RIS 2003-14, Withdrawn NRC RIS-2003-014: Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations

Withdrawn NRC RIS-2003-014: Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations

ML032370311
Person / Time
Issue date:	08/27/2003
From:	Beckner W NRC/NRR/DIPM
To:
Trimble D, NRR/DIPM, 415-2942
References
TAC MB9946 RIS-03-014
Preceding documents:	ML040650758 (4 March 2004) ML040641042 (2 March 2004) ML040640781 (2 March 2004)
Download: ML032370311 (8)

Withdrawn NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2003

-14, "Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations," dated August 27, 2003, has been withdrawn.

ADAMS Accession Number: ML032370311 See Federal Register notice 81 FR 31969, dated May 20, 2016 OMB Clearance no.: 3150-0131UNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATIONWASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001August 27, 2003NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2003-14PREPARATION AND SCHEDULING OF OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS

ADDRESSEES

All holders of operating licenses for nuclear power reactors, except those who havepermanently 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 and 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 plan the use of its resources. This RIS

requires no action or written response on the part of addressees. Any action on the part of addressees to collect and transmit the information noted herein is strictly voluntary.

BACKGROUND

On April 23, 1999, the NRC published a notice in the Federal Register (64 FR 19868) amending10 CFR Part 55, "Operators' Licenses," to allow nuclear power facility licensees to prepare, proctor, and grade the written examinations required by 10 CFR 55.41 and 55.43, provided certain conditions are satisfied. The amendment also allows facility licensees to prepare the NRC-administered operating tests required by 10 CFR 55.45. Pursuant to 10 CFR 55.40(c),

facility licensees that elect not to prepare their own examinations and operating tests must request in writing that the examination and operating tests be prepared by the NRC.Regulatory Information Summary (RIS) 2002-09, "Preparation and Scheduling of OperatorLicensing Examinations," issued June 6, 2002, requested that facility licensees submit proposed schedules of examinations that they intended to prepare and to estimate the number of applicants to be tested in both site examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2003 through 2006. This RIS supercedes RIS 2002-09; the objective is to update examination schedules and applicant estimates for CYs 2004 through 2006, and add an estimate for CY2007.

SUMMARY OF ISSUE

Facility-developed and NRC-developed examinations call for significantly different resourcecommitments on the part of the NRC. Experience has shown that the NRC can review, approve, administer, and document a facility-prepared examination utilizing approximately half the resources it takes to prepare for an NRC-prepared examination. This fact, coupled with year-to-year fluctuations in the total number of examinations, significantly impacts the NRC

resources needed to accommodate licensees

' requests for exams. Consequently, the NRC hasfound it helpful to request an annual update of power reactor facility licensees

' initial operatorlicensing examination needs. This 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 and schedule 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 using NRCForm 536, "Operator Licensing Examination Data

" (Attachment 1):A. Proposed Examination Preparation Schedule Estimate the number of examinations you intend to prepare and estimate the number ofexaminations you will request the NRC to prepare during CYs 2004 through 2007. For examinations that are prepared by facility licensees, the NRC will assume that each examination includes the required outline, written examination(s), and operating test(s), unless otherwise specified (shared examination development is permitted and should be coordinated with the appropriate 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 calendar year, split the applicable column or use additional forms, as necessary, to cover all the examinations through CY 2007. C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule

Estimate the number of applicants who plan to take the GFE in CYs 2004 and 2005 by examination month. As requested by the industry, the GFE will be administered 4 times yearly starting in CY 2004.

Addressees

that choose to submit the information identified in NRC Form 536 are asked to doso within 30 days after receipt of this RIS. NRC Form 536 is available on the NRC Web site at Http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/. It may be filled out, printed, and mailed,but cannot be saved or submitted electronically at the present time. Your response should be directed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Document Control Desk, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and a copy of the response should be sent to the applicable regional office.

BACKFIT DISCUSSION

This RIS requires no action or written response. Any action on the part of addressees to collectand transmit operator licensing examination data in accordance with the guidance contained in this RIS is strictly voluntary. Therefore, this is not a backfit under 10 CFR 50.109, and the staff did not perform a backfit analysis.

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTIFICATION

A notice of opportunity for public comment on this RIS was not published in the FederalRegister because it pertains to an administrative aspect of the regulatory process that involvesthe voluntary submission of information on the part of addressees.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT

This RIS contains a voluntary information collection that is subject to the Paperwork ReductionAct of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This voluntary information collection is covered by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance number 3150-0131, which expires on July 31, 2005. The public reporting burden for this voluntary information collection (NRC

Form 536) is estimated to 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 regarding this burden estimate to the Records Management Branch (T-6 E6), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by Internet electronic mail to bjs1@nrc.gov, and to the DeskOfficer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202 (3150-0131), Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.Public Protection NotificationIf a means used to impose an information collection does not display a currently valid OMBclearance number, the NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, the information collection. If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the technical contacts listedbelow or the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation project manager. /RA/William D. Beckner, Chief Reactor Operations Branch Division of Inspection Program Management Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationTechnical Contacts: David C. Trimble, NRRRichard J. Conte, RI 301-415-2942610-337-5183 E-mail: dct@nrc.govE-mail: rjc@nrc.gov Michael E. Ernstes, RIIRoger D. Lanksbury, RIII 404-562-4638630-829-9631 E-mail: mee@nrc.govE-mail: rdl@nrc.gov Anthony T. Gody, RIV 817-860-8159 E-mail: atg@nrc.gov Attachments:1. NRC Form 536, "Operator Licensing Examination Data

"2. List of Recently Issued NRC Regulatory Issue Summaries

ML032370311*See previous concurrenceDOCUMENT NAME: C:\ORPCheckout\FileNET\ML032370311.wpdOFFICEIROB:DIPMTech EditorSC:IOHS:IROB:DIPMIROB:DIPM

NAMEEEBarnhill*PKleene*DCTrimble*CDPetrone*DATE08/01 /200307/28/200308 /01/200307/30/2003OFFICEOGCSC:OES:IROB:DIPMC:IROB:DIPMNAMERWeismann*TReisWDBecknerDATE08 /22 /200308/27/200308/27/2003 Attachment 1 ______________________________________________________________________________________OL = Operating License

CP = Construction PermitAttachment 2 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUEDNRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARIES

_____________________________________________________________________________________Regulatory Issue Date of Summary No. Subject IssuanceIssued to

_____________________________________________________________________________________2003-13NRC Review of Responses toBulletin 2002-01, "Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Degradation and Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity

" 07/29/2003All holders of construction permitsor operating licenses for nuclear power reactors except those who have permanently ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel.2003-12Clarification of NRC Guidance forModifying Protective Actions06/24/2003All holders of operating licensesfor nuclear power reactors, except those who have permanently ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel.2003-11Reporting Requirements forDistributors of Devices Subject to the General License Requirements of 10 CFR 3.507/16/2003All licensees authorized todistribute devices containing byproduct material under

10 CFR 32.51, or equivalent Agreement State regulation.2003-10Licensed Operator RequalificationTraining: Written Examination Frequency06/13/2003All holders of operating licensesfor nuclear power reactors and test and research reactors, except those who have permanently ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel. Note:NRC generic communications may be received in electronic format shortly after they areissued by subscribing to the NRC listserver as follows:To subscribe send an e-mail to <listproc@nrc.gov >, no subject, and the followingcommand in the message portion:subscribe gc-nrr firstname lastname