FINAL SUPPORTING STATEMENT 3150-0131 Form 536_FinalRev

FINAL SUPPORTING STATEMENT

FOR

NRC FORM 536, “OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION DATA”

(3150-0131)

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EXTENSION

Description of the Information Collection

The NRC annually requests all commercial power reactor licensees and applicants for an operating license to voluntarily send to the NRC: (1) their projected number of candidates for operator licensing initial examinations, (2) the estimated dates of the examinations, and
(3) information on whether the examinations will be facility developed or NRC developed. NRC uses an official form, NRC Form 536, for the voluntary reporting of this operator licensing examination data.

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Need for and Practical Utility of the Collection of Information

The Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 50.54, requires that all manipulations of controls of any facility be performed only by a licensed reactor operator, licensed senior reactor operator or a trainee under the direct supervision of a licensed reactor operator or a licensed senior reactor operator. The licensing of reactor operators or senior reactor operators is performed by the NRC in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55. In order to meet the needs of the nuclear industry for licensed reactor operators and senior reactor operators, NRC requests all commercial power facilities to submit their projected (estimated) number of candidates for reactor operator and senior reactor operator examinations, the proposed date for examinations for the next calendar year and each of three successive calendar years.

2. Agency Use of Information

This information is used by the NRC to plan budgets and resources in regard to operator examination development and scheduling to meet the needs of the nuclear industry.

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. NRC issued a regulation on October 10, 2003 (68 FR 58791), consistent with the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, which allows its licensees, vendors, applicants, and members of the public the option to make submissions electronically via CD-ROM, e-mail, and the special Web-based interface, or other means. It is estimated that approximately 90 percent of the potential responses are filed electronically through the NRC’s Electronic Information Exchange (EIE).

1. 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

The information collection affects only licensees of nuclear power plants. These licensees do not fall within the scope of the definition of “small entities” as given in the Regulatory Flexibility Act or the Small Business Size Standards in regulations issued by the Small Business Administration at 13 CFR Part 121.

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

This information must be collected and reviewed annually in order to accurately forecast examination needs.

7. Circumstances which Justify Variation from OMB Guidelines

This information collection does not vary from OMB guidelines.

8. Consultations Outside the NRC

Opportunity for public comment on the information collection requirements for this clearance package was published in the Federal Register on March 15, 2017, (82 FR 13874). Additionally, we contacted via email reactor owner/operator licensees from Duke Energy Power Company; Entergy Nuclear Operations; Energy Northwest; Exelon Generation Company; PSEG Nuclear and South Carolina Electric & Gas Company. No comments were received.

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). However, no information normally considered confidential or proprietary is requested.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

This information collection does not involve sensitive or private information.

12. Estimated Annualized Industry Burden and Burden Hour Cost

Approximately 95 (based on possible decommissioning) licensed to operate facility units and 5 combined licensed facilities will voluntarily submit their projected (estimated) number of candidates for reactor operator and senior reactor operator examinations during this clearance extension period. After analysis by the NRC staff, the request for estimates related to the Generic Fundamentals Examination (GFE) has been deleted because they do not affect the operator licensing budget and examination scheduling. It is estimated that each respondent will submit one NRC Form 536 annually for a potential total of 100 responses (1 x 100 = 100).  The estimated annual burden per facility is 0.75 hour (45 minutes) per request.  This is based on previous submittals of NRC Form 536 by licensees and the deletion of the estimates for the General Fundamentals Examinations (GFEs).  The total annual industry burden is estimated to be 75 hours (0.75 hour x 100 potential respondents). 

The estimated annual cost to the facilities to respond to the collection is $19,875.00 (0.75 hour x 100 potential respondents x $265/hour).

13. Estimate of Other Additional Costs

There are no additional costs.

14. Estimated Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

Approximately 0.75 hour per respondent is spent by NRC personnel. The information gathered by NRC Form 536 is reduced to a standardized format and then used for planning budgets and resources for NRC operator licensing functions. The estimated annual cost to the Federal government in connection with NRC Form 536 is $19,875.00 (.75 hour x 100 potential respondents x $265/hour).

15. Reasons for Change in Burden or Cost

The burden hours decreased from 1 hour to 0.75 hour as a result of the deletion of the previously required estimates for the GFE. The respondents change from 105 to 100 due to decommissioning of 5 power reactor facilities since 2014. The cost burden decreased because of the decrease in fee rate from $272 to $265.

16. Publication for Statistical Use

This information is not published for statistical use.

17. Reasons for Not Displaying the Expiration Date

The expiration date is displayed.

18. Exceptions to the Certification Statement

None.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

Statistical methods are not used in this information collection.