[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 152 (Thursday, August 7, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42426-42430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20645]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Part 55
RIN 3150-AF62
Initial Licensed Operator Examination Requirements
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend
its regulations to require all nuclear power facility licensees to
prepare, proctor, and grade the written examinations and prepare the
operating tests that the NRC currently uses to evaluate the competence
of individuals applying for operator licenses at those plants. The
proposed amendment would require the licensee to submit each
examination and test for the NRC's review and approval and would
preserve the NRC's authority to prepare the examinations and tests, as
necessary, if it loses confidence in a licensee's ability to prepare
these examinations acceptably. In addition, the NRC would periodically
invoke this authority in order to maintain the proficiency of its own
license examiners.
DATES: Submit comments by October 21, 1997. Comments received after
this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the
Commission is able to assure consideration only for comments received
on or before this date.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Attn: Rulemakings and Adjudications
Staff. Hand deliver comments to 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland, between 7:30 am and 4:15 pm on Federal workdays. For
information on submitting comments electronically, see the discussion
under Electronic Access in the Supplementary Information section.
Single copies of this proposed rulemaking may be obtained by
written request or telefax ((301) 415-2260) from Harry S. Tovmassian,
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington DC 20555. Certain documents related to this
rulemaking, including comments received, may be examined at the NRC
Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW (Lower Level), Washington, DC.
These same documents may also be viewed and downloaded electronically
via the Electronic Bulletin Board established by NRC for this
rulemaking as indicated in the Supplementary Information section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harry S. Tovmassian, Office of Nuclear
Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555, telephone (301) 415-6231; e-mail hst@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 107 of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) of 1954, as amended,
requires the NRC to determine the qualifications of individuals
applying for an operator license, to prescribe uniform conditions for
licensing such individuals, and to issue licenses as appropriate.
Pursuant to the AEA, 10 CFR part 55 requires applicants for operator
licensees to pass an examination that satisfies the basic content
requirements specified in the regulation. Although neither the AEA nor
part 55 specifies who must prepare, proctor, or grade these
examinations, the NRC has traditionally performed those tasks itself or
through its contract examiners. In accordance with 10 CFR 170.12(i),
NRC staff and contractual costs are recovered from facility licensees
who receive examination services. The NRC and its contract examiners
have used the guidance in NUREG-1021, ``Operator Licensing Examination
Standards for Power Reactors,'' to prepare the initial operator
licensing examinations. This document has been revised as experience
has been acquired in preparing these examinations. The current version
is designated Interim Revision 8. 1
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\1\ Copies are available for inspection or copying for a fee
from the NRC Public Document Room at 2120 L Street NW., Washington,
DC 20555; the PDR's mailing address is Mail Stop LL-6; telephone
(202) 634-3273, fax (202) 634-3343. Interim Revision 8 is also
available for downloading from the Internet at ``http://
www.nrc.gov.''
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The intended modifications to 10 CFR part 55 would allow facility
licensees to have greater participation in the initial operator
licensing process and enable the NRC to eliminate contractor assistance
in this area. Between $3 million and $4 million in contractor support
for the preparation and administration of the initial operator
licensing examinations and for support of requalification program
inspections would be eliminated.
On April 18, 1995, the Commission approved the NRC staff's proposal
to initiate a transition process to revise the operator licensing
program and directed the NRC staff to carefully consider experience
from pilot examinations before fully implementing the changes. On
August 15, 1995, the NRC staff issued Generic Letter (GL) 95-06,
``Changes in the Operator Licensing Program,''\2\ outlining the revised
examination development process and soliciting volunteers to
participate in pilot examinations to evaluate and refine the
methodology.
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\2\ Copies are available for inspection or copying for a fee
from the NRC Public Document Room at 2120 L Street NW., Washington,
DC 20555; the PDR's mailing address is Mail Stop LL-6; telephone
(202) 634-3273; fax (202) 634-3343.
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Between October 1, 1995, and April 5, 1996, the NRC staff reviewed
and approved 22 operator licensing examinations, including both the
written examinations and the operating tests, prepared by facility
licensees as part of a pilot program. These examinations were prepared
using the guidance in Revision 7 (Supplement 1) of NUREG-1021 and the
additional guidance in GL 95-06. 2 These examinations were
used to test 146 reactor operator (RO) and senior reactor operator
(SRO) applicants.
The results of the pilot examinations were discussed in SECY-96-
123, ``Proposed Changes to the NRC Operator Licensing Program,'' dated
June 10, 1996. Based on the results of the pilot program, the staff
recommended that the Commission approve the implementation of the new
examination process on a voluntary basis until rulemaking could be
completed to require all power reactor facility licensees to prepare
the entire initial examination for reactor operators and senior reactor
operators and to proctor the written portion of the examination. On
July 23, 1996, the Commission authorized the staff to continue the
pilot examination process on a voluntary basis and requested the staff
to develop a detailed rulemaking plan to justify the changes that may
be necessary to 10 CFR part 55. The Commission also directed the staff
to address a number of additional items (e.g., pros, cons, and
vulnerabilities) regarding the revised examination process to
facilitate a Commission decision on whether to implement the revised
process on an industry-wide basis.
On September 25, 1996, the staff forwarded the requested rulemaking
[[Page 42427]]
plan and a response to the additional items to the Commission in SECY-
96-206, ``Rulemaking Plan For Amendments to 10 CFR part 55 to Change
Licensed Operator Examination Requirements.'' On December 17, 1996, the
Commission directed the staff to proceed with the proposed rulemaking.
With Commission approval, the staff resumed conducting pilot-style
examinations on August 19, 1996, and by the end of December 1996 had
reviewed, approved, and administered 12 additional examinations that
were developed by facility licensees based on the guidance in GL 95-06.
This raised the total number of examinations completed using the pilot
process to 34 and the number of applicants tested to 84 ROs and 144
SROs.
Discussion
The pilot program demonstrated that the revised process, using
licensee developed examinations, can be both effective and efficient.
Comments from the NRC staff and industry personnel who participated in
the pilot examinations were generally favorable. The quality of the
licensee-developed examinations (as modified by the NRC) was generally
comparable to the examinations prepared by the NRC staff or its
contractors. All of the licensee-developed examinations required some
modifications subsequent to NRC review; however, several of these
examinations required significant rework, indicating that some
licensees did not fully understand the criteria for preparing
examinations which meet NRC standards. With training and experience, it
is expected that the industry would gain proficiency in preparing the
examinations. The monitoring and assessment of this voluntary pilot
program has demonstrated that facility licensee developed examinations,
as modified by the NRC, are comparable in terms of their quality to
those prepared by the NRC and its contract examiners under the existing
process; therefore, the safe operation of the facility in question is
in no way compromised. The fact that the pass/fail results on the 34
pilot examinations administered to the 84 ROs and 144 SROs through the
end of December 1996 were comparable to the power reactor licensing
examination results during Fiscal Year 1995, when all the examinations
were prepared by the NRC or its contractors, supports this conclusion.
The provisions of the proposed rule in Sec. 55.40(a)(2), which require
NRC staff review and approval of facility licensee developed tests and
examinations, should facilitate the monitoring of the quality of the
submittals and the modification of those which do not meet NRC
standards.
The fact that NRC examiners will be administering all of the
operating tests without contractor assistance is expected to improve
the NRC staff's focus on operator performance and its core of
experience because every applicant will be directly observed by an NRC
employee. Before beginning the transition process, contract examiners
administered about half of the operating tests and collected the
observations that formed the basis for the NRC's licensing actions. The
contractors' efforts focused primarily on task completion, so any
broader insights and experience that might have been gained while
giving the examinations was of little benefit to the NRC.
The Commission has assessed the pros and cons associated with the
revised examination process, as discussed in SECY-96-206, and
considered the measures that the NRC staff has taken to mitigate the
vulnerabilities. The Commission acknowledges that the revised
examination process increases the risk of lapses in examination quality
(including level of difficulty), consistency, and security and wishes
to emphasize the NRC's resolve to maintain the existing standards of
performance in each of these areas.
With regard to examination security, in particular, applicants,
licensees (operators), and facility licensees are reminded that 10 CFR
55.49 prohibits their engagement in any activity that compromises the
integrity (security) of any application, test, or examination required
by 10 CFR part 55 and that examination will need to be proctored in
accordance with 10 CFR 55.40. These provisions require facility
licensees to maintain proper examination security. The Commission
expects that licensees will meet the security provisions in ES-201 and
ES-402 of NUREG-1021 or similar NRC-approved standards. Consistent with
NUREG-1021, facility employees with specific knowledge of any NRC
examination before it is given may not communicate the examination
contents to unauthorized individuals and may not participate in any
further instruction of the students scheduled to take the examination.
Before they are given access to the examination, the facility employees
are expected to sign a statement acknowledging their understanding of
the restrictions and the potential consequences of noncompliance and
sign a post-examination statement certifying that they did not
knowingly compromise the examination. In addition to the restrictions
on personnel, NUREG-1021 also discusses a number of physical security
precautions, including protecting and mailing the examination materials
and simulator considerations. The guidance also cautions NRC examiners
to be attentive to examination security measures and requires them to
review the security expectations with the facility licensee at the time
the examination arrangements are confirmed.
The Commission considers a violation of 10 CFR 55.49 for
compromising an examination has occurred when (1) a failure to control
the integrity of an examination occurs such that there is a potential
for an applicant to have an unauthorized advantage in the examination
process or (2) an applicant obtains an unauthorized advantage. Both
facility licensees and applicants for examinations may be subject to
enforcement action for violations of 10 CFR 55.49 commensurate with the
nature and seriousness of the compromise.
As part of the final rulemaking in this matter, the Commission
intends to modify its ``General Statement of Policy and Procedures for
NRC Enforcement Actions'' (Enforcement Policy), NUREG-1600. Security
compromises will normally be considered at least at Severity Level IV.
A violation where it was likely that an applicant obtained unauthorized
access to examination material will be considered a significant
regulatory concern and categorized at least at Severity Level III. The
NRC intends to utilize its full enforcement authority including, as
warranted, civil penalties and orders against persons found to have
been involved in willful compromises of examinations in violation of 10
CFR 55.49. This will include use of the rule on Deliberate Misconduct
(10 CFR 50.5). In addition, cases involving willful violations will be
referred to the Department of Justice.
Availability of Guidance Document for License Examination
Preparation
Although 10 CFR part 55 does not specify who will prepare,
administer, and grade the written examinations and operating tests for
reactor operator and senior reactor operator licenses, the NRC or its
contract examiners have traditionally performed these tasks. As a
consequence of performing the tasks associated with preparing and
administering the initial licensing examinations, the NRC has developed
a substantial body of guidance, which has been published in various
versions of NUREG-1021 to aid both NRC and its contract examiners. The
latest version of NUREG-1021 (Interim Revision 8) incorporates the
pilot examination
[[Page 42428]]
criteria in GL 95-06, lessons learned during the pilot examinations,
and a number of refinements prompted by the comments submitted in
response to the Federal Register notice dated February 22, 1996 (61 FR
6869), which solicited public comments on the proposed NUREG changes. A
copy of Interim Revision 8 of NUREG-1021 has been mailed to each
facility licensee. Copies may be inspected and/or copied for a fee at
the NRC's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW (Lower Level),
Washington, DC. NUREG-1021 is also electronically available for
downloading from the Internet at ``http://www.nrc.gov.'' All interested
parties are invited to comment on Interim Revision 8 of NUREG-1021 in
addition to the proposed rule. These public comments will be addressed,
and Revision 8 will be published as a final NUREG document.
The NRC plans to prepare, administer, and grade initial operator
licensing examinations at least four times per year, using NUREG-1021
as guidance. Licensees would also be expected to use the guidance
contained in NUREG-1021 to prepare the licensing examinations. The NRC
staff would review and approve any deviations from this guidance. The
NRC will not approve any deviation that would compromise its statutory
responsibility of prescribing uniform conditions for the operator
licensing examinations. Examples of unacceptable deviations include,
but are not limited to, the use of essay questions in place of multiple
choice questions and the administration of open book examinations.
Proposed Rule
This proposed regulation would add a new section, Sec. 55.40,
``Implementation,'' to Subpart E of 10 CFR part 55 which would require
power reactor facility licensees to prepare the written examinations
and operating tests, to submit them to the NRC for review and approval,
and to proctor and grade the written examinations. These requirements
would be contained in Secs. 55.40(a)(1), (2), and (3), respectively.
Each power reactor facility licensee would be required to prepare
and submit the proposed examinations (including the written
examination, the walk-through, and the dynamic simulator tests) to the
NRC consistent with the guidance contained in NUREG-1021. The NRC staff
would review the entire examination and direct whatever changes are
necessary to ensure that adequate levels of quality, difficulty, and
consistency are maintained. After the NRC staff reviews and approves an
examination, the facility licensee would proctor and grade the written
portion consistent with the guidance in NUREG-1021. The NRC staff would
continue to independently administer and grade the operating tests,
review and approve the written examination results, and make the final
licensing decisions. The facility licensee would not conduct parallel
operator evaluations during the dynamic simulator or the walk-through
tests.
Pursuant to proposed requirements in Sec. 55.40(b), the NRC staff
would maintain the authority to prepare the examinations and tests and
to proctor and grade the site-specific written examinations. This
proposed rule would allow NRC to maintain its staff capability to
perform these activities. Also, if the NRC has reason to question a
licensee's ability to prepare an acceptable examination, Sec. 55.40(b)
provides the NRC authority to prepare and administer the examinations
and tests.
Paragraph (c) of Sec. 55.40 reasserts that the NRC would continue
to prepare and administer the written examinations and operating tests
at non-power reactor facilities. The NRC has taken this position
because the non-power reactor community does not have an accreditation
process for training and qualification or the resources to prepare the
examinations. However, the process will be implemented using only NRC
examiners, thereby allowing the elimination of all routine contract
assistance in that area.
Electronic Access
Comments may be submitted electronically, in either ASCII text or
WordPerfect format (version 5.1 or later), by calling the NRC
Electronic Bulletin Board (BBS) on FedWorld or connecting to the NRC
interactive rulemaking web site, ``Rulemaking Forum.'' The bulletin
board may be accessed using a personal computer, a modem, and one of
the commonly available communications software packages, or directly
via Internet. Background documents on the rulemaking are also
available, as practical, for downloading and viewing on the bulletin
board.
If using a personal computer and modem, the NRC rulemaking
subsystem on FedWorld can be accessed directly by dialing the toll free
number (800) 303-9672. Communication software indicators should be set
as follows: Parity to none, data bits to 8, and stop bits to 1 (N,8,1).
Using ANSI or VT-100 terminal emulation, the NRC rulemaking subsystem
can then be accessed by selecting the ``Rules Menu'' option from the
``NRC Main Menu.'' Users will find the ``FedWorld Online User's
Guides'' particularly helpful. Many NRC subsystems and data bases also
have a ``Help/Information Center'' option that is tailored to the
particular subsystem.
The NRC subsystem on FedWorld can also be accessed by a direct dial
phone number for the main FedWorld BBS, (703) 321-3339, or by using
Telnet via Internet: fedworld.gov. If using (703) 321-3339 to contact
FedWorld, the NRC subsystem will be accessed from the main FedWorld
menu by selecting the ``Regulatory, Government Administration and State
Systems,'' then selecting ``Regulatory Information Mall.'' At that
point, a menu will be displayed that has an option ``U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission'' that will take you to the NRC Online main menu.
The NRC Online area also can be accessed directly by typing ``/go nrc''
at a FedWorld command line. If you access NRC from FedWorld's main
menu, you may return to FedWorld by selecting the ``Return to
FedWorld'' option from the NRC Online Main Menu. However, if you access
NRC at FedWorld by using NRC's toll-free number, you will have full
access to all NRC systems, but you will not have access to the main
FedWorld system.
If you contact FedWorld using Telnet, you will see the NRC area and
menus, including the Rules Menu. Although you will be able to download
documents and leave messages, you will not be able to write comments or
upload files (comments). If you contact FedWorld using FTP, all files
can be accessed and downloaded but uploads are not allowed; all you
will see is a list of files without descriptions (normal Gopher look).
An index file listing all files within a subdirectory, with
descriptions, is available. There is a 15-minute time limit for FTP
access.
Although FedWorld also can be accessed through the World Wide Web,
like FTP, that mode only provides access for downloading files and does
not display the NRC Rules Menu.
You may also access the NRC's interactive rulemaking web site
through the NRC home page (http://www.nrc.gov). This site provides the
same access as the FedWorld bulletin board, including the facility to
upload comments as files (any format), if your web browser supports
that function.
For more information on NRC bulletin boards call Mr. Arthur Davis,
Systems Integration and Development Branch, NRC, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, telephone (301) 415-5780; e-mail AXD3@nrc.gov. For information
about the interactive rulemaking site, contact
[[Page 42429]]
Ms. Carol Gallagher, (301) 415-5905; e-mail [email protected]
Environmental Impact: Categorical Exclusion
The NRC has determined that this proposed rule is the type of
action described as a categorical exclusion in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(1).
Therefore, neither an environmental impact statement nor an
environmental assessment has been prepared for this proposed
regulation.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
This proposed rule amends information collection requirements that
are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq). This rule has been submitted to the Office of Management and
Budget for review and approval of the information collection
requirements.
The public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 500 hours per response, including the time for
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information (i.e., preparing the examinations). The U. S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on the
potential impact of the collection of information contained in the
proposed rule and on the following issues:
1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the NRC, including whether the
information will have practical utility?
2. Is the estimate of burden accurate?
3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected?
4. How can the burden of the collection of information be
minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques?
Send comments on any aspect of this proposed collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the
Information and Records Management Branch (T-6F-33), U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by Internet
electronic mail at bjs1@nrc.gov; and to the Desk Officer, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202, (3150-0018, and 3150-
0101), Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.
Comments to OMB on the collections of information or on the above
issues should be submitted by September 8, 1997. Comments received
after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but
assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received after
this date.
Public Protection Notification
The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
Regulatory Analysis
The Commission has prepared a draft regulatory analysis on this
proposed regulation. The analysis examines the costs and benefits of
the alternatives considered by the Commission. The draft analysis is
available for inspection in the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street
NW (Lower Level), Washington, DC. Single copies of the analysis may be
obtained from Harry S. Tovmassian at (301) 415-6231.
The Commission requests public comment on the draft regulatory
analysis and the following specific questions.
1. Are there portions of the operator exams that are common to all
licensees, and would therefore be more efficiently developed by the
NRC?
2. Is the conclusion in the regulatory analysis correct that it
would be less costly for each licensee to prepare their own initial
operator examinations to be reviewed, revised, and administered by the
NRC, than to have one NRC contractor prepare these exams for all
licensed operators with the costs to be reimbursed by licensee fees.
Comments on the draft analysis may be submitted to the NRC as
indicated under the ADDRESSES heading.
Regulatory Flexibility Certification
In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, (5
U.S.C. 605(b)), the Commission certifies that this rule will not, if
promulgated, have a significant economic impact on a substantial number
of small entities. This proposed rule affects only the licensing and
operation of nuclear power plants. The companies that own these plants
do not fall within the scope of the definition of ``small entities''
set forth in the Regulatory Flexibility Act or the Small Business Size
Standards set out in regulations issued by the Small Business
Administration at 13 CFR part 121.
Backfit Analysis
The pertinent part of 10 CFR 50.109 (a)(1) defines backfitting as
``the modification of or addition to ... the procedures or organization
required to ... operate a facility; any of which may result from a new
or amended provision in the Commission rules or the imposition of a
regulatory staff position interpreting the Commission rules that is
either new or different from a previously applicable staff
position....'' Although part 55 addresses the qualifications and
requirements for operators' licenses and changes are not per se subject
to the backfit rule in part 50, changes to these requirements could be
included within the backfit definition of ``procedures or organization
required to ... operate a facility.'' However, in this case, the
proposed shift of responsibility from the NRC staff (or its
contractors) to the facility licensee for developing and administering
the initial written examination for the operator license exam would not
constitute a ``modification of the procedures required to operate a
facility'' within the scope of the backfit rule; therefore, no backfit
analysis needs to be prepared.
The proposed rule does not affect the basic procedures for operator
license qualification, i.e., the required training programs, the
required testing, the content and format of the exams, the grading of
the exams, or the basis for issuing an operator license. The shift in
responsibility for preparing the initial exam does not affect the
content or format of the exam. The proposed rule is designed to ensure
that the format, content, and quality of the initial written
examination will not be modified. The proposed rule requires the NRC to
provide oversight of facility licensees' development and administration
of initial written examinations. The NRC would also retain its
discretion to determine whether to administer the initial written
examination itself, as well as continuing to determine whether to grant
or deny an application for an RO or SRO license and to consider
candidates' appeals.
The licensee's organizational structure required to operate the
facility will not be modified. All reactor licensees have a training
component as part of their organizational structure, and the proposed
rule does not alter that organizational structure. Although, the
proposed rule could have an ``effect'' on the licensee's organization,
it does not require any modification to the organizational structure.
Finally, the proposed rule does not impose any new costs on
licensees since the NRC's costs to develop examinations are presently
recovered in the fee base. These costs are basically the same as the
costs that will be incurred by licensees to develop the examinations
under the proposed rule.
[[Page 42430]]
List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 55
Criminal penalties, Manpower training programs, Nuclear power
plants and reactors, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
For the reasons set out in the preamble and under the authority of
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended; the Energy Reorganization
Act of 1974, as amended; and 5 U.S.C. 553; the NRC proposes to adopt
the following amendments to 10 CFR part 55.
PART 55--OPERATOR'S LICENSES
1. The authority citation for part 55 continues to read as follows:
Authority: Secs. 107, 161, 182, 68 Stat. 939, 948, 953, as
amended, sec. 234, 83 Stat. 444, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2137, 2201,
2232, 2282); secs. 201, as amended, 202, 88 Stat. 1242, as amended,
1244 (42 U.S.C. 5841, 5842).
Sections 55.41, 55.43, 55.45, and 55.59 also issued under sec.
306, Pub. L. 97-425, 96 Stat. 2262 (42 U.S.C. 10226). Section 55.61
also issued under secs. 186, 187, 68 Stat. 955 (42 U.S.C. 2236,
2237).
2. In Sec. 55.8 paragraph (b) is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 55.8 Information collection requirements; OMB approval.
* * * * *
(b) The approved information collection requirements contained in
this part appear in Secs. 55.31, 55.40, 55.45, 55.53, and 55.59.
* * * * *
3. A new Sec. 55.40 is added to read as follows:
Sec. 55.40 Implementation.
(a) Power reactor facility licensees shall --
(1) Prepare the required site-specific written examinations and
operating tests;
(2) Submit the written examinations and operating tests to the
Commission for review and approval; and
(3) Proctor and grade the NRC-approved site-specific written
examinations.
(b) In lieu of requiring a specific power reactor facility licensee
to prepare the examinations and tests or to proctor and grade the site-
specific written examinations, the Commission may elect to perform
those tasks.
(c) The Commission will prepare and administer the written
examinations and operating tests at non-power reactor facilities.
Dated at Rockville, MD. this 31st day of July, 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John C. Hoyle,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 97-20645 Filed 8-6-97; 8:45 am]
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