[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15312-15313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7186]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Draft NUREG; Issuance, Availability

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has developed a draft 
guideline document for the review of advanced control room designs and 
advanced human-system interfaces that may be located within 
conventional control rooms. This is being issued as Draft Revision 1 to 
NUREG-0700, ``Human System Interface Design Review Guideline,'' which 
is the successor to, and integrates relevant sections of, the current 
guidance used by the staff, NUREG-0700 (1981), ``Guidelines for Control 
Room Design Reviews.''
    Draft Revision 1 to NUREG-0700 is not a backfit and does not impose 
new requirements on current plants. It is not a generic communication 
that proposes a new staff position or seeks additional licensee 
commitments. This document would not apply to licensees under 10 CFR 
Part 50 for the review of human-system interfaces unless the licensee 
initiated a voluntary upgrade.
    Draft Revision 1 to NUREG-0700 has been developed to apply 
primarily to advanced reactors. New plant designs, submitted to the NRC 
for review and approval under 10 CFR 52.47(a)(1)(ii), must meet 10 CFR 
50.34(f)(2)(iii), which requires a ``control room design that reflects 
state-of-the-art human factors principles.'' Revision 1 to NUREG-0700 
will be used by the staff as part of the comprehensive human factors 
engineering review process for advanced reactors described in the 
``Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model,'' NUREG-0711 (July 
1994).
    Draft Revision 1 to NUREG-0700 is consistent with a previously 
established Commission position in that it does not include generic 
design certification communications or generic decisions for future 
plants (see SECY-92-224, June 22, 1992). The NUREG itself is not 
mandatory. Rather, the guidelines contained within it represent good 
human factors engineering practice based upon state-of-the-art research 
and validated review criteria developed in the nuclear industry as well 
as in other fields, primarily military and aerospace. The draft 
guidelines have been subjected to extensive independent peer review by 
subject matter experts as part of their development.
    The Commission encourages comment from all interested parties, and 
specifically from facilities licensed under 10 CFR Part 50, with regard 
to the staff's contention that no backfitting is intended for current 
licensees with the issuance of this guidance document unless a licensee 
initiates a voluntary upgrade to its human-system interface.
    The comment period expires May 15, 1995. 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 
before this date.
    Mail comments to: Chief, Rules Review and Directives Branch, 
Division of Freedom of Information and Publication Services, Mail Stop 
T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. 
Comments may be hand-delivered to 11545 Rockville Pike, Maryland, 
between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays.
    Comments may be submitted electronically, in either ASCII text or 
Workperfect format (version 5.1 or later), by calling the NRC 
Electronic Bulletin Board on FedWorld. 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.
    If using a personal computer and modem, the NRC subsystem on 
FedWorld can be accessed directly by dialing the toll free number 1-
800-303-9672. Communication software parameters 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 NUREGs and RegGuides 
for Comment subsystem can then be accessed by selecting the ``Rules 
Menu'' option from the ``NRC Main Menu.'' For further information about 
options available for NRC at FedWorld, consult the ``Help/Information 
Center'' from the ``NRC Main Menu.'' Users will find the ``FedWorld 
Online User's Guides'' particularly helpful. Many NRC subsystems and 
databases 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, 703-321-8020, or by using 
Telnet via Internet, fedworld.gov. If using 703-321-8020 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 the 
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 included. There is a 15-minute time limit for FTP 
access.
    Although FEDWORLD 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.
    For more information on NRC bulletin boards, call Mr. Arthur Davis, 
Systems Integration and Development Branch, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301) 415-5780; e-mail 
AXD[email protected].
    NUREGs are available for inspection at the Commission's Public 
Document Room, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC. Requests for single 
copies of NUREGs (which may be reproduced) should be made in writing to 
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, 
Attention: Distribution and Mail Services Section. Telephone requests 
cannot be accommodated. NUREGs are not copyrighted, and Commission 
approval is not required to reproduce them.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Wachtel, Office of Nuclear 
Regulatory [[Page 15313]] Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301) 415-6498; e-mail [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of March 1995.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Franklin D. Coffman, Jr.,
Chief, Control, Instrumentation & Human Factors Branch, Division of 
Systems Technology, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 95-7186 Filed 3-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M