[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 91 (Friday, May 10, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27373-27374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11154]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Proposed Agency Information Collection

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice and Request for OMB review and comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on a 
proposed collection of information that DOE is developing for 
submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This proposed collection would be for 
use of the American Assured Fuel Supply (AFS). DOE created the AFS, a 
reserve of low enriched uranium (LEU) to serve as a backup fuel supply 
for foreign recipients (to be supplied through U.S. persons) or for 
domestic recipients in the event of a fuel supply disruption. DOE 
published a Notice of Availability for the AFS on August 18, 2011. DOE 
now needs to publish an application form to clarify the information 
that must be provided in a request to access the material in the AFS, 
as set forth in the Notice of Availability. 76 FR 51357, 51358. This 
application form is necessary in order for DOE to identify if 
applicants meet basic requirements for use of the AFS and implement 
this important nonproliferation initiative.

DATES: Comments regarding this collection must be received on or before 
June 10, 2013. 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, please advise the DOE Desk Officer at OMB of your 
intention to make a submission as soon as possible. The Desk Officer 
may be telephoned at 202-395-4718 or contacted by email at [email protected].

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the

DOE Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office 
of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10102, 
735 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503.

    And to

Richard Goorevich, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Nonproliferation 
and International Security, National Nuclear Security Administration, 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20585, 
Tel: 202-586-0589, Fax: 202-586-1348.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Goorevich, Senior Policy 
Advisor, Office of Nonproliferation and International Security, 
National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20585, Tel: 202-586-0589, Fax: 
202-586-1348.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains: (1) OMB No. {``New''{time} ; (2) Information Collection 
Request Title: The American Assured Fuel Supply Program; (3) Type of 
Request: New; (4) Purpose: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created 
the American Assured Fuel Supply (AFS), a reserve of low enriched 
uranium (LEU) to serve as a backup fuel supply for foreign recipients 
(to be supplied through U.S. persons) or for domestic recipients in the 
event of a fuel supply disruption. DOE is committed to making the AFS 
available to eligible recipients in the case of supply disruptions in 
the nuclear fuel market. This effort supports the United States 
Government's nuclear nonproliferation objectives by supporting civilian 
nuclear energy development while minimizing proliferation risks. DOE 
published a Notice of Availability for the AFS on August 18, 2011. DOE 
now needs to publish an application form to clarify the information 
that must be provided in a request to access the material in the AFS, 
as set forth in the Notice of Availability. 76 FR 51357, 51358. This 
application form is necessary in order for DOE to identify if 
applicants meet basic requirements for use of the AFS and implement 
this important nonproliferation initiative; (5) Annual Estimated Number 
of Respondents: 10; (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 1; 
(7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 8; (8) Annual Estimated 
Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $1,600.
    Statutory Authority: The Secretary of Energy is authorized pursuant 
to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (Pub. L. 83-703, 42 U.S.C. 
2011 et seq.) and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 (NNPA) 
(Pub. L. 95-242, 22 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.), which encourage the 
widespread use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes and authorize the 
Secretary to enter into and distribute nuclear material in cooperation 
with other nations where appropriate safeguard measures are in place to 
ensure the material is properly controlled and used for peaceful 
purposes. In 2005, DOE set aside a portion of its LEU inventory to be 
used to support the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 
International Nuclear Fuel Bank (INFB) initiative, which is envisioned 
as an LEU reserve that will be administered by the IAEA and that will 
serve as a back-up for global supply disruptions. Congress later 
appropriated $49,540,000 in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 
(Pub. L. 110-161) to fund a portion of the INFB. Congress, in the 
Explanatory Statement accompanying the House Appropriations Committee 
Print (which in this Act was given the same effect as a joint 
explanatory statement), noted that the INFB freed up DOE's LEU set-
aside, and recommended DOE also ``allow U.S. interests to purchase 
uranium fuel from the Reliable Fuel Supply [now the AFS] in the event 
of supply disruption.'' (H. Approp. Cmte. Print at 592.)
    The sale of LEU from the AFS will be conducted consistent with 
applicable law, the policies and guidance in the ``Secretary of 
Energy's 2008 Policy Statement on Management of Department of Energy's 
Excess Uranium Inventory'' (March 11, 2008), and the DOE Excess Uranium 
Inventory Management Plan.


[[Page 27374]]


    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2013.
Anne Harrington,
Principal Deputy Administrator, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, 
National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2013-11154 Filed 5-9-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P