Renewal of Licenses and Requalification Requirements for Licensed Operators

Samenvatting

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to delete the requirement that each licensed operator at power, test, and research reactors pass a comprehensive requalification written examination and an operating test conducted by the NRC during the term of the operator's 6-year license as a prerequisite for license renewal. The final rule requires that facility licensees shall have a requalification program reviewed and approved by the Commission and shall, upon request consistent with the needs of the Commission's inspection program, submit to the Commission a copy of its annual operating tests or comprehensive written examinations used for operator requalification for review by the Commission. In addition, the final rule amends the ``Scope'' provisions of the regulations pertaining to operators' licenses to include facility licensees. The amendments will improve operational safety at each facility by redirecting NRC resources to administer the requalification program by inspecting and overseeing facility requalification programs rather than conducting requalification examinations. This, in turn, will reduce both licensee and NRC costs related to the program.