RIS 2012-07, Withdrawn NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2012-07 Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations
| ML120650174 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/08/2012 |
| From: | Laura Dudes, Mcginty T Division of Construction Inspection and Operational Programs, Division of Policy and Rulemaking |
| To: | |
| REVELLE, CAROL 301-415-1065 | |
| References | |
| RIS-12-007 | |
| Download: ML120650174 (7) | |
Withdrawn
NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2012-07, Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations, dated June 8, 2012, has been withdrawn.
ADAMS Accession Number: ML120650174
See Federal Register notice 81 FR 31969, dated May 20, 2016
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
OFFICE OF NEW REACTORS
WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 June 8, 2012 NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2012-07 PREPARATION AND SCHEDULING OF
OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS
ADDRESSEES
All holders of or applicants for a power reactor operating license or construction permit under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, except those who have permanently ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel.
All holders of, or applicants for, a power reactor early site permit, standard design certification, standard design approval, manufacturing license, or a combined license under 10 CFR Part 52, Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.
INTENT
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this regulatory issue summary (RIS)
to inform addressees of the NRC staffs need for updated information on projected site-specific operator licensing examination schedules, as well as on the estimated number of applicants planning to take operator licensing examinations and the NRCs generic fundamentals examinations (GFEs). This information will help the NRC to more effectively use its resources.
This RIS requires no action or written response on the part of addressees. Addressee actions to collect and transmit the information requested are strictly voluntary.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Subpart E, Written Examinations and Operating Tests, of 10 CFR Part 55, Operators Licenses, contains the relevant NRC regulations. In particular, 10 CFR 55.40,
Implementation, permits nuclear power reactor facility licensees to prepare, proctor, and grade the written examinations required by 10 CFR 55.41, Written Examination: Operators, and 10 CFR 55.43, Written Examination: Senior Operators, subject to certain conditions.
Under 10 CFR 55.40, facility licensees are also permitted to prepare the NRC-administered operating tests required by 10 CFR 55.45, Operating Tests. Under 10 CFR 55.40(c),
facility licensees that choose not to prepare their own examinations and operating tests must request in writing that the NRC prepare the examinations and operating tests.
In RIS 2011-04, Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations, dated May 25, 2011, the NRC asked power reactor licensees to voluntarily submit proposed
schedules of examinations they intended to prepare and estimate the number of applicants to be tested for onsite examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2013 through 2016.
This RIS requests that licensees voluntarily update examination schedules and applicant estimates for CYs 2014 through 2017.
SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE
The NRC uses nearly twice as many resources to prepare an examination as to review, approve, administer, and document a licensee-prepared examination. The number of examinations administered by licensees fluctuates annually. Consequently, the NRC has found it helpful to request an annual update of the operator licensing examination needs of power reactor facility licensees. Moreover, with the anticipated number of new operator positions that will need to be filled for new plants, the differences in upcoming years could be significant.
Therefore, we request that licensees evaluate their response to this RIS in this light, particularly in the latter years. The update should include an estimate of the number of applicants to be examined and if the licensee or the NRC will prepare the exam. For those utilities not planning to construct a new plant, their response should consider the impact of licensed operators moving between utilities to fill the anticipated openings in the future. This information will help the NRC budget its resources. The NRC regional offices will continue to coordinate specific examination dates with the training managers of affected facility licensees.
The NRC is requesting that each licensee provide the following information on the enclosed NRC Form 536, Operator Licensing Examination Data:
A. Proposed Examination Preparation Schedule Estimate the number of examinations you intend to prepare and the number of examinations you will request the NRC to prepare during CYs 2014 through 2017. For examinations that facility licensees will prepare, the NRC will assume that each examination includes the required outline, the written examination, and the operating test, unless the licensee specifies otherwise.
Joint NRC and licensee examination development is permitted and should be coordinated with the NRC regional office. You should address any schedule changes that are required following submission of your RIS response in a letter to the applicable NRC regional office for agreement to and coordination of changes to examination administration.
B. Initial Operator License Examinations For each desired examination, estimate the number of applicants to be tested and enter the proposed primary and alternate dates of the examination. If you are requesting more than one examination per CY, fill in the applicable columns as appropriate through CY 2017.
C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule Estimate by month the number of applicants who plan to take the GFE in CYs 2014 and 2015.
As the industry has requested, the NRC now administers the GFE four times per year.
VOLUNTARY RESPONSE
The NRC asks addressees choosing to submit the information requested in NRC Form 536 to do so within 30 days of receiving this RIS. NRC Form 536 is available on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/. Direct your response to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and send a copy of the response to the applicable regional office. You may submit responses electronically.
BACKFIT DISCUSSION
This RIS requires no action or written response. Any action on the part of addressees to collect and transmit operator licensing examination data in accordance with the request contained in this RIS is strictly voluntary and, therefore, is not a backfit under 10 CFR 50.109, Backfitting. Consequently, the NRC staff did not perform a backfit analysis.
FEDERAL REGISTER NOTIFICATION
The NRC did not publish in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity for public comment on this RIS because it pertains to an administrative aspect of the regulatory process that involves the voluntary submission of information on the part of addressees.
CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT
This RIS is not a rule as designated by the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 801-808)
and, therefore, is not subject to the Act.
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT
This RIS contains and references information collection requirements that are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). These information collection requirements were approved by the Office of Management and Budget, approval numbers
3150-0011, 3150-0151, 3150-0018 and 3150-0131.
PUBLIC PROTECTION NOTIFICATION
The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request for information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document displays a currently valid OMB control number.
CONTACT
Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contacts listed below.
/RA by JLuehman for/
/RA by SBahadur for/
Laura A. Dudes, Director
Timothy J. McGinty, Director Division of Construction,
Division of Policy and Rulemaking Inspections and Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Office of New Reactors
Technical Contacts: John McHale, NRR
Michael Junge, NRO
301-415-3254
301-415-7745 E-mail: john.mchale@nrc.gov E-mail: michael.junge@nrc.gov
Donald Jackson, RI
Malcolm Widmann, RII
610-337-5306
404-997-4550
E-mail: donald.jackson@nrc.gov E-mail: malcolm.widmann@nrc.gov
Hironori Peterson, RIII
Mark Franke, RII
630-829-9707
404-997-4436 E-mail: hironori.peterson@nrc.gov E-mail: mark.franke@nrc.gov
Mark Haire, RIV
817-200-1159 E-mail: mark.haire@nrc.gov Enclosure: As Stated
CONTACT
Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contacts listed below.
/RA by JLuehman for/
/RA by SBahadur for/
Laura A. Dudes, Director
Timothy J. McGinty, Director Division of Construction,
Division of Policy and Rulemaking Inspections and Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Office of New Reactors
Technical Contacts: John McHale, NRR
Michael Junge, NRO
301-415-3254
301-415-7745 E-mail: john.mchale@nrc.gov E-mail: michael.junge@nrc.gov
Donald Jackson, RI
Malcolm Widmann, RII
610-337-5306
404-997-4550
E-mail: donald.jackson@nrc.gov E-mail: malcolm.widmann@nrc.gov
Hironori Peterson, RIII
Mark Franke, RII
630-829-9707
404-997-4436 E-mail: hironori.peterson@nrc.gov E-mail: mark.franke@nrc.gov
Mark Haire, RIV
817-200-1159 E-mail: mark.haire@nrc.gov Enclosure: As Stated
ADAMS ACCESSION NO.: ML120650174 OFFICE
OLA:IOLB:
DIRS
TECH.
EDITOR
C:IOLB:DIRS
DD:DIRS
C:COLP:DCIP:NRO
D:DCIP:NRO
NAME
CRevelle QTE
JMcHale JLubinski MJunge/PPieringer for LDudes/J Luehman for DATE
03/14/2012
03/30/2012
04/12/12
04/13/12
05/01/2012
05/02/2012 OFFICE
PMDA
OIS
LA:PGCB:DPR
PGCB:DPR
NAME
NHilton/LCasel for BJones LHill TDonnell CHawes TAlexion DATE
05/17/2012
04/25/12
05/08/12
04/24/12
5/31/12
6/1/12 OFFICE
C:PGCB:DPR
D:DPR
NAME
KMorganButler/EBowman for TMcGinty/SBahadur for DATE
6/1/12
6/8/12 OFFICIAL RECORD Enclosure