S. Department of Energy, EI-52, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department 
of Energy, telephone at (202-287-1911).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms 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 DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, 42 
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the 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) under Section 3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.
    Form EIA-851A collects data on uranium milling and processing, 
uranium feed sources, employment, drilling, expenditures (for drilling, 
production, and land/other), and uranium mining. Currently, the 
reporting burden is estimated to average 2 hours per response. The data 
are used by public and private analysts and policy makers to monitor 
the domestic uranium mining and milling industry. Form EIA-851A is 
completed by uranium producers and firms with uranium exploration, 
drilling, mining, and reclamation activities in the U.S. (that is, 
within the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin 
Islands, Guam, and other U.S. possessions) during the survey year. 
Published data appear on the EIA Web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/dupr/dupr.html.
    Form EIA-851Q collects data on monthly uranium production and 
sources (mines and other). Currently, the reporting burden is estimated 
to average 0.75 hours per response. The data are used by public and 
private analysts, the Department of Commerce's International Trade 
Administration and policy makers to monitor the domestic uranium mining 
industry. U.S. uranium producers report on the EIA-851Q. Published data 
appear in the EIA Web site on http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/dupr/qupd.html.
    Form EIA-858 collects data on contracts, deliveries (during the 
report year and projected for the next ten years), enrichment services 
purchased, inventories, use in fuel assemblies, feed deliveries to 
enrichers (during the report year and projected for the next ten 
years), and unfilled market requirements for the next ten years. 
Currently, the reporting burden is estimated to average 14 hours per 
response. The data are used by public and private analysts and policy 
makers to monitor the domestic uranium market. Form EIA-858 is 
completed by uranium suppliers and owners and operators of U.S. 
civilian nuclear power reactors firms and individuals that were 
involved in the U.S. uranium industry (that is, within the 50 States, 
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and other 
U.S. possessions) during the survey year. Published data appear in the 
EIA Web site on http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/umar/umar.html.

II. Current Actions

    EIA will be requesting a three-year extension of approval to its 3 
uranium surveys with the following 2 survey changes.
    Form EIA-851A ``Domestic Uranium Production Report (Annual)'': EIA 
proposes slightly increasing the collection of details related to four 
of the seven current data items, (Item 1: Facility Information; Item 2: 
Milling and Processing; Item 3: Feed Source; Item 4: Mine Production; 
Item 5: Employment; Item 6: Drilling; and Item 7: Expenditures.) The 
annual burden associated with the collection of this additional detail 
would be increased by 1 hour for an estimated average 3 hours per 
response.
    Specifically, EIA proposes the additional detail of mine production 
by mine name, by type, by capacity, by State, and by owner in Item 4; 
employment by State in Item 5; by exploration drilling and by 
development drilling in Item 6; and land, exploration, and reclamation 
expenditures in Item 7. These details were not collected previously 
because of the small U.S. production industry, and this increase in 
burden is minimal. Items 1 through 3 will not collect additional detail 
information.
    Form EIA-858 ``Uranium Marketing Annual Survey'': EIA proposes 
collecting one new data price (Average-Price per Separative Work Unit 
(SWU)) in Item 2: Enrichment Services Purchased by Owners and Operators 
of Civilian Nuclear Power Reactors. The annual burden would be 
increased by 1 hour for an estimated average 15 hours per response.
    The term ``SWU'' stands for ``Separative Work Unit''. It is a 
measure of the amount of work (energy) that is required to separate raw 
uranium into two components--a valuable component (U235) and a waste 
component (U238). Generally speaking, the more SWUs that are expended 
in the separation process, the greater the degree of efficiency of 
separation; and the less valuable material (U235) that is lost in the 
U238 waste stream. However, the energy that goes into separating 
uranium has a cost associated with it.
    EIA already collects information on raw uranium price and 
quantities purchased. However, this provides only a partial picture of 
the market. EIA now proposes to collect average SWU price data from 
nuclear electric utilities on an

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annual basis because this information is critical to understanding the 
overall dynamics and underlying fundamentals of the current nuclear 
fuels market and utility choices.

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 to the Request for Information

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be 
collected?
    B. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions need clarification?
    C. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
    D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average 3 hours per response for Form EIA-851A, 0.75 hours per response 
for Form EIA-851Q, and 15 hours per response for Form EIA-858. The 
estimated burden includes the total time necessary to provide the 
requested information. In your opinion, how accurate is this estimate?
    E. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for 
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent 
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs 
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with 
the information collection?
    F. 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.
    G. 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 of the Information To Be Collected

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information 
disseminated?
    B. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be 
collected?
    C. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
    D. 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 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

    Issued in Washington, DC, April 19, 2006. .
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-6529 Filed 4-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P