RIS 2008-16, Withdrawn NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2008-16: Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations
| ML081160148 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/27/2008 |
| From: | Michael Case NRC/NRR/ADRA/DPR |
| To: | |
| Carol Hart, 415-1065 | |
| References | |
| RIS-08-016 | |
| Download: ML081160148 (7) | |
Withdrawn NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2008-16, Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations, dated June 27, 2008, has been withdrawn.
ADAMS Accession Number: ML081160148 See Federal Register notice 81 FR 31969, dated May 20, 2016
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 June 27, 2008 NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2008-16 PREPARATION AND SCHEDULING OF
OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS
ADDRESSEES
All holders of operating licenses and applicants for nuclear power reactors, except those who have permanently ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel.
INTENT
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this regulatory issue summary (RIS)
to inform addressees of the NRC staff=s need for updated information on projected site-specific operator licensing examination schedules, as well as the estimated numbers of applicants planning to take operator licensing examinations and the NRC=s 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
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 55.40 (b), AWritten Examinations and Operating Tests,@ permits nuclear power facility licensees to prepare, proctor, and grade the written examinations required by 10 CFR 55.41, AWritten Examination: Operators,@ and
10 CFR 55.43, AWritten Examination: Senior Operators,@ provided that they satisfy 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, AOperating Tests.@ Pursuant to 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 examination and the operating tests.
In RIS 2007-17, APreparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,@ dated July 12, 2007, the NRC asked facility licensees to submit proposed schedules of examinations that they intended to prepare and estimate the number of applicants to be tested in site examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2008 through 2011.
The objective of this RIS is to update examination schedules and applicant estimates for CYs
2009 through 2011 and add an estimate for CY 2012.
SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE
The NRC uses about twice as many resources to prepare an examination as to review, approve, administer, and document a facility-prepared examination. The number of examinations administered by licensees fluctuates from year to year. Consequently, the NRC has found it helpful to request an annual update of power reactor facility licensees initial operator licensing examination needs. 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 you evaluate your response to this RIS in this light, particularly for the latter years. For those utilities that are not planning to construct a new plant, your response should consider the impact of licensed operators moving between utilities to fill the many anticipated openings in the future. The update should include an estimate of the number of applicants to be examined and whether the licensee or the NRC will prepare the exam. 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 NRC Form 536, AOperator Licensing Examination Data@ (enclosed):
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 2009 through 2012. 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 otherwise specified. Joint NRC/licensee examination development is permitted and should be coordinated with the NRC regional office.
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 examination. If you are requesting more than one examination per CY, split the applicable column or use additional forms as necessary to cover all the examinations through CY 2012.
C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule Estimate by month the number of applicants who plan to take the GFE in CYs 2009 and 2010.
As requested by the industry, the NRC now administers the GFE four times a 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 RIS 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 guidance contained in this RIS is strictly voluntary and, therefore, is not a backfit under 10 CFR 50.109, ABackfitting.@
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 concerns a voluntary information collection that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This voluntary information collection is covered by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Clearance No. 3150-0131, which expires on August 31,
2008.
The NRC estimates that the public reporting burden for this voluntary information collection on NRC Form 536 will average 1 hour1.157407e-5 days <br />2.777778e-4 hours <br />1.653439e-6 weeks <br />3.805e-7 months <br /> per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information collection. Send comments on any aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Records and FOIA/Privacy Services Branch (T-5F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by Internet electronic mail to infocollects@nrc.gov; and to the Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202 (3150-0131), Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.
Public Protection Notification The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection 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 MMaxim for/
Michael J. Case, Director Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Technical Contacts: Nancy L. Salgado, NRR Michael Junge, NRO
301-415-2942 301-415-7745 email: nancy.salgado@nrc.gov email: michael.junge@nrc.gov Samuel Hansell, RI Malcolm Widmann, RII
610-337-5046 404-562-4550
email: samuel.hansell@nrc.gov email: malcolm.widmann@nrc.gov Hironori Peterson, RIII Ryan Lantz, RIV
630-829-9707 817-860-8158 email: hironori.peterson@nrc.gov email: ryan.lantz@nrc.gov Enclosure: NRC Form 536, AOperator Licensing Examination Data@
CONTACT
Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contacts listed below.
/RA by MMaxim for/
Michael J. Case, Director Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Technical Contacts: Nancy L. Salgado, NRR Michael Junge, NRO
301-415-2942 301-415-7745 email: nancy.salgado@nrc.gov email: michael.junge@nrc.gov Samuel Hansell, RI Malcolm Widmann, RII
610-337-5046 404-562-4550
email: samuel.hansell@nrc.gov email: malcolm.widmann@nrc.gov Hironori Peterson, RIII Ryan Lantz, RIV
630-829-9707 817-860-8159 email: hironori.peterson@nrc.gov email: ryan.lantz@nrc.gov Enclosure: NRC Form 536, AOperator Licensing Examination Data@
DISTRIBUTION:
RIS File ADAMS ACCESSION NO. ML081160148 OFFICE IOLB:DIRS TECH EDITOR C:IOLB:DIRS D:DIRS C:COLP:DCIP:NRO D:DCIP:NRO
NAME CAHart QTE (HChang) NLSalgado FBrown MJunge GTracy DATE 05/01/2008 04/29/2008 05/20/2008 05/21/2008 05/27/2008 05/27/2008 OFFICE D:DORL OE OGC (NLO) OGC (CRA) PMDA OIS
NAME TMcGinty GGulla SUtall NSanchez LHill GTrussell DATE 06/06/2008 06/10/2008 06/13/2008 06/06/2008 06/16/2008 06/23/2008 OFFICE LA:PGCB:DPR PGCB:DPR BC:PGCB:DPR (A)D:DPR
NAME CHawes AMarkley MMurphy MMaxim for MCase DATE 06/24/2008 06/25/2008 06/25/2008 06/27/2008 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY