IR 05000313/2013301

Er 05000313-13-301; February 22 - March 18, 2013; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1; Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report

ML13088A176
Person / Time
Site:	Arkansas Nuclear
Issue date:	03/29/2013
From:	Vincent Gaddy Operations Branch IV
To:	Jeremy G. Browning Entergy Operations
References
ER-13-301
Download: ML13088A176 (10)

Text

UNITE D S TATE S NUC LEAR RE GULATOR Y C OMMI S SI ON rch 29, 2013

SUBJECT:

ARKANSAS NUCLEAR ONE, UNIT 1 - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000313/2013301

Dear Mr. Browning:

On February 28, 2013, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an initial operator license examination at Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1. The enclosed report documents the examination results and licensing decisions. The preliminary examination results were discussed on February 28, 2013, with Mr. R. Martin, Operations Training Superintendent, and other members of your staff. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on March 18, 2013, with Mr. R. Martin, Operations Training Superintendent, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.

The examination included the evaluation of eight applicants for reactor operator licenses, two applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses and four applicants for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses. The license examiners determined that all of the applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55 and the appropriate licenses have been issued. There were no post-examination comments submitted by your staff. The enclosure to this letter contains the details of this report.

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 Gaddy, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket: 50-313 License: DPR-51 Enclosure:

NRC Examination Report 05000313/2013301 Electronic Distribution for Arkansas Nuclear One

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER05000313/2013301; February 22 - March 18, 2013; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1; Initial

Operator Licensing Examination Report.

NRC examiners evaluated the competency of eight applicants for reactor operator licenses, two applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses, and four applicants for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses at Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1.

The licensee developed the examinations using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 9, Supplement 1. The written examination was administered by the licensee on February 22, 2013. NRC examiners administered the operating tests during the week of February 25, 2013.

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

No findings were identified.

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. The 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

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

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

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

NRC examiners determined that the 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 February 22, 2013, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to all fourteen applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis to the NRC on February 28, 2013.

The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to all fourteen applicants during the week of February 25, 2013.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

All of the applicants passed the written examination and all parts of the operating test.

The final written examinations and post-examination analysis may 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.

The examination team noted the following generic weaknesses:

• There were inconsistent communications techniques being used by the different operating crews. Three-way communication was neglected in some cases, and crew briefings and updates were sporadic, and in some cases not used at all.

This deficiency was entered into the licensees corrective action program as Training Evaluation Action Request (TEAR) ANO 2013-178, Action 9.

• Both operating crews that were administered a pressurizer level instrument malfunction misdiagnosed the event as a loss of coolant accident and inappropriately manually tripped the reactor. This deficiency was also entered into the licensees corrective action program as TEAR ANO 2013-178, Action 10.

.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. Some observations are documented in Attachment 2 of this report.

.5 Examination Security

a. Scope

The NRC examiners reviewed examination security during both the onsite validation 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 Messrs. R. Martin and other members of the staff on February 28, 2013. A telephonic exit was conducted on March 18, 2013, between Messrs. C. Osterholtz, Senior Operations Engineer, Chief Examiner, and R. Martin, Operations Training Superintendent.

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. Cork, Senior Operations Instructor

D. Reed, Operations Training Instructor

S. Pullman, Operations Training Instructor

R. Martin, Operations Training Superintendent

NRC Personnel

A. Sanchez, Senior Resident Inspector