Announcing a New Type of NRC Generic Communication

                                 UNITED STATES
                         NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                     OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20555

                                 July 9, 1993


NRC ADMINISTRATIVE LETTER 93-01:  ANNOUNCING A NEW TYPE OF NRC GENERIC 
                                  COMMUNICATION

Addressees

All NRC licensees except licensed operators.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this administrative
letter to inform addressees of this new type of NRC generic communication. 
This administrative letter does not transmit or imply new requirements or
staff positions.  Therefore, suggestions contained in this administrative
letter are not NRC requirements, and no specific action or written response is
required.

Background

Review of the 460 generic letters issued since March 1979 indicates that 203
(approximately 44 percent) simply forwarded information to the addressees. 
Examples of the most recent generic letters of this type are:

 -    Generic Letter (GL) 93-02, "NRC Public Workshop on Commercial Grade      
      Procurement and Dedication"

 -    GL 92-09, "Limited Participation by NRC in the IAEA International        
      Nuclear Event Scale"

 -    GL 92-07, "Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Reorganization"

 -    GL 92-05, "NRC Workshop on the Systematic Assessment of Licensee         
      Performance (SALP) Program"

In addition, a number of generic letters have requested the voluntary
submittal of administrative information.  A specific example of this is  
GL 92-06, "Operator Licensing National Examination Schedule," and its annual
predecessors which asked addressees to revise their previous estimates of the
number of candidates to be tested during future fiscal years.

Discussion

NRC expects each licensee to evaluate each generic communication for applica-
bility to its own facility.  Even though a generic letter that transmits only 



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                                                                July 9, 1993
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administrative information to addressees should be quickly processed, the fact
that it is called a generic letter may place an unnecessary burden on systems
designed to evaluate safety information.
                           
In view of the above, a new type of generic communication called an
administrative letter will be issued from time to time.  Specifically, an
administrative letter is defined as a type of generic communication issued to:

1.    Inform addressees of any of the following:

      a.    Administrative procedure changes being made to implement new       
            regulations

      b.    The issuance of a topical report evaluation or a NUREG-type        
            document that does not contain a new or revised staff position and 
            is not appropriate for inclusion in either a generic letter or an  
            information notice 

      c.    Changes in NRC internal procedures or organizations

2.    Request submittal of voluntary information of an administrative nature   
      that will assist the NRC in the performance of its function.

3.    Announce events of interest such as workshops or regulatory information  
      conferences.

4.    Other purposes of a strictly administrative nature.

This administrative letter requires no specific action or written response. 
If you have any questions about this letter, please contact one of the people
listed below, the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation project
manager, or the appropriate regional office.

                                    Original /s/'d by BKGrimes


                                    Brian K. Grimes, Director
                                    Division of Operating Reactor Support
                                    Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Contacts:   Gail H. Marcus, NRR
            (301) 504-2837

            Richard J. Kiessel, NRR
            (301) 504-2840

            Kevin M. Ramsey, NMSS
            (301) 504-2534