IR 05000331/2011301
| ML11213A276 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Duane Arnold  |
| Issue date: | 07/28/2011 |
| From: | Hironori Peterson NRC/RGN-II/DRS/OLB |
| To: | Costanzo C NextEra Energy Duane Arnold |
| References | |
| ER-11-301 | |
| Download: ML11213A276 (11) | |
Text
uly 28, 2011
SUBJECT:
DUANE ARNOLD ENERGY CENTER NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000331/2011301(DRS)
Dear Mr. Costanzo:
On July 14, 2011, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC). The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations.
Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on July 1, 2011, with you, and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on July 14, 2011, between Mr. G. Rushworth, Assistant Operations Manager - Training, of your staff and Mr. C. Zoia, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the license applicants. The NRC confirmed the station submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration during NRC grading of the examination.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the week of June 26, 2011. The written examination was administered by DAEC training department personnel on July 8, 2011. Six Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) and four Reactor Operator (RO)
applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on July 14, 2011. All ten applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Six applicants were issued Senior Operator licenses and four were issued Operator Licenses.
The written examination and other related written examination documentation will be withheld from public disclosure for 24 months at the request of Mr. G. Rushworth. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosures will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records System (PARS) component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
Sincerely,
/RA by B. Palagi for/
Hironori Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-331 License No. DPR-49
Enclosures:
1. Operator Licensing Examination Report 05000331/2011301(DRS)
w/Attachment: Supplemental Information 2. Simulation Facility Report
REGION III==
License No: DPR-49 Report No: 05000331/2009301(DRS)
Licensee: NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC Facility: Duane Arnold Energy Center Location: Palo, IA Dates: June 26 through July 13, 2011 Inspectors: C. Zoia, Operations Engineer - Chief Examiner D. McNeil, Senior Operations Engineer - Examiner R. K. Walton, Senior Operations Engineer - Examiner R. Baker, Operations Engineer - Observer Approved by: Hironori Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Enclosure 1
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ER 05000331/2011301(DRS); 06/26/2011-07/13/2011; NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC,
Duane Arnold Energy Center; 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, AOperator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors,@ Revision 9.
Examination Summary:
Ten of ten applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Six applicants were issued Senior Operator licenses and four applicants were issued Operator licenses.
(Section 4OA5.1).
REPORT DETAILS
4OA5 Other
.1 Initial Licensing Examinations
a. Examination Scope
The NRC examiners and members of the facility licensees staff used the guidance prescribed in NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 9-Supplement 1, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the written examination and operating test. Members of the facility licensees staff prepared the outline and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of June 6, 2011, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited 30 percent 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 June 26, 2011 through June 30, 2011. The facility licensee administered the written examination on July 8, 2011.
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 examination, were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on Form ES-401-9, Written Examination Review Worksheet, which will be available in 24 months electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's document system (ADAMS).
On July 13, 2011, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination. The final as-administered examination, with comments and answer key (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML11206A563, RO Exam; ML11206A597, SRO Exam; and ML11206A844, Form ES-401-9), will be available in 24 months electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's document system (ADAMS).
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on July 14, 2011, 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.
Changes made to the operating test, documented in a document titled, AOperating Test Comments,@ as well as the final as administered dynamic simulator scenarios and JPMs, are available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's document system (ADAMS).
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on July 14, 2011.
- (3) Examination Results Six applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and four applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Ten applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses.
.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 10 CFR 55.49, AIntegrity 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 licensee=s examination security activities.
b. Findings
The chief examiner was notified of two separate potential exam security issues which were determined not to have compromised the examination. The first event occurred during the implementation of a system job performance measure (JPM) in the simulator.
An examiner found and removed a post-it note used for equipment flagging after the initiating cue was provided but prior to it being noticed by the applicant. Since the applicant did not see the flagged component, no exam compromise occurred.
A similar second event occurred when another licensed operator was performing a system JPM in the simulator. In this case, however, the small post-it note used for flagging the equipment was unnoticed by the applicant or the chief examiner until the applicant was in the process of applying flagging to the same component. As a new flagging post-it note was being placed on the equipment, the previous flagging was observed by the applicant, and the applicant immediately backed away. The chief examiner removed the old flagging, reported the issue to the licensee coordinating the simulator JPMs, and continued with the JPM. Since the applicant was flagging the same equipment when the previous flagging was identified, no exam compromise occurred.
Both of the above events were entered into the facility licensees corrective action program and actions were initiated to prevent reoccurrence.
4OA6 Meetings
.1 Debrief
The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations on July 1, 2011, to C. Costanzo, Site Vice President, and other members of the Duane Arnold Energy Center Operations and Training Department staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on July 14, 2011, with G. Rushworth, Assistant Operations Manager - Training, by telephone. The NRC=s final disposition of the station=s post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed with Mr. Rushworth during the telephone discussion. The examiners 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
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee
- C. Costanzo, Site Vice President
- G. Rushworth, Assistant Operations Manager - Training
- G. Pry, Operations Director
- S. Catron, Licensing Manager
- D. Curtland, Plant General Manager
- W. Simmons, Training Manager
- C. Hansen, Exam Project Manager
- J. Kalamaja, Assistant Operations Manager
- A. Lewis, Initial License Training Supervisor
- A. Browning, Licensing
- R. Becker, Operations Instructor
- J. Morris, Operations Instructor
- G. Fuller, Operations Instructor
- S. Vick, Operations Instructor
- M. Walter, Operations Instructor
- E. Murray, Operations Instructor
NRC
- L. Haeg, Senior Resident Inspector
- C. Zoia, Operations Engineer - Chief Examiner
- D. McNeil, Senior Operations Engineer - Examiner
- R. K. Walton, Senior Operations Engineer - Examiner
- R. Baker, Operations Engineer - Examiner
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
None