[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 173 (Thursday, September 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46834-46835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22613]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Draft Regulatory Guides; Issuance, Availability

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued for public comment 
drafts of six guides planned for its Regulatory Guide Series. This 
series has been developed to describe and make available to the public 
such information as methods acceptable to the NRC staff for 
implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques used 
by the staff in evaluating specific problems or postulated accidents, 
and data needed by the staff in its review of applications for permits 
and licenses.
    These draft guides, presently identified by their task numbers, 
endorse industry consensus standards of the Institute of Electrical and 
Electronics Engineers. The guides and the standards they endorse are 
DG-1054, ``Verification, Validation, Reviews, and Audits for Digital 
Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants,'' 
which endorses IEEE Std 1012-1986, ``IEEE Standard for Software 
Verification and Validation Plans,'' and IEEE Std 1028-1988, ``IEEE 
Standard for Software Reviews and Audits''; DG-1055, ``Configuration 
Management Plans for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems 
of Nuclear Power Plants,'' which endorses IEEE Std 828-1990, ``IEEE 
Standard for Software Configuration Management Plans,'' and ANSI/IEEE 
Std 1042-1987, ``IEEE Guide to Software Configuration Management''; DG-
1056, ``Software Test Documentation for Digital Computer Software Used 
in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants,'' which endorses ANSI/IEEE 
Std 829-1983, ``IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation''; DG-
1057, ``Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software Used in 
Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants,'' which endorses ANSI/IEEE Std 
1008-1987, ``IEEE Standard for Software Unit Testing''; DG-1058, 
``Software Requirements Specifications for Digital Computer Software 
Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants,'' which endorses IEEE 
Std 830-1993, ``IEEE Recommended Practice for Software Requirements 
Specifications''; and DG-1059, ``Developing Software Life Cycle 
Processes for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of 
Nuclear Power Plants,'' which endorses IEEE Std 1074-1995, ``IEEE 
Standard for Developing Software Life Cycle Processes.'' These guides 
will be in Division 1, ``Power Reactors.'' These draft guides are being 
developed to provide current guidance on methods acceptable to the NRC 
staff for complying with the NRC's regulations for promoting high 
functional reliability and design quality in software used in safety 
systems of nuclear power plants.
    The draft guides have not received complete staff review and do not 
represent official NRC staff positions. No backfitting is intended or 
approved in connection with the issuance of these proposed guides. Any 
backfitting that may result from application of this new guidance to 
operating plants will be justified in accordance with established NRC 
backfitting guidance and procedures. These draft guides have been 
released to encourage public participation in their development. Except 
in those cases in which an applicant proposes an acceptable alternative 
method for complying with specified portions of the NRC's regulations, 
the methods to be described in the active guide reflecting public 
comments will be used in the evaluation of submittals in connection 
with applications for construction permits, standard design 
certifications and design approvals, and combined operating licenses. 
The active guides will also be used to evaluate submittals from 
operating reactor licensees who propose modifications that go beyond 
the current licensing basis, if those modifications are voluntarily 
initiated by the licensee and there is a clear connection between the 
proposed modifications and this guidance. The final guides will be used 
in conjunction with, and will eventually be reflected in, the Standard 
Review Plan, which is currently under revision.
    Public comments are being solicited on the guide. Comments should 
be accompanied by supporting data. Written comments may be submitted to 
the Rules Review and Directives Branch, Division of Freedom of 
Information and Publications Services, Office of Administration, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Copies of comments 
received may be examined at the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street 
NW., Washington, DC. Comments will be most helpful if received by 
October 31, 1996.
    Although a time limit is given for comments on this draft guide, 
comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion in 
guides currently being developed or improvements in all published 
guides are encouraged at any time.

[[Page 46835]]

    Comments may be submitted electronically, in either ASCII text or 
Wordperfect 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 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 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 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]. For more information on this draft regulatory guide, 
contact J.J. Kramer at the NRC, telephone (301)415-5891; e-mail 
[email protected].
    Regulatory guides are available for inspection at the Commission's 
Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC. Requests for 
single copies of draft or final guides (which may be reproduced) or for 
placement on an automatic distribution list for single copies of future 
draft guides in specific divisions should be made in writing to the 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: 
Distribution and Mail Services Section; or by fax at (301)415-2260. 
Telephone requests cannot be accommodated. Regulatory guides are not 
copyrighted, and Commission approval is not required to reproduce them.

(5 U.S.C. 552(a))

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of August 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
M. Wayne Hodges,
Director, Division of Systems Technology, Office of Nuclear Regulatory 
Research.
[FR Doc. 96-22613 Filed 9-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P