NRC sheds 1962 handwriting rule

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is getting rid of a 54-year-old rule, which predates even the current name of the agency.

In 1962, the Atomic Energy Commission, the predecessor to the NRC, adopted a rule requiring the agency secretary to make corrections to hearing transcripts by physically crossing out the deletions and handwriting in changes above. The proscriptive rule specifically calls for the secretary to draw a line through the text to be changed.

The rule is still in effect, although NRC does not follow it. The use of computers to produce agency documents has outpaced the need for handwritten changes. Different parts of the NRC try to capture the spirit of the old rule using different methods.

A new rule was created to "reflect advancements in technology and to bring its regulations in line with current agency practice." The change, which took effect July 20, allows NRC officials flexibility to highlight changes in corrected official documents in different ways.