IR 05000354/2009301

Er 05000354-09-301, on February 2-18, 2009, Hope Creek Generating Station, Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report

ML090790250
Person / Time
Site:	Hope Creek
Issue date:	03/20/2009
From:	Hansell S Operations Branch I
To:	Joyce T Public Service Enterprise Group
Shared Package
ML082600269	List: IR 05000354/2009301 ML090270205 ML090360400 ML090360406 ML090360415 ML090360438 ML090680623 ML090720629 ML090720842 ML090720939 ML091140106 ML091310431
References
ER-09-301
Download: ML090790250 (13)

Text

rch 20, 2009

SUBJECT:

HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000354/2009301

Dear Mr. Joyce:

On February 11, 2009, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an examination at Hope Creek Generating Station. The enclosed report documents the examination findings, which were discussed on March 6, 2009, with Mr. Mark Parrish of your training department.

The examination included the evaluation of five applicants for reactor operator licenses, four applicants for instant senior operator licenses and one applicant for an upgrade senior operator license. The written and operating examinations were developed using NUREG-1021,

"Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 9, Supplement 1.

The license examiners determined that all applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued.

No findings of significance 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/

Samuel L. Hansell, Jr., Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-354 License Nos. NPF-57 Enclosure: NRC Examination Report 05000354/2009301

Thomas

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER 05000354/2009301; February 2-18, 2009; Hope Creek Generating Station; Initial Operator

Licensing Examination Report.

NRC examiners evaluated the competency of five applicants for reactor operator licenses, four applicants for an instant senior operator license and one applicant for upgrade senior operator licenses at Hope Creek Generating Station. The facility 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 facility on February 11, 2009. NRC examiners administered the operating tests on February 2-6, 2009.

The license examiners determined that all applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued.

NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

Licensee-Identified Violations

None.

ii

REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other Activities (Initial Operator License Examination)

.1 License Applications

a. Scope

The examiners reviewed all ten license applications submitted by the licensee to ensure the applications reflected that each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. The applications were submitted on NRC Form 398, Personal Qualification Statement, and NRC Form 396, Certification of Medical Examination by Facility Licensee. The examiner audited all ten 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 of significance were identified.

.2 Operator Knowledge and Performance

a. Examination Scope

On February 11, 2009, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to ten applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis to the NRC on February 18, 2009.

The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating examination to all ten applicants on February 2 - 6, 2009. The five applicants for reactor operator licenses participated in two or three dynamic simulator scenarios, in a control room and facilities walkthrough test consisting of eleven system tasks, and an administrative test consisting of four administrative tasks. The four applicants seeking an instant senior operator license participated in three dynamic simulator scenarios, a control room and facilities walkthrough test consisting of ten system tasks, and an administrative test consisting of five administrative tasks. The one applicant for upgrade senior operator license participated in two dynamic simulator scenarios, a control room and facilities walkthrough test consisting of five system tasks, and an administrative test consisting of five administrative tasks.

b. Findings

All ten of the applicants passed all parts of their examination. For the written examinations, the reactor operator applicants average score was 85.3 percent and ranged from 80 to 93.3 percent, the senior operator applicants average score was 87 percent and ranged from 80 to 91 percent. The overall written examination average was 86.2 percent. The text of the examination questions, the licensees examination analysis, and the licensees post-examination comments may be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession numbers noted in the attachment.

Chapter ES-403 and Form ES-403-1 of NUREG 1021 require the licensee to analyze the validity of any written examination questions that were missed by half or more of the applicants. The licensee conducted this performance analysis for nine questions that met these criteria and submitted the analysis to the chief examiner. The licensee requested that the correct answer be changed for one question; the NRC approved this request. The facility comment on this question and the NRC resolution are provided as attachment 2 to this report.

.3 Initial Licensing Examination Development

a. Examination Scope

The facility licensee developed the examinations in accordance with NUREG-1021, Revision 9, Supplement 1. All licensee facility training and operations staff involved in examination preparation and validation were on a security agreement. The facility licensee submitted both the written and operating examination outlines on November 21, 2008. The chief examiner reviewed the outlines against the requirements of NUREG-1021, Revision 9, Supplement 1, and provided comments to the licensee. The facility licensee submitted the draft examination package on December 12, 2008. The chief examiner reviewed the draft examination package against the requirements of NUREG-1021, Revision 9, Supplement 1, and provided comments to the licensee, and conducted an onsite validation of the operating examinations comments during the week of January 4, 2009. The licensee satisfactorily completed comment resolution prior to the actual examination week.

b. Findings

The NRC approved the initial examination outline and advised the licensee to proceed with the operating examination development.

The examiners determined that the written and operating examinations initially submitted by the licensee were within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

No findings of significance were identified.

.4 Simulation Facility Performance

a. Examination Scope

The examiners observed simulator performance with regard to plant fidelity during the examination validation and administration.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.5 Examination Security

a. Examination Scope

The examiners reviewed examination security for examination development and during both the onsite preparation week and examination administration week for compliance with NUREG-1021 requirements. Plans for simulator security and applicant control were reviewed and discussed with licensee personnel.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit

The chief examiner presented observations concerning examination conduct to Mr. Ervin Parker, Hope Creek Station Training Manger, and other facility staff personnel in an outbrief on February 6, 2009. Examination results were provided to Mr. Mark Parrish, Operations Training Manager, during a telephone exit meeting on March 6, 2009. License numbers were provided during this call.

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

ATTACHMENT 1:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee Personnel

Mark Parrish, Operations Training Manager

Archie Faulkner, Nuclear Training Instructor

NRC Personnel

Joseph DAntonio, Senior Operations Engineer

ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened

NONE

Opened and Closed

NONE

Closed

NONE

Discussed

NONE