Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2011 / Notices 51357 

TABLE 2—NET BURDEN CHANGE—Continued 

2011–2012 2012–2013 Change % 

Change Burden disposition 

Total Applicants .................................... 23,611,500 24,705,864 +1,094,364 +4.63 Net decrease in burden. The increase

in applicants is offset by the results 

of the Department’s simplification 

changes. This has created an overall decrease in burden of 8.94% or 

2,881,475 hours. 

Total Applicant Burden ......................... 32,239,328 29,357,853 ¥2,881,475 ¥8.94 

Total Annual Responses ....................... 32,239,328 46,447,024 +14,207,696 +44.07 

Cost for All Applicants .......................... $159,370.20 $234,804.24 $75,434.04 +47.33 

The Department is proud that efforts 

to simplify the FAFSA submission 

process have resulted in a continued 

decrease in the burden associated with 

the application process, even as the 

Department serves more students each 

year. The results demonstrate the 

significant improvements that have been 

made to the application process. The 

Department believes that these changes 

will contribute to more students 

completing the FAFSA and will assist 

more students with their pursuit of 

postsecondary education. 

Request for Copies: Comments should 

be submitted to the Department as 

indicated. All comments will become a 

matter of public record. Requests for 

copies of the proposed information 

collection request may be accessed from 

http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the 

‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and 

by clicking on link number 4703. When 

you access the information collection, 

click on ‘‘Download Attachments’’ to 

view. Written requests for information 

should be addressed to U.S. Department 

of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, 

SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537. 

Requests may also be electronically 

mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed 

to 202–401–0920. Please specify the 

complete title of the information 

collection when making your request. 

Comments regarding burden and/or the 

collection activity requirements should 

be electronically mailed to 

ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Individuals who 

use a telecommunications device for the 

deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 

800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 

p.m. Eastern time, Monday through 

Friday. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20992 Filed 8–17–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Availability: American 

Assured Fuel Supply 

AGENCY: The U.S. Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) is creating 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 

DOE’s nuclear nonproliferation 

objectives by supporting civil nuclear 

energy development while minimizing 

proliferation risks. This notice 

announces the availability of the AFS 

and the DOE policy and process for 

eligible recipients to purchase LEU from 

the AFS. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rich 

Goorevich, Senior Policy Advisor, 

Office of Nonproliferation and 

International Security, National Nuclear 

Security Administration, U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Ave., SW., Washington, 

DC 20585, Tel: 202–586–0589, Fax: 

202–586–1348. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Secretary of Energy is authorized 

pursuant to the Atomic Energy of 1954, 

as amended (Pub. L. 83–703), and the 

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978 

(NNPA) (Pub. L. 95–242) to encourage 

the widespread use of atomic energy for 

peaceful purposes, and 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. Consistent with those 

responsibilities and missions, in 2005, 

Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman 

announced that the United States would 

set aside 17.4 metric tons of surplus 

highly-enriched uranium (HEU) to be 

down-blended to LEU and held in 

reserve to address disruptions in the 

nuclear fuel supply of foreign recipients 

that have good nonproliferation 

credentials. This initiative was 

originally referred to as the Reliable 

Fuel Supply Initiative, and more 

recently renamed the American Assured 

Fuel Supply (AFS). 

Congress appropriated $49,540,000 in 

the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2008 (Pub. L. 110–161) to fund a portion 

of 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, 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 

the LEU set-aside initiated pursuant to 

Secretary Bodman’s 2005 

announcement, 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 AFS is intended to complement 

the INFB. Specifically, the AFS will 

support countries that pursue peaceful 

civilian nuclear programs by providing 

a back-up source of fuel in the event of 

a supply disruption that threatens the 

normal operation of their programs. In 

addition, in accordance with the 

congressional request, the AFS will be 

available to address supply disruptions 

affecting domestic nuclear power plants. 

The AFS reserve is modest in size and 

designed to not disrupt or replace 

market mechanisms. Rather, it is to be 

drawn upon only in the event of 

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51358 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 160 / Thursday, August 18, 2011 / Notices 

demonstrated need and after all other 

market options are exhausted. 

The National Nuclear Security 

Administration (NNSA), a semiautonomous agency within DOE, is 

responsible for the administration and 

implementation of the AFS. Downblending of the 17.4 metric tons of 

surplus HEU began in 2007 and is 

scheduled for completion in 2012. 

When complete, the down-blending will 

result in approximately 290 metric tons 

of LEU, of which approximately 230 

metric tons will form the reserve. The 

remainder will be used to pay for the 

down-blending and processing costs. 

For additional information on the 

potential environmental impacts of 

DOE’s ongoing HEU disposition 

activities and the AFS initiative in 

particular, please see ‘‘Amended Record 

of Decision: Disposition of Surplus 

Highly Enriched Uranium 

Environmental Impact Statement,’’ also 

published in today’s Federal Register. 

II. Policy and Process for Accessing 

AFS Material 

DOE intends to implement the 

following policies and processes to 

evaluate requests for purchases and the 

sale of LEU from the AFS. 

Policy. DOE intends for the AFS to be 

made available to eligible recipients that 

meet certain nonproliferation criteria in 

the case of supply disruptions in the 

nuclear fuel market. DOE will sell LEU 

from the AFS consistent with applicable 

laws, regulations, and Departmental 

policies concerning excess uranium 

disposition. DOE will sell LEU to U.S. 

persons who will in turn sell to 

domestic or foreign recipients only 

where DOE has confirmed that there is 

a fuel supply disruption that cannot be 

addressed by normal market 

mechanisms. If foreign reactor operators 

face a supply disruption, the AFS will 

be available to them through their U.S. 

suppliers. 

The sale of LEU from the AFS will be 

conducted consistent with 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. In all 

cases, the U.S. person purchasing the 

LEU must meet all applicable licensing 

requirements and other authorizations 

for the possession, use, and 

transportation of nuclear materials. If 

the AFS is used to supply a foreign 

recipient, the U.S. person exporting the 

LEU must obtain or possess an 

appropriate license from the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission. DOE will 

establish the price of the LEU at the 

time of delivery using commercially 

acceptable market indices, to the extent 

practical, and ensure that reasonable 

value is obtained. All proceeds from the 

sale will be deposited in the U.S. 

Treasury. 

Process. Any U.S. person requesting 

to purchase LEU from the AFS must 

submit a request in writing to the NNSA 

Office of Nonproliferation and 

International Security. The request must 

set forth facts demonstrating that there 

is a fuel supply disruption for which 

fuel cannot be obtained through normal 

market conditions and that the end-user, 

if foreign, has good nonproliferation 

credentials. In addition, the request 

must include specific information about 

the purchase, including but not limited 

to: the time and place of delivery; the 

desired quantity and composition of 

LEU; the recipient and associated 

country of final end-use; confirmation of 

qualification for an export license, as 

required; and, if applicable, information 

on any intermediate consignee and 

country. Any foreign persons requesting 

to purchase LEU from the AFS can do 

so through their U.S. supplier. 

The U.S. person purchasing LEU from 

the AFS will be solely responsible for 

transportation, insurance, safety, and 

liability issues once title to the LEU 

transfers. The LEU will be in the form 

of uranium hexafluoride at a specific 

assay (generally 4.95% U–235); DOE 

will assume no responsibility beyond 

certification that the LEU meets ASTM 

International, formerly American 

Society for testing (ASTM), 

specifications and is of a certain 

quantity and assay. 

DOE will respond to requests within 

a reasonable time period, consistent 

with the requester’s needs, the 

circumstances surrounding the request, 

and other relevant and necessary 

governmental interests. DOE reserves 

the right to prioritize requests, and to 

seek additional information as necessary 

to review the request. 

DOE will establish an AFS 

Committee, which will be responsible 

for reviewing requests for LEU in the 

AFS and make recommendations to the 

Secretary of Energy on the sale of LEU 

from the AFS. The Committee will be 

chaired by the NNSA Office of 

Nonproliferation and International 

Security and include representatives 

from NNSA’s Office of Fissile Material 

Disposition, DOE’s Office of Nuclear 

Energy, DOE’s Office of Environmental 

Management, and the DOE and NNSA 

Offices of General Counsel. For 

transactions that trigger the 

requirements of section 3112(d) of the 

USEC Privatization Act, DOE will assess 

the impact of a sale from the AFS on the 

domestic uranium market, and will 

provide its recommendation to the 

Secretary to make the requisite 

determination that the transfer will not 

have an adverse material impact on the 

domestic uranium enrichment, 

conversion, or mining industries. 

DOE will receive concurrence from 

the Department of State, and consult 

with the Department of Commerce and 

the Department of Defense, prior to the 

approval and sale of AFS material to a 

U.S. person for use in a foreign country. 

For all sales from the AFS, DOE will 

notify other federal agencies (e.g., U.S. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 

Department of State, Department of 

Commerce and the Department of 

Defense) prior to the sale, as 

appropriate. 

III. Projected Timeline 

The LEU for the AFS will come from 

down-blending 17.4 metric tons of HEU. 

When complete, the down-blending will 

result in approximately 290 metric tons 

of LEU, of which approximately 230 

metric tons will form the reserve. The 

remainder will be used to pay for the 

down-blending and processing costs. 

This will leave the AFS with 

approximately 6 reloads for an average 

1000 MW reactor. The down-blending 

will be completed in 2012. 

As of the publication of this notice, 

most of the down-blending for the AFS 

has been completed. DOE will begin 

accepting requests for purchases of the 

AFS material pursuant to the abovestated policy and process at this time. 

Issued in Washington, DC, this 13th day of 

May, 2011. 

Steven Chu, 

Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2011–21067 Filed 8–17–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

National Nuclear Security 

Administration Amended Record of 

Decision: Disposition of Surplus 

Highly Enriched Uranium 

Environmental Impact Statement 

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Amended Record of Decision. 

SUMMARY: The National Nuclear 

Security Administration (NNSA), a 

semi-autonomous agency within the 

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is 

amending the August 5, 1996, Record of 

Decision (the 1996 ROD) (61 FR 40619) 

for the Disposition of Surplus Highly 

Enriched Uranium Environmental 

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