IR 05000275/2011301

Er 05000275-11-301; 05000323-11-301; July 8 - August 22, 2011; Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2; Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report

ML112640541
Person / Time
Site:	Diablo Canyon
Issue date:	09/20/2011
From:	Mark Haire Operations Branch IV
To:	Conway J Pacific Gas & Electric Co
References
50-275/11-301, 50-323/11-301
Download: ML112640541 (18)

Text

UNITED STATES NUC LE AR RE G ULATO RY C O M M I S S I O N ber 20, 2011

SUBJECT:

DIABLO CANYON POWER PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000275/2011301; 05000323/2011301

Dear Mr. Conway:

On July 20, 2011, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an initial operator license examination at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2. The enclosed report documents the examination results and licensing decisions. The preliminary examination results were discussed on July 20, 2011, with Mr. James Becker, Site Vice President, and other members of your staff. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on August 22, 2011, with Mr. Bill Hendy, Operations Training Manager, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.

The examination included the evaluation of nine applicants for reactor operator licenses, eleven applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses and one applicant for upgrade senior reactor operator license. The license examiners determined that fifteen of the twenty-one 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.

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/

Mark S. Haire, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety

Pacific Gas and Electric Company -2-Dockets: 50-275; 50-323 Licenses: DPR-80; DPR-82

Enclosures:

1. NRC Examination Report 05000275/2011301; 05000323/2011301 2. NRC Post Examination Comment Resolution

REGION IV==

Dockets: 50-275, 50-323 Licenses: DPR-80, DPR-82 Report: 05000275/2011301; 05000323/2011301 Licensee: Pacific Gas and Electric Company Facility: Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 Location: 7 1/2 miles NW of Avila Beach Avila Beach, California Dates: July 8 - August 22, 2011 Inspectors: G. Apger, Chief Examiner B. Larson, Senior Operations Engineer K. Clayton, Senior Operations Engineer T. Farina, Operations Engineer C. Steely, Operations Engineer D. Reeser, Senior Operations Engineer, RIII Approved By: Mark Haire, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety-1- Enclosure 1

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER05000275/2011301; 05000323/2011301; July 8 - August 22, 2011; Diablo Canyon Power

Plant, Units 1 and 2; Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report.

NRC examiners evaluated the competency of nine applicants for reactor operator licenses, eleven applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses, and one applicant for upgrade senior reactor operator license at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Units 1 and 2.

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 July 8, 2011. NRC examiners administered the operating tests on July 11-20, 2011.

The examiners determined that fifteen of the twenty-one 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 four 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 examination outlines and draft 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. The licensee satisfactorily completed comment resolution prior to examination administration.

NRC examiners determined that 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 July 8, 2011, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to all twenty-one applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed

the results, and presented their analysis and post examination comments to the NRC on July 25, 2011.

The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to all twenty-one applicants from July 11 through July 20, 2011.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

One reactor operator and four instant senior operators failed the written examination.

One additional instant senior reactor operator failed the simulator portion of the operating test. Therefore, fifteen of the twenty-one applicants passed the NRC license examinations. 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 the following generic weaknesses:

• Applicants showed difficulty in finding steam generator blowdown sample and isolation valves outside containment. Additionally, some of the applicants did not verify that all of the valves had closed when checking the valves closed.

• Some of the applicants displayed an inability to close a diesel generator output breaker that had failed to automatically close.

• There was a general weakness in the ability to identify the cause of a steam flow transient at low power. Specifically, none of the crews could readily identify that a terry turbine had inadvertently started.

• Most of the crews displayed weakness in using radiation monitors to diagnose problems in the plant.

.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 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 Messrs. James Becker, Site Vice President, James Welsch, Station Director, and other members of the staff on July 20, 2011. A telephonic exit was conducted on August 22, 2011, between Messrs. Gabriel Apger, Chief Examiner, and Bill Hendy, Operations Training Manager.

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

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee Personnel

S. David, Site Services Director

NRC Personnel

L. Micewski, Resident Inspector