IR 05000275/2009301

IR 05000275-09-301, 05000323-09-301 on 02/06/09 - 02/20/09 for Diablo Canyon, Units 1 and 2, Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report

ML090900214
Person / Time
Site:	Diablo Canyon
Issue date:	03/31/2009
From:	Ryan Lantz Operations Branch IV
To:	Conway J Pacific Gas & Electric Co
References
IR-09-301
Download: ML090900214 (10)

Text

UNITED STATES NUC LE AR RE G UL AT O RY C O M M I S S I O N rch 31, 2009

SUBJECT:

DIABLO CANYON POWER PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000275/2009301; 05000323/2009301

Dear Mr. Conway:

On February 12, 2009, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an examination at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2. The enclosed report documents the examination findings, which were discussed on February 12, 2009, with Messrs. Ken Peters, Station Director, Jim Welch, Operations Director, and other members of your staff.

The examination included the evaluation of four applicants for instant senior operator licenses.

The written examinations and operating tests were developed using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 9, Supplement 1. The license examiners determined that all applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued.

No findings of significance were identified during this examination.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRCs document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Sincerely,

/RA/ Bernard Stapleton for Ryan E. Lantz, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety

Pacific Gas and Electric Company -2-Dockets: 50-275; 50-323 Licenses: DPR-80; DPR-82

Enclosure:

NRC Examination Report 05000275/2009301; 05000323/2009301

REGION IV==

Docket: 50-275, 50-323 License: DPR-80, DPR-82 Report: 05000275/2009301; 05000323/2009301 Licensee: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

Facility: Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 Location: 7 1/2 miles NW of Avila Beach Avila Beach, California Dates: February 6-20, 2009 Inspectors: Brian Larson, Chief Examiner, Senior Operations Engineer Brian Tindell, Examiner, Resident Inspector Approved By: Ryan Lantz, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety-1- Enclosure

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER05000275/2009301; 05000323/2009301; February 6-20, 2009; Diablo Canyon Power Plant,

Units 1 and 2; Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report.

NRC examiners evaluated the competency of four applicants for instant senior operator licenses at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2.

The licensee developed the examinations using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 9, Supplement 1. The written examinations were administered by the licensee on November 21, 2008. NRC examiners administered the operating tests on February 9-12, 2009.

The examiners determined that all applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued.

NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings

The Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) written examination was determined to be outside of the acceptable quality range as identified in NUREG-1021.

Licensee-Identified Violations

None.

REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other Activities (Initial Operator License Examination)

.1 License Applications

a. Scope

NRC examiners reviewed all license applications submitted to ensure each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. Examiners also audited two of the license applications in detail to confirm that they accurately reflected the subject applicants qualifications. This audit focused on the applicants experience and on-the-job training, including control manipulations that provided significant reactivity changes.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.2 Examination Development

a. Scope

NRC examiners reviewed integrated examination outlines and draft examinations submitted by the licensee against the requirements of NUREG-1021. The NRC examination team conducted an onsite validation of the operating test.

b. Findings

NRC examiners provided outline, draft examination and post-validation comments to the licensee. The licensee satisfactorily completed comment resolution prior to examination administration.

NRC examiners determined that the Reactor Operator (RO) written examination and the operating tests initially submitted by the licensee were within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

The Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) written examination was determined to be outside of the acceptable quality range as identified in NUREG-1021. Six questions (24%)

required significant modification or were replaced as a result of the NRC examiner review. Flaws included not testing of knowledge only required of the SRO, insufficient question-to-randomly selected KA statement match, question containing more than one correct answer, and not credible distractors. Future SRO examination submittals need to incorporate lessons learned.

.3 Operator Knowledge and Performance

a. Scope

On February 6, 2009, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to all four applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis to the NRC on February 20, 2009.

The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to all applicants on February 9-12, 2009.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

All applicants passed the written examination and all parts of the operating test. The final written examinations, operating tests and post-examination analysis can be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession numbers noted in the attachment.

There were no post-examination comments as indicated in the licensee submittal.

.4 Simulation Facility Performance

a. Scope

The NRC examiners observed simulator performance with regard to plant fidelity during examination validation and administration.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.5 Examination Security

a. Scope

The NRC examiners reviewed examination security for examination development during both the onsite preparation week and examination administration week for compliance with 10 CFR 55.49 and NUREG-1021. Plans for simulator security and applicant control were reviewed and discussed with licensee personnel.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit

The chief examiner presented the preliminary examination results to Mr. Ken Peters, Station Director, and members of his staff on February 12, 2009. A telephonic exit was conducted on February 20, 2009 between Mr. Brian Larson, Chief Examiner, and Mr.

John Becerra, Supervisor, Licensed Operator Continuing Training.

The licensee did not identify any information or materials used during the examination as proprietary.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee Personnel

Jim Welsch, Director, Operations

Ken Peters, Station Director

Ted Scwartzbaugh, Manager, Operations

Matt Coward, Manager, Operations Planning

Lynn Walter, Director, Training

Bill Hendy, Operations Training Manager

John Lyle, Operations Training Leader

Orrin Oliver, Operations Liason

Ron Fortier, Exam developer

Gary Hutchison, Exam developer

Steve Hackleman, Instructor

John Becerra, Supervisor, LOCT

NRC Personnel

Michael Pick, Senior Resident Inspector