[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 15312-15313] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-7186] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Draft NUREG; Issuance, Availability The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has developed a draft guideline document for the review of advanced control room designs and advanced human-system interfaces that may be located within conventional control rooms. This is being issued as Draft Revision 1 to NUREG-0700, ``Human System Interface Design Review Guideline,'' which is the successor to, and integrates relevant sections of, the current guidance used by the staff, NUREG-0700 (1981), ``Guidelines for Control Room Design Reviews.'' Draft Revision 1 to NUREG-0700 is not a backfit and does not impose new requirements on current plants. It is not a generic communication that proposes a new staff position or seeks additional licensee commitments. This document would not apply to licensees under 10 CFR Part 50 for the review of human-system interfaces unless the licensee initiated a voluntary upgrade. Draft Revision 1 to NUREG-0700 has been developed to apply primarily to advanced reactors. New plant designs, submitted to the NRC for review and approval under 10 CFR 52.47(a)(1)(ii), must meet 10 CFR 50.34(f)(2)(iii), which requires a ``control room design that reflects state-of-the-art human factors principles.'' Revision 1 to NUREG-0700 will be used by the staff as part of the comprehensive human factors engineering review process for advanced reactors described in the ``Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model,'' NUREG-0711 (July 1994). Draft Revision 1 to NUREG-0700 is consistent with a previously established Commission position in that it does not include generic design certification communications or generic decisions for future plants (see SECY-92-224, June 22, 1992). The NUREG itself is not mandatory. Rather, the guidelines contained within it represent good human factors engineering practice based upon state-of-the-art research and validated review criteria developed in the nuclear industry as well as in other fields, primarily military and aerospace. The draft guidelines have been subjected to extensive independent peer review by subject matter experts as part of their development. The Commission encourages comment from all interested parties, and specifically from facilities licensed under 10 CFR Part 50, with regard to the staff's contention that no backfitting is intended for current licensees with the issuance of this guidance document unless a licensee initiates a voluntary upgrade to its human-system interface. The comment period expires May 15, 1995. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission is able to assure consideration only for comments received before this date. Mail comments to: Chief, Rules Review and Directives Branch, Division of Freedom of Information and Publication Services, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Comments may be hand-delivered to 11545 Rockville Pike, Maryland, between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays. Comments may be submitted electronically, in either ASCII text or Workperfect format (version 5.1 or later), by calling the NRC Electronic Bulletin Board on FedWorld. The bulletin board may be accessed using a personal computer, a modem, and one of the commonly available communications software packages, or directly via Internet. If using a personal computer and modem, the NRC subsystem on FedWorld can be accessed directly by dialing the toll free number 1- 800-303-9672. Communication software parameters should be set as follows: parity to none, data bits to 8, and stop bits to 1 (N,8,1). Using ANSI or VT-100 terminal emulation, the NRC NUREGs and RegGuides for Comment subsystem can then be accessed by selecting the ``Rules Menu'' option from the ``NRC Main Menu.'' For further information about options available for NRC at FedWorld, consult the ``Help/Information Center'' from the ``NRC Main Menu.'' Users will find the ``FedWorld Online User's Guides'' particularly helpful. Many NRC subsystems and databases also have a ``Help/Information Center'' option that is tailored to the particular subsystem. The NRC subsystem on FedWorld can also be accessed by a direct dial phone number for the main FedWorld BBS, 703-321-8020, or by using Telnet via Internet, fedworld.gov. If using 703-321-8020 to contact FedWorld, the NRC subsystem will be accessed from the main FedWorld menu by selecting the ``Regulatory, Government Administration and State Systems,'' then selecting ``Regulatory Information Mall.'' At the point, a menu will be displayed that has an option ``U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission'' that will take you to the NRC Online main menu. The NRC Online area also can be accessed directly by typing ``/go nrc'' at a FedWorld command line. If you access NRC from FedWorld's main menu, you may return to FedWorld by selecting the ``Return to FedWorld'' option from the NRC Online Main Menu. However, if you access NRC at FedWorld by using NRC's toll-free number, you will have full access to all NRC systems but you will not have access to the main FedWorld system. If you contact FEDWORLD using Telnet, you will see the NRC area and menus, including the Rules menu. Although you will be able to download documents and leave messages, you will not be able to write comments or upload files (comments). If you contact FEDWORLD using FTP, all files can be accessed and downloaded but uploads are not allowed; all you will see is a list of files without descriptions (normal Gopher look). An index file listing all files within a subdirectory, with descriptions, is included. There is a 15-minute time limit for FTP access. Although FEDWORLD can be accessed through the World Wide Web, like FTP that mode only provides access for downloading files and does not display the NRC Rules menu. For more information on NRC bulletin boards, call Mr. Arthur Davis, Systems Integration and Development Branch, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301) 415-5780; e-mail AXD[email protected]. NUREGs are available for inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC. Requests for single copies of NUREGs (which may be reproduced) should be made in writing to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Distribution and Mail Services Section. Telephone requests cannot be accommodated. NUREGs are not copyrighted, and Commission approval is not required to reproduce them. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Wachtel, Office of Nuclear Regulatory [[Page 15313]] Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301) 415-6498; e-mail [email protected]. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of March 1995. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Franklin D. Coffman, Jr., Chief, Control, Instrumentation & Human Factors Branch, Division of Systems Technology, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. [FR Doc. 95-7186 Filed 3-22-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M