Washington, DC–The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing a $971 million Fiscal Year 2019 budget, including funding for the Office of the Inspector General.
The budget includes 149 fewer full-time equivalent employees than the FY 2018 annualized continuing resolution budget. The budget focuses on continued agency efforts to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, and supports the agency’s safety and security strategic goals and objectives.
The budget request is nearly $60 million higher than the prior year budget, as it includes $10 million to develop a regulatory infrastructure for advanced reactors technologies and $48 million for work related to the proposed deep geological repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
Since the NRC recovers approximately 90 percent of its budget from licensee fees, sent directly to the U.S. Treasury, the resulting net appropriation request is $155 million.
“Through our continued focus on operational and administrative efficiency improvements, the agency’s budget has decreased more than $80 million, including a reduction of more than 500 FTE, since 2014i,” said Chief Financial Officer Maureen Wylie. “This budget reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility.”
Details of the budget request include:
Funding for 3,247 FTEs, including the OIG, with reductions in staffing linked to the near completion of work associated with the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force, including efficiency gains in the Reactor Oversight Process, as well as one plant to be decommissioned and continued savings in corporate support FTE.
Funding of $474.8 million for nuclear reactor safety, $183.7 million for nuclear materials and waste safety, which includes $48 million to support activities for the proposed Yucca Mountain deep geological repository for spent fuel and other high-level radioactive waste, and $299.6 million for corporate support.
Funding of $12.6 million for the OIG, an independent office that conducts audits and investigations to ensure the efficiency and integrity of NRC programs to promote cost-effective management. The OIG’s budget also includes funding for auditing and investigation services for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
The budget briefing slides and the Congressional Budget Justification were made available on the NRC website.
