United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20555

Phone 301-415-8200 Fax 301-415-2234

Internet:opa@nrc.gov

No. 98-45 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Wednesday, April 1, 1998)

NRC PROPOSES TO AMEND LICENSING, INSPECTION AND ANNUAL FEES

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to amend its licensing,

inspection and annual fees.

The proposed amendments implement the requirements of the Omnibus Budget

Reconciliation Act of 1990 which mandates that the NRC recover approximately 100

percent of its budget authority -- less appropriations from the Nuclear Waste Fund -- in

fiscal years 1990 through 1998 by assessing fees.

The Commission’s budget authority for fiscal year 1998 is $472.8 million, of

which $15 million has been appropriated from the Nuclear Waste Fund. In addition, $3

million has been appropriated for NRC’s activities related to commercial vitrification of

waste stored at the Department of Energy’s Hanford, Washington, site and the pilot

program for the external regulation of the Department of Energy. Funding for these

activities is excluded from license fee revenues by law. This leaves a budget of

approximately $454.8 million which NRC must collect in fees. The total amount to be

recovered is approximately $6.4 million less than that recovered the previous fiscal

year.

The number of licensees paying annual fees has decreased. The Zion nuclear

power station, in Illinois, ceased operating this year, while the Haddam Neck (

Connecticut), Maine Yankee, (Maine), and Big Rock Point (Michigan), plants all ceased

operating last year.

As a result of the decrease in both the budget and the number of licensees, the

proposed fiscal year 1998 annual fees are about the same as those for fiscal year

1997. Fees for fiscal year 1998 increase by about 0.1 percent.

The 1998 annual fees are:

-- $2,980,000 for power reactor licensees, from $2,978,000 in fiscal year 1997;

-- $57,300 for nonpower (research and test) reactor licensees, from approximately the

same amount in fiscal year 1997;
-- $2,607,000 for high-enriched uranium fuel facility licensees, from $2,606,000 in fiscal

year 1997;

-- $1,280,000 for low-enriched fuel fabrication facility licensees which manufacture fuel

for nuclear power plants, from $1,279,000 in fiscal year 1997;

The amounts from fiscal year 1997 remain largely unchanged for radiographers

and broad scope medical licensees, who are charged $14,100 and $23,500,

respectively.

Other changes to the fee rule are proposed, including a decrease in hourly

inspection and licensing rates, adjustments in rates for license reviews, full cost

recovery for resident inspectors, and charges for overtime.

The NRC is also planning to examine the current annual fee exemption policy for

licensees undergoing decommissioning or holding possession-only licenses. Currently,

licensees decommissioning their facilities who store their spent fuel in a spent fuel pool

are not assessed an annual fee. But licensees who store spent fuel in an independent

spent fuel storage installation, must pay such a fee. Any changes to this policy would

be included in the fee rule for the next fiscal year.

Written comments on the proposed amendments to Parts 170 and 171 of the

Commission’s regulations should be received by May 1. They should be addressed to

the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C., 20555-0001,

ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications staff. Comments may also be submitted via the

NRC’s electronic rulemaking website at http://www.nrc.gov. Select “rulemaking” from

the tool bar and then “new rulemaking website.”

The NRC will continue to mail the proposed rule to all licensees, but will no

longer mail them the final rule. The final rule will be available in the Federal Register,

and published on the internet at http://ruleforum.llnl.gov

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