IR 05000298/2022301
| ML22220A280 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 08/10/2022 |
| From: | Heather Gepford NRC/RGN-IV/DORS/OB |
| To: | Dent J Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) |
| Gepford H | |
| References | |
| 50-298/22-301 | |
| Download: ML22220A280 (17) | |
Text
August 10, 2022
SUBJECT:
COOPER NUCLEAR STATION - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000298/2022301
Dear Mr. Dent:
On August 3, 2022, 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 June 16, 2022, with Mr. Khalil Dia, General Manager for Plant Operations, and other members of your staff. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on August 3, 2022, with Mr. John Dent, Executive Vice President, and Chief Nuclear Officer, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.
The examination included the evaluation of four applicants for reactor operator licenses, one applicant for instant senior reactor operator license, and one applicant for upgrade senior reactor operator license. The license examiners determined that five of the six applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued.
There were three post-examination comments 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. 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 10 CFR 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Sincerely, Heather J. Gepford, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket: 50-298 License: DPR-46 Enclosures:
1.
Examination Report 05000298/2022301 w/attachment: Supplemental Information 2.
NRC Post-Examination Comment Resolution Signed by Gepford, Heather on 08/10/22
ML22220A280 SUNSI Review:
ADAMS:
Non-Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:
By: TJF Yes No Publicly Available Sensitive NRR-079 OFFICE SOE:OB SRI:EB2 OE:OB C:PBC C:OB NAME TFarina JDrake NHernandez JJosey HGepford SIGNATURE
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DATE 08/08/2022 08/08/2022 08/09/2022 08/09/2022 08/10/2022
Enclosure 1 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Examination Report Docket Number:
05000298 License Number:
DPR-46 Report Number:
05000298/2022301 Enterprise Identifier:
000500/05000298/L-2022-OLL-0025 Licensee:
Nebraska Public Power District Facility:
Cooper Nuclear Station Location:
Brownville, Nebraska Inspection Dates:
June 14, 2022, to August 3, 2022 Inspectors:
T. Farina, Senior Operations Engineer J. Drake, Senior Reactor Inspector N. Hernandez, Operations Engineer Approved By:
Heather J. Gepford, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety
SUMMARY
Examination Report 05000298/2022301; June 14 - August 3, 2022; Cooper Nuclear Station;
Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report The NRC examiners evaluated the competency of four applicants for reactor operator licenses, one applicant for instant senior reactor operator license, and one applicant for 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 12. The written examination was administered by the licensee on June 21, 2022. The NRC examiners administered the operating tests on June 14-16, 2022.
The NRC examiners determined that five of the six 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 portion of the written examination was determined to be outside of the acceptable quality range as identified in NUREG-1021.
Licensee-Identified Violations
None.
REPORT DETAILS
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- INITIAL LICENSE EXAM
.1 License Applications
a. Scope
The NRC examiners reviewed all license applications submitted to ensure each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. The NRC 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 examiners conducted an onsite 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 Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) portion of the written examination was determined to be outside of the acceptable quality range as identified in NUREG-1021. For the SRO portion of the exam, six questions (24 percent) required significant modification or were replaced as a result of the NRC examiner review and post-examination comment resolution.
Flaws included no correct answer, not testing on knowledge only required of the SRO, and questions containing more than one correct answer. Two SRO questions required key change or deletion as a result of licensee-submitted post-examination comments.
Future written examination submittals need to incorporate lessons learned.
.3 Operator Knowledge and Performance
a. Scope
The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to required applicants from June 14-16, 2022.
On June 21, 2022, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to all six applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis and post-examination comments to the NRC on July 5, 2022.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
Five of the six applicants passed the written examination and all parts of the operating test. The final 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 two generic weaknesses associated with applicant performance on the dynamic scenario and administrative JPM (job performance measure) sections of the operating test. The applicants and validators displayed a weakness identifying incomplete PCIS Group 6 isolations and actuations on a scenario.
The applicants also displayed a weakness calculating total effective dose equivalent on an administrative JPM. Post-examination analysis revealed nine generic weaknesses associated with applicant performance on the written examination. Specifically, the following questions had a miss rate of greater than 50%: Questions 1, 44, 72, 74, 88, 95, 96, 97, and 100. These weaknesses were captured in the licensees corrective action program as condition report CR-CNS-2022-02830. 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.
.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.
Findings No findings were identified.
EXIT MEETINGS AND DEBRIEFS
Exit Meeting Summary
The chief examiner presented the preliminary examination results to Mr. Khalil Dia, General Manager for Plant Operations, and other members of your staff on June 16, 2022. A telephonic exit was conducted on August 3, 2022, between Mr. T. Farina, chief examiner, and Mr. John Dent, Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer.
The licensee did not identify any information or materials used during the examination as proprietary.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee Personnel
- J. Florence, Superintendent, Simulator and Training Support
- C. Edgington, Exam Author
NRC Personnel
- A. Siwy, Senior Resident Inspector