The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations for the licensing, inspection and annual fees it charges applicants and licensees for fiscal year 2006.
The agency is required by Congress to recover nearly all of its annual budget through fees for specific NRC services - such as licensing and inspection activities - and an annual fee covering generic regulatory expenses and other costs.
By law, the NRC must recover 90% of its budget. The total amount to be recovered in FY 2006 is approximately $624 million, about $83 million more than in FY 2005.
Under the proposed rule, hourly rates would increase.
