IR 05000237/2023301
| ML23146A199 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden  |
| Issue date: | 05/30/2023 |
| From: | April Nguyen NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB |
| To: | Rhoades D Constellation Energy Generation |
| Shared Package | |
| ML22007A048 | List: |
| References | |
| IR 2023301 | |
| Download: ML23146A199 (1) | |
Text
SUBJECT:
DRESDEN NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 - NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000237/2023301; 05000249/2023301
Dear David Rhoades:
On May 1, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Dresden Nuclear Power Station. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on April 14, 2023, with Pat Boyle, Site Vice President and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on May 18, 2023, between Pat Boyle, Site Vice President, and Greg Roach, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the license applicants.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the week of April 10, 2023. The written examination was administered by Dresden Nuclear Power Station training department personnel on April 17, 2023. Five Senior Reactor Operator and four Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on May 22, 2023. Nine applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Five were issued senior operator licenses and four were issued operator licenses.
The administered written examination and operating test, as well as documents related to the development and review (outlines, review comments and resolution, etc.) of the examination will be withheld from public disclosure until May 1, 2025.
May 30, 2023 This letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be made available for public inspection and copying at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the NRC Public Document Room in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Sincerely, April M. Nguyen, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operator Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-237; 50-249 License Nos. DPR-19; DPR-25 Enclosure:
1.
Examination Report 05000237/2023301; 05000249/2023301 2.
Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV Bradford Surges, Senior Manager Site Training, Dresden Nuclear Power Station Signed by Nguyen, April on 05/30/23
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ER 05000237/2023301; 05000249/2023301(DORS); 04/10/2023-05/01/2023; Constellation
Energy Generation, LLC; Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 2 and 3; Initial License Examination Report.
The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021,
Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 12.
Examination Summary:
Nine of nine applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Five applicants were issued senior operator licenses and four applicants were issued operator licenses.
(Section 4OA5.1).
REPORT DETAILS
4OA5 Other Activities
.1 Initial Licensing Examinations
a. Examination Scope
The NRC examiners and members of the facility licensees staff used the guidance prescribed in NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 12, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the written examination and operating test. The written examination outlines were prepared by the NRC staff and were transmitted to the facility licensees staff. Members of the facility licensees staff developed the operating test outlines and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of March 6, 2023, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited two reactor operator and two senior reactor operator license applications for accuracy. The NRC examiners, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff, administered the operating test, consisting of job performance measures and dynamic simulator scenarios, during the period of April 10, 2023, through April 14, 2023. The facility licensee administered the written examination on April 17, 2023.
b. Findings
- (1) Written Examination The NRC examiners determined that the written examination, as proposed by the licensee, was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.
Less than 20 percent of the proposed examination questions were determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement.
All changes made to the proposed written examination, were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on Form 2.3-5, Written Examination Review Worksheet. The Form 2.3-5, the written examination outlines (Form 4.1-PWR Pressurized-Water Reactor Examination Outline and Form 4.1-COMMON Common Examination Outline), and both the proposed and final written examinations, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) on May 1, 2025, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML22007A051, ML22007A047, ML22007A046, and ML22007A049 respectively).
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on May 5, 2023, and conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and validity of the examination questions.
- (2) Operating Test The NRC examiners determined that the operating test, as originally proposed by the licensee, was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.
Less than 20 percent of the proposed operating test portion of the examination was determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement.
Changes made to the operating test portion of the examination, were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on Form 2.3-3, Operating Test Review Worksheet. The Form 2.3-3, the operating test outlines (Form 3.2-1 Administrative Topics Outline, Form 3.2-2 Control Room and In-Plant Systems Outline, and Form 3.3-1 Scenario Outlines), and both the proposed and final as administered dynamic simulator scenarios and JPMs, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS on May 1, 2025, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML22007A051, ML22007A047, ML22007A046, and ML22007A049 respectively).
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on May 17, 2023.
- (3) Examination Results Five applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and four applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Nine applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on May 22, 2023.
.2 Examination Security
a. Scope
The NRC examiners reviewed and observed the licensee's implementation of examination security requirements during the examination validation and administration to assure compliance with Title10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 55.49, Integrity of Examinations and Tests. The examiners used the guidelines provided in NUREG 1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, to determine acceptability of the licensees examination security activities.
b. Findings
Two minor examination security-related issues were identified during operating test exam administration. In both instances, an applicant noted a simulator procedure contained place-keeping markups that had not been sanitized following the previous scenario administration. Upon identifying the markups, the applicants immediately closed the procedure and reported the discrepancy to their NRC examiner of record. The NRC staff determined that in both instances, the examination security-related issues did not affect the fair and equitable administration of the examination. Nor did they require the replacement of examination material.
4OA6 Meetings
.1 Debrief
The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on April 14, 2023, with Pat Boyle, Site Vice President and other members of the Dresden Nuclear Power Station Operations and Training Department staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on May 18, 2023, with Pat Boyle, Site Vice President by telephone. The NRCs final disposition of the stations grading of the written examination and post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed during the telephone discussion. The chief examiner asked the licensee whether any of the retained submitted material used to develop or administer the examination should be considered proprietary. Proprietary or sensitive information identified during the examination or debrief/exit meetings will be handled in accordance with the applicable requirements.
ATTACHMENT:
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee
- P. Boyle, Site Vice President
- C. Joseph, Plant Manager
- H. Patel, Director Site Operations
- J. Biegelson, Director Site Engineering
- B. Surges, Senior Manager Site Training
- J. Condreay, Operations Training Manager
- J. Chapman, Operations Exam Facility Representative
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- J. Steffes, Senior Resident Inspector
- G. Roach, Chief Examiner
- B. Bartlett, Examiner
- B. Bergeon, Examiner
- R. Ng, Examiner
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened, Closed, and Discussed
None
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
Agencywide Document Access and Management System
NRC
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Simulator Work Request
SIMULATOR FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee:
Dresden Nuclear Power Station
Facility Docket No:
50-237; 50-249
Operating Tests Administered:
April 10, 2023 through April 14, 2023
The following documents observations made by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
examination team during the initial operator license examination. These observations do not
constitute audit or inspection findings and are not, without further verification and review,
indicative of non-compliance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 55.45(b).
These observations do not affect U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification or approval
of the simulation facility other than to provide information which may be used in future
evaluations. No licensee action is required in response to these observations.
During the conduct of the simulator portion of the operating tests, the following items were
observed:
ITEM
DESCRIPTION
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
During a simulator scenario, the Rod Worth Minimizer touchscreen
locked-up preventing applicants of one crew from performing all
expected verifiable actions. The scenario was able to be
completed with no additional adverse effects due to the
uncompleted actions.
2.
During simulator dynamic scenario testing, the #1 overhead
monitor which was typically aligned to display the Power-to-Flow
Map would sporadically blank out. All data necessary for the
applicants to analyze from the display remained adequately
available.
3.
The 2A Reactor Recirculation Pump Adjustable Speed Drive
touchscreen went into sleep mode during a dynamic scenario
requiring the facility training staff to provide one applicant an
additional cue in order for the applicant to complete event
diagnosis.
4.
The equipment part number for Main Steam Safety Valve 203-4H
was incorrectly listed as 204-4H on digital Temperature
Recorder TR-2-260-2A. This was identified by multiple applicants
while performing a simulator Job Performance Measure (JPM)
event. The applicants were cued by the NRC evaluator to continue
the JPM and that the incorrect information was being entered into
the corrective action program.