IR 05000298/2015303

NRC Examination Report 05000298/2015303

ML16008A144
Person / Time
Site:	Cooper
Issue date:	01/08/2016
From:	Vincent Gaddy Operations Branch IV
To:	Limpias O Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)
References
ER 2015303
Download: ML16008A144 (13)

Text

January 8, 2016

SUBJECT:

COOPER NUCLEAR STATION - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000298/2015303

Dear Mr. Limpias:

On December 8, 2015, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an initial operator license examination at Cooper Nuclear Station. The enclosed report documents the examination results and licensing decisions. The preliminary examination results were discussed on December 3, 2015, with Mr. D. Goodman, Operations Manager, and other members of your staff. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on December 17, 2015, with Mr. K. Higginbotham, General Manager of Plant Operations, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.

The examination included the evaluation of four applicants for reactor operator licenses, and one applicant for an upgrade senior reactor operator license. The license examiners determined that all applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued. There was one post examination comment submitted by your staff.

Enclosure 1 contains details of this report and Enclosure 2 summarizes post examination comment resolution.

No findings 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/

Vincent G. Gaddy, Chief Operations Branch

Division of Reactor Safety

Docket No. 50-298 License No. DPR-46

Enclosures:

1. NRC Examination Report 05000298/2015303 w/Attachment 2. NRC Post Examination Comment Resolution 3. Simulator Fidelity Form

REGION IV==

Docket:

05000298 License:

DPR-46 Report:

05000298/2015303 Licensee:

Nebraska Public Power District Facility:

Cooper Nuclear Station Location:

72676 648A Avenue P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Dates:

November 30 - December 17, 2015 Inspectors:

T. Farina, Chief Examiner, Senior Operations Engineer M. Hayes, Operations Engineer C. Steely, Operations Engineer Approved By:

Vincent G. Gaddy Chief, Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety

- 2 -

SUMMARY

ER 05000298/2015303; 11/30/2015 - 12/17/2015; Cooper Nuclear Station; Initial Operator

Licensing Examination Report.

The NRC examiners evaluated the competency of four applicants for reactor operator licenses and one applicant for an upgrade senior reactor operator license at Cooper Nuclear Station.

The licensee developed the examinations using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 10. The written examination was administered by the licensee on December 8, 2015. NRC examiners administered the operating tests from November 30 to December 3, 2015.

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

NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings

None

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 were identified.

.2 Examination Development

a. Scope

The 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 on-site validation of the operating tests.

b. Findings

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

The NRC examiners determined the written examinations and operating tests initially submitted by the licensee were within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

.3 Operator Knowledge and Performance

a. Scope

On December 8, 2015, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to all five applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis and post examination comments to the NRC on December 15, 2015.

The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to all applicants from November 30 to December 3, 2015.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

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

The examination team noted no generic weaknesses associated with applicant performance on the operating tests. However, two operating procedures were identified as needing enhancement based on applicant and validator performance. Specifically, guidance for adjusting reactor protection system motor generator output voltage when placing a motor generator in service in Section 5 of Procedure 2.2.22, Vital Instrument Power System, needs enhancement. Additionally, enhancement is needed to guidance for re-coupling an uncoupled control rod in Procedure 2.4CRD, Attachment 3 (CRD Trouble, Uncoupled Rod). The licensee has entered these issues into its corrective action program under Condition Reports CR-CNS-2015-07133 and CR-CNS-2015-07132, respectively. Copies of all individual examination reports were sent to the facility training manager for evaluation and determination of appropriate remedial training.

.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 were identified. However, the simulator did experience a malfunction during walkthrough examination administration, which caused a delay in examination administration for approximately 1.5 hours5.787037e-5 days <br />0.00139 hours <br />8.267196e-6 weeks <br />1.9025e-6 months <br />. While administering job performance measure (JPM) S-4, "Transfer 4160VAC Bus 1G from Diesel Generator #2 to 4160VAC Bus 1B," diesel generator load was observed to slowly drift toward zero load following a coarse load adjustment in the lower direction by the applicant with no operator action.

The generator output breaker eventually tripped automatically on an electrical trip, which was not expected. The JPM was halted and the applicant sequestered until an evaluation of simulator performance could be conducted. The simulator was backtracked and replayed, confirming the observed lowering of load. The simulator was then reset and the JPM performed by a surrogate operator, who also observed that diesel load could not be controlled, stating that the diesel was behaving as if it were in isochronous mode; although, it was supposed to be in parallel mode.

The JPM was designed such that the diesel generator is in isochronous mode to start, and during performance, the applicant directs a field operator to place the diesel in parallel mode. This can be achieved either by an instructor station panel override from the instructor booth or by physically manipulating a diesel generator 2 droop-parallel switch behind the simulator; during the malfunction, the booth override method was used (both methods were observed to work during examination validation). Upon this observation, the licensee tested the simulator by physically manipulating the droop-parallel switch, which resulted in an expected diesel generator response. The simulator was reset to the conditions that existed prior to the malfunction, and the affected applicant was able to complete the remainder of the JPM as designed. The JPM was subsequently administered to three more applicants with no further issues (diesel generator 2 droop-parallel switch was physically manipulated each time).

A review of the simulator configuration during the malfunctioned JPM identified that the simulator saw the diesel generator 2 droop-parallel switch to be in the isochronous mode, even after the simulator instructor initiated an override to parallel mode by means of a trigger, an alternate means of providing a booth override. The use of this trigger did not result in a desired simulator configuration. Subsequent testing by the simulator staff was not able to replicate the malfunction observed during examination administration; the simulator behaved as expected when issuing an instructor station override with or without a trigger. The licensee entered this issue into their simulator corrective action program under simulator Work Request 11199880 and Condition Report CR-CNS-2015-06881.

.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 were identified.

4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit

The chief examiner presented the preliminary examination results to Mr. D. Goodman, Operations Manager, and other members of the staff on December 3, 2015. A telephonic exit was conducted on December 17, 2015 between Mr. T. Farina, Chief Examiner, and Mr. K. Higginbotham, General Manager of Plant Operations.

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

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee Personnel

J. Florence, Simulator Supervisor

E. Jackson, Examination Writer

M. Nemec, Examination Writer

K. Grillis, Examination Writer

NRC Personnel

P. Voss, Senior Resident Inspector

C. Henderson, Resident Inspector