[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 169 (Wednesday, September 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53472-53473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19900]


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

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan'', Section 13.1.2-13.1.3, 
``Operating Organization'' Modifications; Draft NUREG-1791, ``Guidance 
for Assessing Exemption Requests From the Nuclear Power Plant Licensed 
Operator Staffing Requirements Specified in 10 CFR 50.54(m)''; Notice 
of Availability

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft documents regarding operating 
organization and staffing and request for public comment.

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

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the 
availability of a revision to Section 13.1.2 and 13.1.3 of NUREG-0800, 
``Standard Review Plan, Operating Organization'' and a new draft 
document ``Guidance for Assessing Exemption Requests From the Nuclear 
Power Plant Licensed Operator Staffing Requirements Specified in 10 CFR 
50.54(m)'' (NUREG-1791) for public comment.

DATES: Comments on these documents should be submitted by November 1, 
2004. Comments received after that date will be considered to the 
extent practicable. To ensure efficient and complete comment 
resolution, comments should include references to the section, page, 
and line numbers of the document to which the comment applies, if 
possible.

ADDRESSES: Members of the public are invited and encouraged to submit 
written comments to: Michael Lesar, Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, 
Office of Administration, Mail Stop T6-D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Hand-deliver comments to: 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on 
Federal workdays. Comments may also be sent electronically to 
[email protected].
    These documents are available for public inspection at the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One 
White Flint North, Public File Area 01F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (First 
Floor), Rockville, Maryland, from the Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the 
Internet at the NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html using Accession numbers ML041550723 (for the draft NUREG) 
and ML041550746 (for the SRP revisions); and on the NRC Web site at: 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/docs4comment.
    Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems 
accessing the document in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR reference 
staff by telephone at (800) 397-4209, (301) 415-4737, or by e-mail 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James P. Bongarra, Jr., Engineering 
Psychologist, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001 by telephone at (301) 
415-1046 or e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

SRP Section 13.1.2-13.1.3

    SRP Section 13.1.2-13.1.3 provides review guidance for the NRC 
staff to use when evaluating a licensee's or applicant's operating 
organization, which includes consideration of whether the organization 
complies with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(l-m). The purpose of the 
NRC staff's review related to SRP Section 13.1.2-13.1.3 is to ensure 
that adequate and clear structure, functions, roles, responsibilities, 
staff size, and other relevant considerations for licensed operator 
staffing are established to operate and maintain the plant.
    Minor changes were made to Revision 4 of SRP Section 13.1.2-13.1.3 
from the version that was published in November 1999. The changes 
include additions and language that describe the process for the review 
of exemption requests for numbers of excused staff along with 
clarification of some of the language, updating the references, and the 
addition of references to the staffing exemption request review process 
identified in the draft NUREG-1791.

Draft NUREG-1791, ``Guidance for Assessing Exemption Requests From the 
Nuclear Power Plant Licensed Operator Staffing Requirements Specified 
in 10 CFR 50.54(m)''

    ``Guidance for Assessing Exemption Requests from the Nuclear Power 
Plant Licensed Operator Staffing Requirements Specified in 10 CFR 
50.54(m)'' provides regulatory guidance for the review of requests for 
exemptions from any of the staffing requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(l-m). 
The introduction of advanced reactor designs and the increased use of 
advanced automation technologies in existing nuclear power plants may 
change the roles, responsibilities, composition, and size of the crews 
required to control plant operations.

[[Page 53473]]

Current regulations regarding control room staffing, which are based on 
the concept of operation for existing light-water reactors, may no 
longer be appropriate for the concept of operations for advanced 
reactors. Therefore, applicants for an operating license for an 
advanced reactor, and current licensees who have implemented 
significant changes to existing control rooms, may wish to submit 
applications for exemptions from current staffing regulations.
    The NRC staff will review the exemption requests and will determine 
whether the staffing proposals provide adequate assurance that public 
health and safety will be maintained at a level that is comparable to 
compliance with the current regulations. NUREG-1791 provides guidance 
for the NRC staff to perform a systematic review of exemption requests 
from the current staffing regulations in 10 CFR 50.54(m). The NUREG 
details the information, data, and review criteria needed to review the 
exemption request.
    The NRC is seeking public comment in order to receive feedback from 
the widest range of interested parties and to ensure that all 
information relevant to developing these documents is available to the 
NRC staff. These documents are being issued for comment only and are 
not intended for interim use. The NRC will review public comments 
received on the documents, incorporate suggested changes, as necessary, 
and issue the final documents for use.
    The NRC staff will use the policies and procedures in these 
documents to review all staffing exemption requests from 10 CFR 50.54 
(l-m). These NUREGs will not substitute for the regulations, and 
compliance with the guidance provided in these documents will not be 
required. Licensees may propose alternative approaches to determine 
staffing levels for the exemption request different from those in these 
NUREGs, if applicants provide a basis for concluding that the exemption 
request(s) are in compliance with 10 CFR 50.12.

    Dated in Rockville, MD, this 26th day of August, 2004.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Frank Costello,
Acting Chief, Reactor Operations Branch, Division of Inspection Program 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-19900 Filed 8-31-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P