NRC charges $131 or $125 per hour

[dj_strom@ccmail.pnl.gov (Daniel J Strom)]

RADSAFErs,

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is a full cost-recovery 
organization under the Omnibus Budget Reauthorization Act of 1990.  They 
are perhaps one of the few federal agencies who actually know how much 
they cost (another being the U.S. Postal Service) because they have to 
balance the books.  Here's an excerpt from their recent press release on 
revising 10 CFR Parts 170 and 171:

>>>> ... NRC proposes that the two professional hourly rates established 
in FY 1996 in 10 CFR Part 170.20 be revised based on the FY 1997 budget. 
 These proposed rates would be based on the FY 1997 direct FTEs and that 
portion of the FY 1997 budget that either does not constitute direct 
program support (contractual services costs) or is not recovered through 
the appropriation from the NWF or the General Fund.  These rates are 
used to determine the Part 170 fees.  The NRC is proposing to establish 
a rate of $131 per hour ($233,055 per direct FTE) for the reactor 
program.  This rate would be applicable to all activities whose fees are 
based on full cost under 170.21 of the fee regulations. A second rate of 
$125 per hour ($222,517 per direct FTE) is proposed for the nuclear 
materials and nuclear waste program.  This rate would be applicable to 
all materials activities whose fees are based on full cost under 170.31 
of the fee regulations.  In the FY 1996 final fee rule, these rates were 
$128 and $120 respectively.

- Dan Strom

The opinions expressed above are my own, and have not been reviewed or 
approved by Battelle, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, or the 
U.S. Department of Energy.

Daniel J. Strom, Ph.D., CHP
Staff Scientist
Health Protection Department K3-56
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Battelle Boulevard, P.O. Box 999
Richland, WA 99352-0999 USA
(509) 375-2626
(509) 375-2019 fax
dj_strom@pnl.gov