Final Supporting Statement_3150-0228 REV 2

FINAL SUPPORTING STATEMENT

FOR

VOLUNTARY REPORTING OF PLANNED

NEW REACTOR APPLICATIONS

(3150-0228)

EXTENSION

Description of the Information Collection

This voluntary information collection assists the NRC in determining resource and budget needs as well as aligning the proper allocation and utilization of resources to support applicant submittals, future construction-related activities, and other anticipated 10 CFR Part 50 and/or Part 52 licensing and design certification rulemaking actions. In addition, information provided to NRC staff is intended to promote early communications between the NRC and the respective addressees about potential 10 CFR Part 50 and/or Part 52 licensing actions and related activities, submission dates, and plans for construction and inspection activities. This information collection facilitates more effective and efficient planning, scheduling, and allocation of NRC resources so that activities and reviews for both applicants and licensees are implemented and conducted in a manner that is altogether timely, consistent, and respective of scope, schedule, and budget constraints.

Annually, the NRC issues a Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) requesting potential respondents submit the needed information. The RIS provides guidance on how potential respondents can provide the requested information.

1. JUSTIFICATION

1. Need For and Practical Utility of the Collection of Information¹

The NRC is developing pre-application, licensing, and project plans for all new reactor licensing and design certification applications, to include those applications and activities relating to the advanced reactor program. The status of a variety of design-related activities for both large light water reactors and small modular reactors are factored into this justification. To support this resource and budget planning effort, the NRC is seeking voluntary responses from all holders of, and applicants or potential applicants for, an early site permit (ESP), limited work authorization (LWA), standard design certification (DC), or combined license (COL) for construction and operation of a nuclear power plant requests (under the provisions of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants),” as well as all holders of, and applicants or potential applicants for, a power reactor construction permit (CP) referencing a Small Modular Reactor (SMR)² design under 10 CFR Part 50, “Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities.”

This voluntary collection applies to new or updated information on schedules for submitting a CP, ESP, an amendment to, or transfer of, an ESP, a COL, a DC, amendments to a DC, a DC renewal, LWA, standard design approval (SDA), and manufacturing license (ML) applications. In addition, NRC staff is seeking notification on the number and the degree of complexity of ESP, LWA, DC, and COL applications, and any other licensing requests that applicants or potential applicants expect to submit in fiscal years (FYs) 2018 through 2020. The information collected helps facilitate more effective and efficient planning, scheduling, and allocation of NRC resources so that activities and reviews for both applicants and licensees are implemented and conducted in a manner that is altogether timely, consistent, and respective of scope, schedule, and budget constraints.

2. Agency Use of Information

This information assists the NRC in determining resource requirements, aids in optimizing resource allocations, as well as informing future budget needs with respect to the aforementioned submittals, future construction-related activities, and other anticipated 10 CFR Part 50 and/or Part 52 licensing and design certification rulemaking actions. As well, this information is intended to promote early communications between the NRC and addressees about potential 10 CFR Part 50 and/or Part 52 licensing actions and related activities, submission dates, and plans for construction and inspection activities. It is also the intended goal of these communications to assist NRC staff more effectively and efficiently plan, schedule, coordinate, and implement, activities and complete reviews in a timely manner.

3. Reduction of Burden Through Information Technology

There are no legal obstacles to reducing the burden associated with this information collection. The NRC encourages respondents to use information technology when it would be beneficial to them. The NRC has issued Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC which provides direction for the electronic transmission and submittal of documents to the NRC. Electronic transmission and submittal of documents can be accomplished via the following avenues: the Electronic Information Exchange (EIE) process, which is available from the NRC's “Electronic Submittals” Web page, by Optical Storage Media (OSM) (e.g. CD-ROM, DVD), by facsimile or by e-mail. It is estimated that approximately 80% of the potential responses are filed electronically.

4. Effort to Identify Duplication and Use Similar Information

No sources of similar information are available. There is no duplication of requirements.

5. Effort to Reduce Small Business Burden

Not Applicable.

6. Consequences to Federal Program or Policy Activities if the Collection Is Not Conducted or Is Conducted Less Frequently

Applicants, licensees, and potential applicants report this information on a strictly voluntary basis. This information, in turn, aids NRC staff in determining resource and budget needs to support various activities and reviews so that NRC staff is able to maximize and best utilize existing budget and staff resources as well as plan effectively for future resource and budget needs, coordinate activities, and facilitate more efficient reviews.

If such information is not collected, the potential to assess the need for various resources and support capabilities, as well as enable NRC staff to efficiently and effectively plan and prepare budgets, align resources, remedy potential skill gaps, and prepare for incoming review and inspection activities, can be significantly impeded. This has the potential to result in significant program and project scope creep, schedule slip, and budget overruns that adversely affect the mission readiness of NRC staff as well as the objectives of potential new applicants, current applicants, and current licensees.

7. Circumstances Which Justify Variation from OMB Guidelines

Not Applicable.

8. Consultations Outside the NRC

Opportunity for public comment on the information collection requirements for this clearance package as published In the Federal Register on November 27, 2017 (82 FR 56059) no comments were received. The NRC also reached out to the Nuclear Energy Institute and did not receive any comments.

9. Payment or Gift to Respondents

Not Applicable.

10. Confidentiality of Information

Confidential and proprietary information is protected in accordance with NRC regulations at 10 CFR 9.17(a) and 10 CFR 2.390(b).

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

No sensitive information is requested.

12. Estimated Burden and Burden Hour Cost

The NRC staff estimates that both applicants and licensees will submit approximately 5 responses to this annual voluntary information collection, and that each submittal will require approximately 60 hours on average to prepare and submit. The total licensee and applicant burden for this voluntary information collection is 300 hours at a cost of $78,900 (60 hours x 5 responses =300; 300 hours x $263/hr.).

The 60-day (82 FR 56059) and the 30-day (83 FR 15644) Federal Register Notices were issued with a burden of 12 hours per submittal. The burden per submittal was increased to 60 hours at the request of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget. Sixty hours per submittal was the burden in the previous request.

13. Estimate of Other Additional Costs

There are no additional costs.

14. Estimated Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

The annual cost to the NRC including staff hours and contractual support:

Staff hours = 60 hours per year @ $263/hr. = $15,780

Contractual Support = $0 per year

TOTAL COST = $15,780

15. Reasons for Change in Burden or Cost

There has been a decrease in the cost of the hourly rate from $274/hr. to $263/hr.

16. Publication for Statistical Use

This information is not published for statistical use.

17. Reason for Not Displaying the Expiration Date

The requirement will be contained in a regulation. Amending the Code of Federal Regulations to display information that, in an annual publication, could become obsolete would be unduly burdensome and too difficult to keep current.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement

None.

2. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

Statistical methods are not used in this collection of information.

TABLE 1

ANNUALIZED REPORTING BURDEN (Voluntary)

Section	No. Of Respondents	Responses per Respondent	Total No. of Responses	Burden Hours per Response	Total Annual Reporting Burden (Hrs)
Voluntary Response to Annual Regulatory Issue Summary request for information	5	1	5	60	300
	5		5		300

TOTAL BURDEN HOURS: 300 hours (300 hours reporting + 0 hours third party notification + 0 hours recordkeeping)

TOTAL BURDEN HOUR COST: $78,900 (300 hrs x $263/hr)

ANNUAL RESPONDENTS: 5 respondents (none required)

RESPONSES: 5 responses (5 RIS responses + 0 third party responses + 0 record keepers)

1 AEA sec. 161c., which authorizes the Commission to “make such studies and investigations, obtain such information, and hold such meetings or hearings as the Commission may deem necessary or proper to assist it in exercising any authority provided in this Act, or in the administration or enforcement of this Act, or any regulations or orders issued thereunder.”

2 SMRs are defined using the International Atomic Energy Agency definition of small- and medium-sized reactors with an electrical output of less than 700 megawatts.

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