IR 05000266/2025301
| ML25080A347 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Point Beach  |
| Issue date: | 03/23/2025 |
| From: | Paul Zurawski NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB |
| To: | Durbin M Point Beach |
| Henning T. | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML23202A148 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML25080A347 (1) | |
Text
SUBJECT:
POINT BEACH NUCLEAR PLANT NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000266/2025301; 05000301/2025301
Dear Michael Durbin:
On March 14, 2025, 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 March 10, 2025, with Martin Hastings, Training Manager and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by teleconference on March 21, 2025, between yourself and Troy Henning, Senior Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the license applicants. During the telephone conversation, the NRC resolutions of any post-examination comments submitted by the facility, initially received by the NRC on March 14, 2025, were discussed.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the week of March 3, 2025. The written examination was administered by Point Beach Nuclear Plant training department personnel on March 12, 2025. Five (5) Senior Reactor Operator and seven (7) Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on March 20, 2025. Eleven (11) applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. One (1) applicant was issued a Preliminary Results letter.
Five (5) were issued senior operator licenses and six (6) 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 14, 2027. The enclosure contains details of this report.
However, since one (1) applicant received a Preliminary Results letter because of a written examination grade that is less than 80 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 23, 2025 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, Paul J. Zurawski, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-266; 50-301 License Nos. DPR-24; DPR-27 Enclosure:
1. Examination Report 05000266/2025301; 05000301/2025301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV Martin Hastings, Training Manager Signed by Zurawski, Paul on 03/23/25
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ER 05000266/2025301; 05000301/2025301; 03/03/2025 - 03/14/2025; NextEra Energy Point
Beach, LLC, Point Beach Nuclear Plant Initial License Examination Report.
The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional 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 (11) of twelve (12) applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations.
Five (5) applicants were issued senior operator licenses, and six (6) applicants were issued operator licenses. One (1) 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 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 February 3, 2025, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited 100 percent 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 March 3, 2025, through March 7, 2025. The facility licensee administered the written examination on March 12, 2025.
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.
During validation of the written examination, several questions were modified or replaced. 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, 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 March 14, 2027, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML23202A130, ML23202A131, ML23202A149, ML23202A129 respectively).
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on March 17, 2025, and conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and validity of the examination questions. Post-examination analysis revealed generic weaknesses in applicant performance with three
- (3) Emergency and Abnormal Plant Evolutions with two additional SRO-only Emergency and Abnormal Plant Evolutions, two
- (2) Plant Systems, and one
- (1) Generic Knowledge and Abilities with more than 50 percent of applicants answering incorrectly.
- (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.
During the validation of the operating test, several Job Performance Measures (JPMs)were modified or replaced, and some modifications were made to the dynamic simulator scenarios. 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, 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 March 14, 2027, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML23202A130, ML23202A131, ML23202A149, ML23202A129 respectively).
During the validation of the operating test, several JPMs were modified or replaced, and some modifications were made to the dynamic simulator scenarios. Changes made to the operating test portion of the examination, 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 as-administered 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 14, 2027, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML23202A130, ML23202A131, ML23202A149, ML23202A129 respectively).
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on March 20, 2025.
Post-examination analysis revealed generic weaknesses in applicant performance in the area(s) of Emergency Action Level notifications.
- (3) Examination Results Five
- (5) applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and seven
- (7) applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Eleven
- (11) applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on March 20, 2025. One
- (1) applicant was issued a Preliminary Results letter for failure of the written section of the administered examination.
.2 Examination Security
a. Scope
The NRC examiners reviewed and observed the licensees 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
No findings were identified.
4OA6 Meetings
.1 Debrief
The chief examiner presented the examination teams preliminary observations and findings on March 10, 2025, to Martin Hastings, Training Manager 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 21, 2025, with Michael Durbin, 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 conversation. 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
Martin Hastings, Training Manager
Ken Moore, Lead Regulatory Exam Author
Andrew Zommers, Regulatory Exam Author
Jeff Hinze, Corporate Manager, Simulators and NRC Examinations
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Mike Stafford, Senior Resident Inspector
John Masse, Resident Inspector
Troy Henning, Chief 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
Emergency Action Level
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission technical report designation
Reactor Operator
Senior Reactor Operator
SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee:
Point Beach Nuclear Plant
Facility Docket Nos:
50-266; 50-301
Operating Tests Administered:
March 3 - 7, 2025
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 Title 10 of
the Code of Federal Regulations 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 # 02510235
NRC Identification of a Switch Plate deviation in the Simulator during
administration of the NRC exam.
The NRC identified on 3/6/2025 that the Unit 1 and Unit 2 CV-313,
RCP Seal Water Return Containment Isolation Valve, positional switch
plates did not have the middle AUTO position in the Simulator as
verified in the Main Control Room. The deviation was corrected in the
Simulator on 3/6/25 as documented in the facility Simulator Action
Request. Similar style switches, with protective flip covers on the
horizontal control room panels, were walked down and the simulator
was validated to have the same positional information as the control
room on 3/7/25. This had no adverse effect on the initial exam. The
switch plate change was shown and observed by the NRC exam team
on-site the following day and shown that the simulator-unit difference
was adequately resolved.