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NRC NEWS
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION |
| Office of Public Affairs |
Telephone: 301/415-8200 |
| Washington, DC 20555-001 |
E-mail: opa@nrc.gov |
www.nrc.gov/OPA/
No. 96-67 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Friday, May 10, 1996)
NRC PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO FITNESS-FOR-DUTY RULE
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission proposes to amend its
fitness-for-duty rule, which requires NRC licensees to take steps
to deter and detect substance abuse.
The proposed revisions would take into account experience
gained in implementing the rule, new developments in the
substance abuse area, and related actions by other government
agencies.
Although the experience gained since it took effect in June
1989 shows that the rule is fundamentally sound, the proposed
amendments would enhance the effectiveness of licensees'
fitness-for-duty programs and reduce some unnecessary testing
burdens on
licensees, without decreasing protection of the public health and
safety afforded by the rule.
As proposed, the amendments would:
--Adopt changes the Department of Health and Human Services
made in 1994 to its testing guidelines, particularly in
tightening the standard for passing screening tests for
marijuana.
--Add licensee fitness-for-duty personnel to the testing
pool, since a few licensees are not now testing such employees.
--Require licensees to review and, in some cases, make minor
revisions to their written policies, procedures and technical
standards.
--Accept testing results from other Federal, State and
licensee programs to eliminate duplicate testing.
--Initiate follow-up testing of personnel who are returned
to service after substance abuse rehabilitation and adopt a
specified frequency of such testing over a three-year period.
--Permit applicants for unescorted access to a licensee's
site to appeal the results of a substance abuse test.
--Require certain measures to prevent "subversion" (attempts
to avoid detection) of the testing process and implement measures
to detect such attempts.
--Adopt the same sanctions for alcohol abuse as currently
exist for use of illegal drugs.
--Reduce the number of days between collection and testing
of urine specimens.
--Permit licensees to reduce the rate of blind performance
tests (specimens that are blank or spiked to challenge a
laboratory's testing ability to ensure the validity of test
results).
--Reduce the frequency of employee training in
fitness-for-duty policy.
Written comments on the proposed amendments to Part 26 of
the NRC's regulations should be received by August 7. The
comments should be addressed to the Secretary of the Commission,
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001,
Attention: Docketing and Service Branch.
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