IR 05000288/2018301
| ML18333A306 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island, Reed College  |
| Issue date: | 11/29/2018 |
| From: | Randy Baker Operations Branch III |
| To: | Sharp S Northern States Power Company, Minnesota |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17165A317 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-282/18-301, 50-306/18-301 | |
| Download: ML18333A306 (10) | |
Text
ber 29, 2018
SUBJECT:
PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000288/2018301 AND 05000306/2018301
Dear Mr. Sharp:
On October 2, 2018, 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. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations.
Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on September 18, 2018, with you and other members of your facilitys staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on October 16, 2018, between you and Mr. R. Baker, Operator Licensing Chief Examiner, to review the proposed 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 weeks of September 10 and 17, 2018. The written examination was administered by the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Station training department personnel on September 20, 2018.
Eleven Senior Reactor Operator and four Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on October 30, 2018. All fifteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations and eleven applicants were issued senior operator licenses and four applicants were issued operator licenses for Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2.
The administered written examinations and operating tests, as well as documents related to the development and review of the examinations (outlines, proposed examinations, review comments, and resolutions, etc.), will be withheld from public disclosure for 24 months until October 2, 2020. This letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be available electronically for public inspection and copying at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the NRCs Public Document Room in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Robert J. Orlikowski, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-282, 50-306 License Nos. DPR-42, DPR-60
Enclosures:
1. OL Examination Report 05000288/2018301; 05000306/2018301 2. Simulation Facility Fidelity Report
REGION III==
Docket Nos: 50-288; 50-306 License Nos: DPR-42; DPR-60 Report No: 05000288/2018301; 05000306/2018301 Licensee: Northern States Power Company, Minnesota Facility: Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 Location: Welch, MN Dates: September 10, 2018, through October 2, 2018 Inspectors: R. Baker, Senior Operations Engineer, Chief Examiner C. Zoia, Senior Operations Engineer, Examiner B. Bergeon, Operations Engineer, Examiner Approved by: R. Orlikowski, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Enclosure 1
SUMMARY
Examination Report 050002886/2018301; 05000306/2018301; 09/10/2018-10/02/2018;
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 Fifteen of fifteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations.
Eleven applicants were issued senior operator licenses and four applicants were issued operator licenses for Units 1 and 2. (Section 4OA5.1).
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. The 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 August 13, 2018. 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 September 10 through 17, 2018. The facility licensee administered the written examination on September 20, 2018.
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 were documented on Form ES-401-9, Written Examination Review Worksheet. The written examination outlines and worksheets, the proposed written examination and worksheets, as well as the final Form ES-401-9, and the final as-administered examination and answer key, will be publicly available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) on October 2, 2020. (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML17165A321, ML17165A322, ML17165A317, and ML17165A318, respectively.)
On October 2, 2018, 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 graded the written examination on October 15, 2018, 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 NRC's ADAMS, on October 2, 2020. (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML17165A321, ML17165A322, ML17165A317, and ML17165A318, respectively.)
On October 2, 2018, 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 operating test.
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on October 16, 2018.
- (3) Examination Results Eleven applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator level and four 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 October 30, 2018.
.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 Title 10 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
No findings were identified.
4OA6 Management Meetings
.1 Debrief
The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on September 18, 2018, to Mr. S. Sharp, Site Vice President, and other members of the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Operations and Training Department staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
A telephone exit meeting was conducted on October 16, 2018, by Mr. R. Baker, Operator Licensing Chief Examiner, with Mr. S. Sharp, Site Vice President, and other members of the licensee staff. 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
- M. Peterson, Fleet General Supervisor Operations Training
- T. Wadley, Training Manager
- J. Connors, Regulatory Affairs Manager
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- L. Haeg, Senior Resident Inspector
- K. Pusateri, Resident Inspector
- R. Baker, Chief Examiner
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
SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee: Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2
Facility Docket Nos: 50-288; 50-306
Operating Tests Administered: September 10-17, 2018
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
On the September 13, 2018, during the first run of Scenario #4, Event #3,
the pressurizer pressure master controller, 1HC431K (4304101),
Manual/Auto switch failed to shift to the manual position. The applicant took
manual control of the pressurizer spray valves and heaters for the
remainder of the scenario, which did not adversely impact the remaining
scenario events. The switch was repaired following completion of the
scenario and, and the controller failure did not recur during subsequent
scenarios.
2