Home > Nuclear Reactors > Operator Licensing > Regulations, Guidance, and Communications > Generic Communications

Generic Communications Related to Operator Licensing

This page provides an index to the generic communications pertinent to operator licensing.

On this page:

• Regulatory Issue Summaries
• Administrative Letters
• Generic Letters
• Information Notices

Regulatory Issue Summaries

• Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2008-16,  "Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations," dated June 27, 2008. This document informs 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).


• Regulatory Issue Summary 2007-29, "Clarified Guidance for Licensed Operator Watch-Standing Proficiency," dated December 27, 2007. This RIS summarized the clarifications on this subject contained in Section ES-605 of Supplement 1 to Revision 9 of NUREG-1021, “Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors.” Supplement 1 to Revision 9 of NUREG-1021 was issued on October 19, 2007. This RIS required no action or written response on the part of the addressees.
  


• Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2003-10,  "Licensed Operator Requalification Training: Written Exam Frequency," dated June 13, 2003. This RIS clarifies the NRC staff's expectations regarding the frequency of licensed operator requalification written examinations.


• Regulatory Issue Summary 2001-01, "Eligibility of Operator License Applicants," dated January 18, 2001. This document reviews and updates the status of this issue since Information Notice (IN) 98-37, "Eligibility of Operator License Applicants," was issued on October 1, 1998. This RIS does not transmit any new requirements or staff positions, nor does it require any specific action or written response.

Adminstrative Letters

• Administrative Letter 99-03, "Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations," dated August 20, 1999. This document requests addressees to submit, on a voluntary basis, information pertaining to their proposed site-specific operator licensing examination schedule and the estimated number of applicants planning to take those examinations and the NRC's generic fundamentals examinations (GFEs).

Generic Letters

• Generic Letter 2006-02, "Grid Reliability and the Impact on Plant Risk and the Operability of Offsite Power," dated February 1, 2006. This document required addressees to provide information related to electrical power system operability, maintenance, and restoration to determine if compliance is being maintained with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulatory requirements governing electric power sources and associated personnel training.


• Generic Letter 95-06, Supplement 1, "Changes in the Operator Licensing Program," dated January 31, 1997. This document (1) informed addressees of the results of the pilot program described in GL 95-06 and (2) notified addressees of NRC's decision to change the operator licensing process so that facility licensees could prepare the operating tests and prepare, administer, and grade the written examinations that the NRC would review, approve, and use to determine the competence of operator license applicants at power reactor facilities. This change was implemented on an interim basis pending the completion of an amendment to 10 CFR Part 55 that, had it been approved in its proposed format, would have required power reactor facility licensees to prepare their own examinations.


• Generic Letter 95-06, "Changes in the Operator Licensing Program," dated August 15, 1995. This document (1) notified addressees of the NRC's intent to change the operator licensing process so that facility licensees will have the option to prepare draft written examinations and operating tests used by the NRC to determine the competence of operator license applicants at power reactor facilities and (2) solicited volunteers to participate in a pilot program that evaluated and refined the new examination development process.



• Generic Letter 87-07, "Information Transmittal of Final Rulemaking for Revisions to Operator licensing 10 CFR 55 and Conforming Amendments," dated March 19, 1987. This document announced a series of public meetings to discuss an amendment to 10 CFR Part 55, which was published in the Federal Register (52 FR 9453) on March 25, 1987, and highlighted the option of substituting an accredited training program for initial and requalification training programs previously approved by NRC.

Information Notices

• Information Notice 2007-39, “Control of Simulation Software Categorized as Sensitive Unclassified Nonsafeguards Information,” dated January 7, 2008. This IN was sent to all power reactors, category I fuel cycle facilities, independent spent fuel storage installations, conversion facility, and gaseous diffusion plants. Note that this information notice contains physical security information and is, therefore, being withheld from public disclosure in accordance with 10 CFR 2.390.
  
  
  Information Notice 2007-31 , "U.S. Food and Drug Administration Announcement Related to Certain Sleep Disorder Drugs," dated November 13, 2007. This IN provided information regarding a March 14, 2007, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement related to certain sleep disorder drugs. The information described in the announcement could be applicable to a licensee’s Fitness-for-Duty Program (FFD), Behavioral Observation Program (BOP), and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
  
  
• Information Notice 07-11, "Recent Operator Performance Issues At Nuclear Power Plants,” dated March 6, 2007. This notice informed addressees of recent operator performance issues such as examples of misalignments that rendered plant safety systems inoperable and instances in which operators did not control reactivity as specified in plant procedures.
  
  
• Information Notice 04-20, "Recent Issues Associated With NRC Medical Requirements for Licensed Operators," dated November 24, 2004.  This notice highlighted concerns related to the conduct and documentation of medical examinations for applicants and holders of reactor operator and senior operator licenses.
  
  
• Information Notice 98-37, "Eligibility of Operator License Applicants," dated October 1, 1998. This notice to reminded addressees that the eligibility requirements for applying for an operator license have not changed since 10 CFR Part 55 was amended in 1987.
  
  
• Information Notice 98-28, "Development of Systematic Sample Plan for Operator Licensing Examinations," dated July 31, 1998. This notice alerted addressees to concerns that NRC found while conducting its licensed operator examination program.


• Information Notice 98-15, "Integrity of Operator Licensing Examinations," dated April 20, 1998. This notice advised addressees of several instances of potential compromise of the integrity of operator licensing examinations.


• Information Notice 97-67, "Failure to Satisfy the Requirements for Significant Manipulation of the Controls for Power Reactor Operator Licensing," dated August 21, 1997. This notice alerted addressees that operator license applicants are required to perform at least five significant control manipulations on the facility for which a license is sought (Section 55.31(a)(5) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations [10 CFR 55.31(a)(5)]).


• Information Notice 95-48, "Results of Shift Staffing Study," dated October 10, 1995. This notice informed addressees of the results of the NRC's study to address the adequacy of minimum shift staffing levels at nuclear power plants.


• Information Notice 95-24, "Summary of Licensed Operator Requalification Inspection Program Findings," dated April 25, 1995. This notice alerted addressees regarding the NRC's findings during the more than 50 requalification program inspections using IP 71001 or its predecessor, Temporary Instruction 2515/117, conducted since January 1993.


• Information Notice 95-23, "Control Room Staffing Below Minimum Regulatory Requirements," dated April 24, 1995. This notice alerted addressees to several instances from 1992 through 1994 in which control room staffing fell below the regulatory requirements in 10 CFR 50.54(k), 10 CFR 50.54(m)(2)(iii), and facility Technical Specifications and procedures.


• Information Notice 94-14, "Failure to Implement Requirements for Biennial Medical Examinations and Notification to the NRC of Changes in Licensed Operator Medical Conditions," dated February 24, 1994, and its Supplement, dated April 14, 1997. This notice reminded addressees of the requirements for licensed reactor operators and senior reactor operators to be examined by a physician every 2 years and for facility licensees to notify the NRC of changes in a licensed operator's physical or mental condition, as determined by a physician, that cause the operator to fail to meet the medical requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 55, "Operators' Licenses" (10 CFR Part 55).
  
  
• Information Notice 91-77, "Shift Staffing at Nuclear Power Plants," dated November 26, 1991. This notice alerted addressees to problems that could result from inadequate controls to ensure that shift staffing is sufficient to accomplish all necessary functions required by an event.
  
  
• Information Notice 91-24, "Recent Operating Experience Involving Reactor Operation Without a Licensed RO or SRO Present in the Control Room," dated March 26, 1991. This notice alerted addressees to recent operating experience involving reactor operation without a licensed reactor operator or senior reactor operator present in the control room.
  
  
• Information Notice 91-08, "Medical Examinations for Licensed Operators," dated February 5, 1991. This notice alerted addressees to recent problems identified in the administration and documentation of medical examinations for licensed operators and operator license applicants.


• Information Notice 90-54, "Summary of Requalification Program Deficiencies," dated August 28, 1990. This notice alerted addressees to problems identified during administration of the NRC's licensed operator requalification examination program. The problems and weaknesses summarized therein were compiled from NRC examination reports issued to facilities that received unsatisfactory requalification program evaluations or exhibited significant weaknesses during the examination process.

Privacy Policy | Site Disclaimer
Thursday, July 31, 2008