[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]
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