3150-0235 2020 Final Supporting Statement RTR Exam Data

FINAL SUPPORTING STATEMENT

FOR

SOLICITATION OF NON-POWER OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION DATA

(3150-0235)

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EXTENSION

Description of the Information Collection

Personnel who operate a non-power reactor are required to have either a reactor operator or a senior operator license issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). To ensure that they have the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to control the reactor during both routine evolutions and emergencies, the NRC prepares and administers both a comprehensive written examination and a hands-on operating test to all candidates for a new reactor operator or senior operator license.

The NRC annually requests that all non-power reactor licensees and applicants for an operating license to voluntarily provide information on:

1. the number of operator licensing examinations the licensee will ask the NRC to prepare during the fiscal year,

2. the proposed primary and alternate dates for the examinations, and

3. the number of reactor operator and senior reactor operator applicants to be tested for each requested examination.

NRC staff sends an e-mail soliciting the data and receives e-mail responses from licensees and applicants.

A. JUSTIFICATION

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

Title 10 of 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 non-power reactor licensees for licensed reactor operators and senior reactor operators, NRC requests all non-power facilities to submit their projected (estimated) number of candidates for reactor operator and senior reactor operator examinations and their the proposed date(s) for examinations for the next fiscal year.

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 non‑power reactor licenses. Per 10 CFR 55.40 (d), the NRC prepares (writes), proctors (administers) the written examinations and operating tests, and grades the written examinations for all non-power reactor licensees.

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 process, which is available from the NRC's “Electronic Submittals” Web page, by Optical Storage Media (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD), by facsimile or by e-mail. It is estimated that approximately 100 percent of the responses will be filed electronically.

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

This information collection does not affect any small businesses.

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 for that year.

7. Circumstances which Justify Variation from the Office of Management and Budget (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 September 11, 2020 (85 FR 56278). Additionally, NRC staff contacted five stakeholders via email. The stakeholders were research and test reactor licensee representatives from Dow Corporation, General Electric Company, University of New Mexico, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Washington State University. The NRC received one out-of-scope comment as a result of the FRN.

No additional responses or comments were received as a result of the FRN or the staff’s direct solicitation of comment.

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

Not applicable.

12. Estimated Annualized Industry Burden and Burden Hour Cost

There are currently 31 licensed non-power reactor facilities. Each facility will receive an annual e-mail from NRC staff requesting information on the number of projected candidates for reactor operator and senior reactor operator examinations and the projected dates for these examinations. NRC staff estimates that each facility will provide one response annually, and that each response will take 1 hour, for a total burden of 31 hours (31 responses x 1 hour per response = 31 hours) at a cost of $8,618 ($278/hr x 31 hours = $8,618)

The $278 hourly rate used in the burden estimates is based on the NRC’s fee for hourly rates as noted in 10 CFR 170.20 “Average cost per professional staff-hour.”  For more information on the basis of this rate, see the Revision of Fee Schedules; Fee Recovery for Fiscal Year 2019 (84 FR 22331, May 17, 2019). 

13. Estimate of Other Additional Costs

There are no additional costs.

14. Estimated Annualized Cost to the Federal Government

Approximately 0.25 hour per respondent is spent by NRC personnel. The information gathered from the e-mail responses 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 this information collection is $2,155 (31 x .25 hours x $278/hour).

15. Reasons for Change in Burden or Cost

There is no change in the burden. The hourly rate has changed from $265 to

$278 per hour. The number of respondents and responses are projected to remain constant for the next renewal cycle.

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.