[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 36 (Thursday, February 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 6869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3938]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Operator Licensing Examination Standards Draft Revision; Notice
of Availability and Request for Comment
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of Availability and Request for Comment.
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SUMMARY: NUREG-1021, ``Operator Licensing Examination Standards for
Power Reactors,'' (formerly ``Operator Licensing Examiner Standards'')
provides guidance for the development, administration, and grading of
written examinations and operating tests used to determine the
qualifications of individuals who apply for operator and senior
operator licenses at nuclear power plants pursuant to Part 55 of Title
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 55). The NUREG provides
similar guidance for verifying the continued qualifications of licensed
operators when the staff determines that NRC requalification
examinations are necessary.
The Examination Standards have been revised to incorporate the
examination development process described in Generic Letter 95-06,
``Changes in the Operator Licensing Program,'' including lessons
learned during the pilot examination program that began in October
1995. The guidance that was previously contained in NUREG/BR-0122,
``Examiners' Handbook for Developing Operator Licensing Written
Examinations,'' has been appended to the Examination Standards, and a
number of minor improvements and clarifications that were recommended
by industry groups, licensed operators, and NRC examiners and managers
have also been adopted. The entire NUREG has been reformatted to more
clearly identify the various organizational responsibilities and will
be reissued in its entirety.
The staff believes that it would be beneficial to solicit public
comments on this revision from all interested parties. The staff is
also interested in obtaining an estimate of the burden that assuming
responsibility for drafting the initial license examinations will place
on facility licensees. Commenters should recognize that presently most
NRC examinations are drafted by NRC contractors and that the contractor
costs are passed on to the facility at which the examination is
administered. The revised Examination Standards will eliminate
contractor support, while the NRC direct resources involved in operator
licensing are projected to remain constant. After considering the
public comments, the NRC staff plans to brief the Commission and seek
its approval to implement the revised process. Pending Commission
approval and any additional changes that might be necessary, the staff
expects to issue the revised Examination Standards and implement the
revised examination process at or near the beginning of fiscal year
1997.
DATE: The comment period ends March 25, 1996. Comments received after
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the staff
is able to assure consideration only for comments received on or before
this date.
ADDRESSES: Mail written comments to Chief, Rules Review and Directives
Branch, Division of Freedom of Information and Publications Services,
Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555.
Deliver comments to 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland,
between 7:45 am and 4:15 pm Federal workdays. Copies of comments
received and draft revisions of NUREG-1021 are available for review
and/or copying for a fee in the NRC's Public Document Room, 2120 L
Street (Lower Level), Washington, DC. NUREG-1021 is also electronically
available for downloading from the Internet at ``http://www.nrc.gov/
news.htm#exam''.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Guenther, Mail Stop O10-D22,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555; telephone (301) 504-1056; and email
at ``[email protected]''.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of February 1996.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stuart A. Richards,
Chief, Operator Licensing Branch, Division of Reactor Controls, and
Human Factors, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-3938 Filed 2-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
