IR 05000282/2020301
| ML20266G214 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island  |
| Issue date: | 09/22/2020 |
| From: | Patricia Pelke Operations Branch III |
| To: | NRC/RGN-III/DRS/OLB |
| Callaway G | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19127A301 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-282/301, 50-306/301 | |
| Download: ML20266G214 (9) | |
Text
September 24, 2020
SUBJECT:
PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2-NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000282/2020301 AND 05000306/2020301
Dear Mr. Sharp:
On August 27, 2020, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on August 19, 2020, with you and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on September 2, 2020, with Chad Boegeman, Training General Supervisor-Technical, other members of your staff, and Mr. G. Callaway, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the final grading of the written examination for the license applicants.
During the telephone conversation, the NRC confirmed that the station did not have any post-examination comments requiring resolution.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the week of August 17, 2020. The written examination was administered by Mr. G. Callaway, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner and Prairie Island training department personnel on August 21, 2020. Five Senior Reactor Operator and three Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on September 10, 2020. All applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations.
Five applicants were issued senior operator licenses and three applicants were issued operator licenses.
The written examination administered 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 for 24 months per your request. 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, Patricia J. Pelke, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos. 50-282; 50-306 License Nos. DPR-42; DPR-60
Enclosures:
1. OL Examination Report 05000282/2020301 and 05000306/2020301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report
REGION III==
Docket Nos:
50-282; 50-306 License Nos:
05000282/2020301 and 05000306/2020301 Enterprise Identifier: L-2019-OLL-0033 Licensee:
Northern States Power Company, Minnesota Facility:
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 Location:
Welch, MN Dates:
August 17, 2020 through August 27, 2020 Examiners:
G. Callaway, Senior Reactor Technology Instructor, Chief Examiner J. DeMarshall, Senior Operations Engineer, Examiner D. Lanyi, Senior Operations Engineer, Examiner
Approved by:
P. Pelke, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Examination Report 05000282/2020301-05000306/2020301; 08/17/2029 - 08/27/2020;
Northern States Power Company, Minnesota; Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant,
Units 1 and 2; Initial License Examination Report.
The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional Nuclear Regulatory Commission examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021,
Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 11.
Examination Summary Eight of Eight applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Five applicants were issued senior operator licenses and three applicants were issued operator licenses for Units 1 and 2.
REPORT DETAILS
4OA5 Other Activities
.1 Initial Licensing Examinations
a. Examination Scope
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners and members of the facility licensees staff used the guidance prescribed in NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 11, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the written examination and operating test. NRC examiners prepared the written examination outline and members of the facility licensees staff prepared the operating test outlines. Members of the facility licensees staff developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff, during the week of July 13, 2020. During the onsite validation week, the examiners audited two of the 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 August 17 through August 19, 2020. The facility licensee and the chief examiner administered the written examination on August 21, 2020.
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 ES-401-9, Written Examination Review Worksheet, which 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 August 27, 2020, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination facility licensee comments, and no post-examination applicant comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination.
The NRC examiners completed grading the written examination on August 28, 2020, 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.
All changes made to the operating test were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and were documented on Form ES-301-7, Operating Test Review Worksheet. The operating test outlines and worksheets, the proposed operating test and worksheets, as well as the final Form ES-301-7, and the final as-administered operating test, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs ADAMS.
The NRC examiners completed grading of the operating test on September 10, 2020.
- (3) Examination Results Five applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator level and three applicants at the Reactor Operator level were administered written examinations and operating tests. All applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses for Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 on September 10, 2020.
.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, Part 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 Management Meetings
.1 Debrief
The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on August 19, 2020, to Mr. G. Sharp, Site Vice President, and other members of the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
A telephone exit meeting was conducted on September 2, 2020, by Mr. G. Callaway, Operator Licensing Chief Examiner, with Mr. C. Boegeman, Training General Supervisor - Technical. The NRC confirmed that there were no post-examination comments during the telephone discussion. The examiner asked the licensee whether any of the 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
- S. Sharp, Site Vice President
- H. Hanson, Plant Manager
- S. Hafen, Fleet Operations Director
- M. Peterson, Simulator General Fleet Supervisor
- C. Boegeman, Training General Supervisor - Technical
- L. Sueper, Site Regulatory Affairs Manager
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- L. Haeg, Senior Resident Inspector
- K. Pusateri, Resident Inspector
- G. Callaway, Chief Examiner
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened, Closed, and Discussed
None
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
NRC
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
SIMULATOR FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee:
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 2
Facility Docket No:
Docket Nos. 50-282; 50-306
Operating Tests Administered:
August 17, 2020, through August 19, 2020
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
During a station blackout event the chief examiner noted that the reactor
coolant pump seal temperatures did not rise as expected. This did not
adversely affect the crew actions or scenario progression.