Will the plant Control Room Operators under this system be required to be "Licensed" as it is now (including continuing training, qualification, etc)? I would expect this to be an issue. If so who/what would be the licensing authority? It should be addressed under NRA one-way or another. The draft is totally silent on this issue.
Good point. The Act will have to say something about this issue.
In thinking about this, it is important to recognizes that different technologies will require very different operator skill levels.
In a ThorCon style, truly walk away safe, design (which does not mean it can't have a release) the only thing the operator can do is hit the shutdown button. The reactor NEVER reverts to manual control. This is quite different from a LWR that, when things go to hell, the reactor turns the mess over to some poor soul, and asks him to somehow get control of the situation, much like asking a pilot to get a badly compromised aircraft on the ground without killing anybody. Whatever we come up with must handle these different requirements efficiently.
Jack, nothing specific but this is not a new problem/issue. It seems to me to be best tied to the U-Cert issue and requirements. Most areas of several processes have such programs; e.g. doctors, lawyers, sea captains, plumbers, even home improvement contractors, etc. all have certifying/licensing requirements "codified" in some fashion. Since once a design becomes operational this process becomes part of O&M budgets it should be included in "should cost" estimates for that design.
The hard part is deciding when the process is good enough and not continuously striving for excellence.
As you know most certification/licensing requirements are controlled by the licensees via professional societies and the like, and most are mostly "conspiracies against the public'" creating barriers to entry which benefit the incumbents. In State of Washington, I'm told the licensing requirements for barbers runs scores of pages.
The most recent draft of the NRA makes this a responsibility of the Certification Society. See Section 705. If the NCA is not satisfied and the Cert Society and the NCA cannot resolve their differences, the issue goes to the Nuclear Arbitration Board.
Will the plant Control Room Operators under this system be required to be "Licensed" as it is now (including continuing training, qualification, etc)? I would expect this to be an issue. If so who/what would be the licensing authority? It should be addressed under NRA one-way or another. The draft is totally silent on this issue.
Mike,
Good point. The Act will have to say something about this issue.
In thinking about this, it is important to recognizes that different technologies will require very different operator skill levels.
In a ThorCon style, truly walk away safe, design (which does not mean it can't have a release) the only thing the operator can do is hit the shutdown button. The reactor NEVER reverts to manual control. This is quite different from a LWR that, when things go to hell, the reactor turns the mess over to some poor soul, and asks him to somehow get control of the situation, much like asking a pilot to get a badly compromised aircraft on the ground without killing anybody. Whatever we come up with must handle these different requirements efficiently.
Ideas anybody?
Jack, nothing specific but this is not a new problem/issue. It seems to me to be best tied to the U-Cert issue and requirements. Most areas of several processes have such programs; e.g. doctors, lawyers, sea captains, plumbers, even home improvement contractors, etc. all have certifying/licensing requirements "codified" in some fashion. Since once a design becomes operational this process becomes part of O&M budgets it should be included in "should cost" estimates for that design.
The hard part is deciding when the process is good enough and not continuously striving for excellence.
Mike,
As you know most certification/licensing requirements are controlled by the licensees via professional societies and the like, and most are mostly "conspiracies against the public'" creating barriers to entry which benefit the incumbents. In State of Washington, I'm told the licensing requirements for barbers runs scores of pages.
The most recent draft of the NRA makes this a responsibility of the Certification Society. See Section 705. If the NCA is not satisfied and the Cert Society and the NCA cannot resolve their differences, the issue goes to the Nuclear Arbitration Board.