ML20216F508
| ML20216F508 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/24/1995 |
| From: | Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20216F483 | List: |
| References | |
| FRN-62FR42426, RULE-PR-55 AF62-1-005, AF62-1-5, SECY-95-075, SECY-95-075-01, SECY-95-075-R, SECY-95-75, SECY-95-75-1, SECY-95-75-R, NUDOCS 9709120011 | |
| Download: ML20216F508 (4) | |
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POLICY ISSUE ,
(NEGATIVE CONSENT)
, March 24, 1995 SECY-95-075 EQB: The Commissioners EBQM: James M. Tay'or Execetive Director for Operations
SUBJECT:
PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE NRC OPERATOR LICENSING PROGRAM PURPOSE:
To describe the staff's intent to revise the process for examining candidates applying for reactor operator (RO) or senior reactor operator (SRO) licenses at power reactor facilities and to adjust the degree of NRC involvement in facility requalification examinations. These changes are part of NRC's continuing efforts to streamline the functions of the Federal government consistent with Administration initiatives and to accomodata anticipated resource reductions.
BACKGROUND:
The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (Act), section 107, requires that the Commission
'a. prescribe uniform conditions for licensing individual operators of any of the various classes of production and utilization facilities licensed by the Act; b. determine the qualifications of such individuals; c. issue licenses to such individuals in such form as the Commission may prescribe; and d. suspend such licenses for violation of any provisions of this Act or any rule or regulation issued thereunder when the Commission deems such action desirable."
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982, as amended, section 306, in part directs the Commission to issue regulations or other appropriate regulatory guidance for the training and qualification of civilian nuclear power plant operators including requirements for operating tests. 10 CFR Part 55,
" Operator Licenses," establishes the Commission's procedures and criteria for the issuance of licenses to operators and senior operators. Part 55 sets forth the minimum training and educational requirements to apply for a NOTE: TO BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE a k.Richards,NRR [vAILA[LE (301) 415-1031 9709120011 970904
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2-license, the content requirements for licensing examinations, and defines the process to make a license application; however, Part 55 does not define the specific' process by which licensing examinations are to be conducted. NUREG-l - 1021, ' Operator Licensing Examiner Standards," provides guidance ir,this area,- >
including the specific procedures for conducting examinations for operators.
NUREG-1021 presently contains the guidance that both the written and operating-
. portions of the examination be authored and fully conducted by NRC examiners or by NRC certified contract examiners.
The staff proposes to revise the manner in which the NRC administers the:
' initial operator licensing program to. allow the elimination of contract assistance in this area. Facility licensees will draft and in part conduct i
- initial licensing examinations with NRC oversight. NRC participation in examinations will range from conducting-part to conducting all of the examination NRC participation in this manner is necessary to provide an 3
independent basis for raking a licensing decision and to maintain examiner
-skills.
The staff also proposes to. revise the level of effort expended on the
- oversight of licensee requalification programs to allow the elimination of
! contract assistance in this area. The inspection procedure used to_ evaluate
- licensee requalification programs will be modified to reduce-anticipated inspection hours up to one-half for licensees with better performance-in
- operations.
i DISCllSSION:
i_ The staff has historically determined the level of knowledge and abilities of
[ candidates for operator licenses at power reactor facilities by conducting
' examinations authored fully by the NRC. This approach has been appropriate to
, meet the requirement of the Act to prescribe uniform conditions for licensing i individuals and to provide-an appropriate independent assessment of a candidate's qualifications to be licensed. During the period from the 1950s to the mid 1980s, the degree of training provided to candidates for licenses "
. and the focus of facility licensees on training varied considerably. During the mid to late 1980s, the industry emphasis in the training area increased
- significantly, resulting in all power reactor licensees establishing formal training programs accredited by the National Academy for Nuclear Training.
In 1987 the NRC amended Part 55 to define in detail requirements for licensee implementation of licensed operator requalification programs and to require that each licensed operator pass an NRC conducted requalification examination during the 6-year term of the license. As a result of conducting requalification examinations, the NRC' determined that the industry had i established a high standard of performance in the requalification area and
. that the NRC was largely duplicating the licensee's efforts. In 1994,
. Part 55 was amended to remove'the requirement that operators pass an NRC conducted requalification examination, and the staff revised its involvement
- in the requalification area to one of inspection oversight, z
j The emphasis placed on the training area by the industry applies to the initial licensing process as well as to the requalification programs. In view p
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of the present performance level of industry training programs as a whole, as detailed in SECY-95-042, " Annual Status Rep 9rt on the Administration of NRC's Requalification Program and Initial Operator Licensing Examinations," the staff now proposes to take a further evolutionary step, similar to the staff's actions with regard to requalification program oversight, by changing the guiduce in NUREG-1021 from having NRC staff or contractors write and conduct the initial Itcensing examination to permitting facility licensees to draft aad in part conduct the written and operating examinations for initial R0 and SR0 candidates. NRC participation would include reviewing the licensees' ,
efforts and partially participating in the examinations. The NRC would retain f the final pass / fail authority and would continue to issue licenses. To maintain uniform standards of examination format and difficulty, the staff would provide the industry guidance on which to base examination construction and would have the latitude to revise the facility's draft examination. This action will'allw the staff to perform its licensing function in a more efficient manner, while maintaining an effective, independent process on which to base licetsing decisions for operators.
Additional 1/, the staff intends to reconsider the process by which the Generic hmdamentals Examination is administered to allow elimination of contract assistance on this task. Finally, because the non-power reactor community does not have an accreditation process for training and qualification, and the results of examinations in this area have been less favorable, the staff will continue to conduct all non-power reactor examinations. However, the process will be implemented using only NRC examiners, thereby allowing the elimination of all routine contract assistance in this area.
RESOURCES:
The staff estimates that the revised process can be implemented with the existing direct NRC employee FTE resources allotted to the operator licensing program. The revised process will shift the responsibility for drafting and in part conducting initial examinations to facility licensees who already possess the expertise to conduct candidate evaluations as part of their accredited training programs and allow the staff to eliminate contract support in this area of $3.0M - $4.0M per year (approxiinately 16 - 22 equivalent FTE).
In addition, facility licensee examination fees will be expected to decrease with reduced levels of NRC participation.
TRANSITION:
The staff proposes to issue for public comment draft guidance on the new process and revisions to NUREG-1021 during the remainder of FY-95 and to conduct pilot examinations using the revised arocess in early FY-96. The staff anticipates conducting workshops with tie industry to refine the process and tu indoctrinate the industry on the NRC expectations regarding industry participation following the pilot examinations. full impicmentation would occur by the beginning of FY-97.
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.The Office of the General Counsel has no le;al objection to the staff's positions contained herein.
RECOMMENDATION: ,
That the Comission:
Note that it is my intention to revise the operator licensing program as described above to accomodate resource reductions. I will initiate this action 10 working days from the date of this paper unless instructed otherwise by the Comission.
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es M. Ta or ecutive rector for Operations SECY NOTE: In the absence of instructions to the contrary, SECY will notify the. staff on Monday, April 10, 1995, that the Commission, by negative consent, assents to the action proposed in this paper.
DISTRIBUTION:
Commissioners OGC OCAA OIG OPA OCA '
REGIONS EDO SECY
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