IR 05000335/1982026

IE Inquiry Rept 50-335/82-26 on 820615-17.Inquiry Initiated to Determine Facts Surrounding Observations That Individual of Training Staff Was Talking to Examinees Prior to Reactor Operator & Senior Reactor Operator Exams

ML20062J444
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	07/07/1982
From:	Alderson C, Burch R, Uryc B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
Shared Package
ML20062J420	List: IR 05000335/1982026 ML20062J417
References
50-335-82-26, NUDOCS 8208160370
Download: ML20062J444 (4)

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1. o, UNITED STATES

! % NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

$ eE REGION II o, g 101 MARIETTA ST., N.W., SUITE 3100 g g ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303

INQUIRY REPORT N0. 50-335/82-26 SUBJECT: Florida Power and Light Company St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 Possible Compromise of Operator Licensing Examination - June 15, 1982

DATES OF INQUIRY: June 15-17,1982 INVESTIGATORS: - 7 2 R. H. Burch,' Regional Investigator Date Signed Enforcemer.t and Investigations Staff

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1 Y S I-Uryc, Jr. ,' Regional Investigator Date~ igned Enforcement and Investigations Staff REVIEWED BY: , RAS N 7 !$7_

, Carl E.,A1 3erson, Director Date S'igned

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Enforcemer t and Investigations Staff l

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8208160370 020720  ;

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SUMMARY OF INQUIRY FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY ST. LUCIE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT UNIT 1 JUNE 15-17,1982 l

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A. SUMMARY This inquiry was initiated at the direction of the Regional Administrator, [

Region II Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), on June 15, 1982, based upon

, information that a possible compromise of the Reactor Operator (RO) and

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, Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) licensing examinations occurred on June 15, 1982, at the Florida Power and Light Company's (FP&L) St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, St. Lucie, Florid On June 15, 1982, Information was received alleging that a member of the S i Lucie training staff was observed talking to R0/SR0 examinees prior to their taking the examination. The training staff member had reviewed the R0/SR0 -

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examinations prior to talking with the examinees. Although there was no information indicating the extent or particular topic of the conversation, f the possibility of compromise could not be discounte !

This inquiry was conducted pursuant to Section 161.c of the Atomic Energy i Act of 1954, as amended.

B. SCOPE OF INQUIRY This inquiry was initiated to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the reported observation that a member of the St. Lucie training ;

staff was seen talking to examinees who- were preparing to take R0/SR0 examinations, and that the member of the training staff had reviewed the examinations prior to talking with the examinees. Specifically, the inquiry addressed the issue as to whether the incident constituted a willful and deliberate attempt to compromise the examinations and provide the examinees with information concerning the examination question .

The inquiry was conducted by Region II investigators who interviewed the

! original source of information, five operator examinees, and members of the

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St. Lucie training staff. In addition, copies of the examinations were obtained from the representative of Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory '

who prepared the examinations. A review of the examinations and Results of

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Interviews was conducted by members of the Region II staff to determine the possible impact of remarks made to the examinees prior to their taking the examinatio Observations were also made of the St. Lucie physical facilities where the alleged impropriety took plac ,

C. FINDINGS The inquiry revealed that a member of the St. Lucie training staff did in fact have contact with the examinees subsequent to reviewing the SRO examinatio The individual made several general statements to the examinees concerning material covered in the examination. A technical '

l assessment made by comparing the remarks by the individual to the examinees (as reported to the investigators by the individual and the examinees) and y the material covered in the actual examinations indicate the individual's remarks to the examinees were of a general non-specific nature. As such,

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the remarks would have primarily impacted on the examinees by generating '

discussion points for them following the individual's departure from the room. However, the period of time from when the individual left the exami-

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nation room (leaving the examinees alone) to when the examination i administrator entered the room to begin examinations was estimated at approximately 10 minutes. St. Lucie officials, in concert with an official of the NRC Of fice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, decided to terminate the i examination because of the inciden !

There was no indication developed during the inquiry that any willful *

attempt was made to compromise the examinations or provide an advantage to ,

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the examinees. The incident appears to have occurred as a result of poor

'l' . judgment on the part of the individual who talked with the examinees. There  ;

was no evidence to indicate any intent on the part of the individual ::So l

, talked with the examinees to provide them with answers to specific exami-nation questions.

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