IR 05000266/2023301

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NRC Initial Examination Report 05000266/2023301 and 05000301/2023301
ML23086B958
Person / Time
Site: Point Beach  NextEra Energy icon.png
Issue date: 03/28/2023
From: April Nguyen
NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB
To: Strope M
Point Beach, Nextran
Nance J
Shared Package
ML22007A032 List:
References
50-266/23-301, 50-301/23-301
Download: ML23086B958 (1)


Text

SUBJECT:

POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000266/2023301 AND 05000301/2023301

Dear Michael Strope:

On March 1, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Point Beach Nuclear Plant. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on February 21, 2023, with you and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by teleconference on March 24, 2023, between yourself and Jim Nance, 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 February 13, 2023. The written examination was administered by Point Beach Nuclear Plant training department personnel on February 22, 2023. Four Senior Reactor Operator and eight Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on March 17, 2023. Eleven applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. One applicant was issued a Preliminary Results letter. Four were issued senior operator licenses and seven were issued operator licenses.

The as-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 March 1, 2025.

However, since one applicant received a Preliminary Results letter because of a written examination grade that is less than 80.0 percent, the applicant was provided a copy of the written examination. For examination security purposes, your staff should consider that written examination uncontrolled and exposed to the public.

March 28, 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 Operating Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-266; 50-301 License Nos. DPR-24; DPR-27 Enclosure:

1. Examination Report 05000266/2023301; 05000301/2023301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV M. Hastings, Training Manager, Point Beach Nuclear Plant Signed by Nguyen, April on 03/28/23

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER 05000266/2023301 AND 05000301/2023301(DORS); 02/13/2023-03/01/2023; NextEra

Energy Point Beach LLC, Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. 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:

Eleven of twelve applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Four applicants were issued senior operator licenses and seven applicants were issued operator licenses. One applicant was issued a Preliminary Results letter for failure of one section of the administered examination. (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 and operating test outlines were prepared by the NRC staff and were transmitted to the facility licensees staff for review. The NRC staff developed the written examination for the purpose of examiner qualifications, and the NRC staff and members of the facility licensees staff developed the operating test using the NRC prepared outlines. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of January 16, 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 February 13, 2023 through February 17, 2023. The facility licensee administered the written examination on February 22, 2023.

b. Findings

(1) Written Examination During the validation of the written examination several questions were modified or replaced. Changes made to the written examination were documented on Form 2.3-5 Written Examination Review Worksheet, used primarily for the tracking purposes for the NRC developed written examination. The Form 2.3-5, the written exam outlines, 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 the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) on March 1, 2025 (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML22007A027, ML22007A028, ML22007A029, and ML22007A031 respectively).

On March 1, 2023, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination. The NRC examiners graded the written examination on March 2, 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, developed using the NRC prepared outlines, was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

During the validation of the operating test, several Job Performance Measures were modified, and some modifications were made to the dynamic simulator scenarios. All changes made to the operating test were documented on Form 2.3-3, Operating Test Review Worksheet. The Form 2.3-3, the operating test outlines, and both the proposed and final operating tests, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS on March 1, 2025 (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML22007A027, ML22007A028, ML22007A029, and ML22007A031 respectively).

The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on March 16, 2023.

(3) Examination Results Four applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator level and eight applicants at the Reactor Operator level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Eleven applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on March 17, 2023. One applicant was issued a Preliminary Results letter for failure of the written examination section of the administered examination.

.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 (10 CFR)

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

None.

4OA6 Meetings

.1 Debrief

The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on February 21, 2023, to Michael Strope, Site Vice President and other members of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant Operations and Training Department staff.

.2 Exit Meeting

The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on March 24, 2023, with M. Strope, Site Vice President, by teleconference. 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. No proprietary or sensitive information was identified during the examination or debrief/exit meetings.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

Michael Strope, Site Vice President

Eric Schultz, Regulatory Affairs Manager

Thad Edmonds, Operations Director

Adam Moore, Operations Training Supervisor

Jeff Baugniet, Operations Training Supervisor

Andy Zommers, Operations Training Instructor

Kim Locke, Licensing

Eric Salzwedel, Fleet Training Manager

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

M. Stafford, Senior Resident Inspector
J. Nance, Chief Examiner
G. Roach, Examiner
R. Baker, Examiner
B. Bartlett, Examiner
T. Henning, Examiner Under Instruction
J. Correll, Examiner Under Instruction

ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed, and Discussed

None

LIST OF ACRONYMS USED

ADAMS

Agencywide Document Access and Management System

NRC

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

SAR

Simulator Action Request

SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT

Facility Licensee:

Point Beach Nuclear Plant

Facility Docket No:

50-266; 50-301

Operating Tests Administered:

February 13, 2023 through February 17, 2023

The following documents observations made by the NRC 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

CFR 55.45(b). These observations do not affect NRC 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

AR 2448227

Simulator giving hard drive recognition errors

SAR-1739

Unexpected power increase during ILT Operating Exam Scenario due

to suspected simulator discrepancy

SAR-1738

1P-14A, Containment Spray Pump, Switch Abnormal Indication due to

broken/malfunctioning switch