OIG-24-A-10, Status of Recommendations: Audit of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’S Reactor Operator Licensing Examination Process, Dated, May 21, 2025
| ML25141A180 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/21/2025 |
| From: | Virkar H NRC/OIG/AIGA |
| To: | Mirela Gavrilas NRC/EDO |
| References | |
| OIG-24-A-10 | |
| Download: ML25141A180 (1) | |
Text
NRC Headquarters l 11555 Rockville Pike l Rockville, Maryland 20852 l 301.415.5930 nrcoig.oversight.gov MEMORANDUM DATE:
May 21, 2025 TO:
Mirela Gavrilas Executive Director for Operations FROM:
Hruta Virkar, CPA /RA/
Assistant Inspector General for Audits & Evaluations
SUBJECT:
STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS: AUDIT OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION PROCESS (OIG-24-A-10)
REFERENCE:
ACTING DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION, MEMORANDUM DATED APRIL 28, 2025 Attached is the Office of the Inspector Generals (OIG) analysis and status of recommendations as discussed in the agencys response dated April 28, 2025.
Based on this response, recommendation 1.1 remains open and resolved. Please provide an updated status of the open, resolved recommendation by May 29, 2026.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 301.415.1982 or Avinash Jaigobind, Team Leader, at 301.415.5402.
Attachment:
As stated cc: J. Martin, ADO D. Lewis, DADO J. Jolicoeur, OEDO OIG Liaison Resource EDO ACS Distribution
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION PROCESS Status of Recommendation (OIG-24-A-10) 2 Recommendation 1.1:
Identify process gaps and update NUREG-1021 to ensure that guidance in future revisions remains current and addresses emerging issues.
Agency Response Dated April 28, 2025:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff identified three actions to address the one recommendation in the Office of the Inspector Generals (OIGs) audit of the reactor operator licensing examination process (OIG-24-A-10). The implementation status is provided below:
NRC Staff Action 1: Issue a draft of NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, for public comment that includes, at a minimum, revisions to address identified process gaps.
Target: 6/30/2028 (i.e., 6 months following issuance of the final effectiveness review report, which is anticipated no later than the end of calendar year 2027).
Status: In progress. The update of NUREG-1021 is on track for completion by the target date.
NRC Staff Action 2: Revise Operator Licensing Program Feedback (OLPF) information.
Target: 3/31/2025.
Status: Complete. The staff evaluated the reports on interactions listed in figure 3 of OIGs audit report dated September 30, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML24274A141), to determine whether information in them should be made available to external stakeholders through the OLPF website. Information that the staff determined would be beneficial to external stakeholders was added to the OLPF information and made available on the NRCs public website on March 17, 2025.
NRC Staff Action 3: Submit a revision to NRC Form 398, Personal Qualification Statement Licensee, to the Office of Management and Budget that, at a
Audit Report AUDIT OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION PROCESS Status of Recommendation (OIG-24-A-10) 3 Recommendation 1 (continued):
minimum, addresses the identified process gaps.
Target: 1/31/2026.
Status: Complete. The staff revised the NRC Form 398 on March 20, 2025. The revision consisted of one editorial change to the instructions for box 11A on NRC Form 398 to clarify the instructions for new applications. The staff identified the need to make the change following its review of OIGs assessment of the reports on interactions completed in calendar year 2023. OIG had also observed during the audit that NRC Form 398 did not contain a checkbox or other instructions for indicating a supplement, revision, or update of previously submitted information on the form. The staff determined that a checkbox or other instruction on the form is not necessary at this time because the process for submitting, reviewing, and approving license applications, as established in NUREG-1021, provides for the staff to notify a submitter when a new submission is necessary and for the submitter to supersede a previously submitted form. There are also no known issues with the current process. Target date for completion: June 30, 2028.
OIG Analysis:
The proposed actions described in the agencys response meet the intent of this recommendation. The OIG will close this recommendation after reviewing and confirming that an update to NUREG-1021 addresses the identified process gaps.
Status:
Open: Resolved