[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 20841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10243]


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

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Revision of Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power 
Reactors: Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued Supplement 1 to 
Revision 8 of NUREG-1021, ``Operator Licensing Examination Standards 
for Power Reactors,'' (formerly ``Operator Licensing Examiner 
Standards''). The Commission uses NUREG-1021 to provide policy and 
guidance for the development, administration, and grading of written 
examinations and operating tests used to determine the qualifications 
of individuals who apply for operator and senior operator licenses at 
nuclear power plants pursuant to part 55 of Title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR part 55). NUREG-1021 provides similar 
guidance for verifying the continued qualifications of licensed 
operators when the staff determines that NRC requalification 
examinations are necessary.
    NUREG-1021 has been revised to implement a number of clarifications 
and enhancements that have been identified since Revision 8 was 
published in April 1999. A draft of Supplement 1 was issued for comment 
on March 20, 2000 (65 FR 15020), and an addendum, which extended the 
comment period until October 31, 2000, was issued on July 17, 2000 (65 
FR 44080). A summary of the comments regarding draft Supplement 1 and 
the NRC staff's response to those comments is available in the NRC 
Public Electronic Reading Room (http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html/Accession Number ML010580481).
    The notable changes in Supplement 1 include: (1) Clarified guidance 
to ensure that the topics and questions for the written examination are 
selected in a systematic and random manner making it possible to relax 
the limits on question repetition from recent examinations and to 
increase the upper limit on the number of questions that may be taken 
directly from a bank of previously-used questions; (2) updated 
guidelines related to the training and qualification of operator 
license applicants in order to conform with Revision 3 of Regulatory 
Guide 1.8, ``Qualification and Training of Personnel for Nuclear Power 
Plants,'' which was published in May 2000; and (3) clarified guidance 
for documenting NRC staff concerns related to draft examination 
quality.
    Supplement 1 to Revision 8 will become effective for operator 
licensing examinations that are confirmed 60 or more days after the 
date of this notice by issuance of an official corporate notification 
letter or at an earlier date agreed upon by the facility licensee and 
its NRC Regional Office. After the effective date, facility licensees 
that elect to prepare their examinations will be expected do so based 
on the guidance in Supplement 1 to Revision 8 of NUREG-1021, unless the 
NRC has reviewed and approved the facility licensee's alternative 
examination procedures.
    Copies of Supplement 1 to Revision 8 of NUREG-1021 are being mailed 
to the plant or site manager at each nuclear power facility regulated 
by the NRC. A copy is available for inspection and/or copying for a fee 
in the NRC's Public Document Room, Washington, DC. NUREG-1021 is also 
electronically available for downloading from the NRC's operator 
licensing web site (http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/REACTOR/OL/OLguidance.html). 
If you do not have electronic access to NRC documents, you may request 
a single copy of Supplement 1 by writing to the Office of the Chief 
Information Officer, Reproduction and Distribution Services Section, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001 
(facsimile: 301-512-2289). Telephone requests cannot be accommodated. 
NUREG documents are not copyrighted, and Commission approval is not 
required to reproduce them.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 17th day of April 2001.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Glenn M. Tracy,
Chief, Operator Licensing, Human Performance and Plant Support Branch, 
Division of Inspection Program Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-10243 Filed 4-24-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P