Regulatory Information Summary for Operator Licensing Examination Data

RIS for NRC Form 536.docx

Operator Licensing Examination Data

Regulatory Information Summary for Operator Licensing Examination Data

OMB: 3150-0131

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UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

OFFICE OF NEW REACTORS

WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001

May XX, 2016

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2016-XX

PREPARATION AND SCHEDULING
OF OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS

ADDRESSEES

All holders of, or applicants for, a power reactor operating license or construction permit under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, “Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities,” except those that have certified that they have permanently ceased operations and have permanently removed all fuel from the reactor vessel.

All holders of, or applicants for, a power reactor early site permit or a combined license under 10 CFR Part 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.”

INTENT

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this regulatory issue summary (RIS) to inform addressees of NRC staff’s need for updated information on projected site-specific operator licensing examination schedules, as well as on the estimated number of applicants planning to take operator licensing examinations and the NRC’s generic fundamentals examinations (GFEs). This information will help the NRC plan its resources more effectively. 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

Subpart E, “Written Examinations and Operating Tests,” of 10 CFR Part 55, “Operators’ Licenses,” contains the relevant NRC regulations. In particular, 10 CFR 55.40, “Implementation,” permits nuclear power reactor facility licensees to prepare, proctor, and grade the written examinations required by 10 CFR 55.41, “Written Examination: Operators,” and 10 CFR 55.43, “Written Examination: Senior Operators,” subject to certain conditions. Under 10 CFR 55.40, facility licensees may also prepare the NRC-administered operating tests required by 10 CFR 55.45, “Operating Tests.” Under 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 examinations and operating tests.

In RIS 2015‑05, “Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” dated April 20, 2015, the NRC asked power reactor licensees to submit voluntarily proposed schedules of examinations they intended to prepare and to estimate the number of applicants to be tested for onsite examinations and GFEs in calendar years (CYs) 2017 through 2020. This RIS requests that licensees voluntarily update examination schedules and applicant estimates for CYs 2018 through 2021.

SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE

The NRC uses nearly twice as many resources to prepare an examination as to review, approve, administer, and document a licensee-prepared examination. The number of examinations administered by licensees fluctuates annually. Consequently, the NRC has found it helpful to request an annual update of the operator licensing examination needs of power reactor facility licensees. 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, the NRC requests that licensees evaluate their responses to this RIS in this light, particularly for the later years. The update should estimate the number of applicants to be examined and should indicate if the licensee or the NRC will prepare the exam. In their responses, those utilities not planning to construct a new plant should consider the effect of licensed operators moving between utilities to fill the anticipated openings in the future. 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 requests that each licensee provide the following information using NRC Form 536, “Operator Licensing Examination Data.” (NRC Form 536 is available on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/.)

A. Proposed Examination Preparation Schedule

Licensees should estimate the number of examinations they intend to prepare, and the number of examinations they will request the NRC to prepare during CYs 2018 through 2021. 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 the licensee specifies otherwise. Joint NRC and licensee examination development is permitted and should be coordinated with the NRC regional office. Licensees should notify the applicable NRC regional office, by letter, of any required schedule changes that arise after submission of the RIS response for agreement to, and coordination of, changes to examination administration.

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 the examination. If requesting more than one examination per calendar year, fill in the applicable columns, as appropriate, through CY 2021.

C. Proposed Generic Fundamentals Examination Schedule

Previous to CY 2017, the GFE was given four times per year—in March, June, September, and December. Beginning in CY 2017, the GFE will be given two times a year—in March and September. Estimate by month the number of applicants planning to take the GFE in CYs 2017 and 2018.

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. Direct responses 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. Responses may be submitted electronically.

BACKFITTING AND ISSUE FINALITY

This RIS requests the addressees to inform the NRC of the dates and number of operator‑licensing examinations and the NRC's generic fundamentals examinations in
CY 2018–2021, as well as whether the licensee or the NRC will prepare the exams. The 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 request contained in this RIS is strictly voluntary. Therefore, this RIS does not represent backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50 109(a)(1), nor is it otherwise inconsistent with any issue finality provision in 10 CFR Part 52. Consequently, the NRC staff did not perform a backfit analysis for this RIS or further address the issue finality criteria in Part 52.

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTIFICATION

The NRC did not publish in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity for public comment on this RIS because it concerns 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 defined in the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. §§ 801-808).

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT

This RIS contains information collections that are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved these information collections, approval number 3150-0131. The burden to the public for these information collections is estimated to average 1 hour 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.

Public Protection Notification

The NRC may not conduct nor sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request for information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Michael C. Cheok, Director A. Louise Lund, Director

Division of Construction Inspection Division of Policy and Rulemaking

Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Office of New Reactors

CONTACT

Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contacts listed below.

Technical Contacts: Maurin Scheetz, NRR Michael Junge, NRO

301-415-2758 301-415-7745

_E-mail:_{[email protected]}_E-mail:_michael.jung_e_@nrc.gov

Donald Jackson, RI Gerald McCoy, RII

610-337-5306 404-997-4551

_E-mail:_{donald.jackso}_n_@nrc.gov_E-mail:_{[email protected]}_o_v

Robert Orlikowski, RIII Eugene Guthrie, RII

630-829-9834 404-997-4662

Shape1 _E-mail:_{[email protected]}_E-mail:_{eugene.guthri}_e_@nrc.gov

Vincent Gaddy, RIV

817-200-1159

_E-mail:_{[email protected]}