IR 05000373/2025301
| ML25323A316 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 11/20/2025 |
| From: | Paul Zurawski NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB |
| To: | Mudrick C Constellation Energy Generation, Constellation Nuclear |
| Henning T. | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML23202A181 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-373/25-301, 50-374/25-301 50-373/OL-25, 50-374/OL-25 | |
| Download: ML25323A316 (1) | |
Text
SUBJECT:
LASALLE COUNTY STATION UNITS 1 AND 2 - NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000373/2025301; 05000374/2025301
Dear Christopher Mudrick:
On October 10, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your LaSalle County Station. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on September 26, 2025, with Dan Mearhoff and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by teleconference on November 14, 2025, between Dan Mearhoff of your staff and Troy Henning Senior Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the license applicants. During the teleconference conversation, the NRC resolutions of any post-examination comments submitted by the facility, initially received by the NRC on October 10, 2025, were discussed.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the week of September 22, 2025. The written examination was administered by LaSalle County Station training department personnel on October 2, 2025. Eight (8) Senior Reactor Operator and four (4) Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on October 20, 2025. Twelve (12) applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Eight (8) Senior Reactor Operators and four (4) Reactor Operators were issued examination pass letters. Deferrals were requested by the facility licensee due to training program completion. Once the deferral requirements are completed, received, and processed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Senior Operator and Reactor Operator licenses will be issued.
The as-administered written examination and operating test, as well as documents related to the development and review (outlines, review comments and resolution, etc.) of the examination will be withheld from public disclosure until October 10, 2027. The enclosure contains details of this report.
November 20, 2025 This letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be made available for public inspection and copying at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the NRC Public Document Room in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Sincerely, Paul J. Zurawski, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-373; 50-374 License Nos. NPF-11; NPF-18 Enclosure:
1. Examination Report 05000373/2025301; 05000374/2025301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV D. Mearhoff, Senior Manager - Site Training Signed by Zurawski, Paul on 11/20/25
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ER 05000373/2025301; 05000374/2025301; 09/22/2025 - 10/10/2025; Constellation Nuclear;
LaSalle County Station. Initial License Examination Report.
The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional and program office Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 12.
Examination Summary:
Twelve (12) of twelve (12) applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations.
Twelve (12) were issued examination pass letters. Deferrals were requested by the facility licensee due to training program completion. Once all deferral requirements have been completed, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will review the documentation and issue Senior Operator and Reactor Operator Licenses to the respective applicants. (Section 4OA5.1).
REPORT DETAILS
4OA5 Other Activities
.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 12, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the written examination and operating test. The written examination outlines were prepared by the NRC staff and were transmitted to the facility licensees staff. Members of the facility licensees staff developed the operating test outlines and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of August 18, 2025, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited 100 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 September 22, 2025, through September 26, 2025. The facility licensee administered the written examination on October 2, 2025.
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.
During validation of the written examination, several questions were modified or replaced. All changes made to the proposed written examination, were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on Form 2.3-5, Written Examination Review Worksheet.
The Form 2.3-5, the written examination outlines, and both the proposed and final written examinations, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) on October 10, 2027, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML23202A180, ML23202A183, ML23202A184, and ML23202A173 respectively).
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on October 13, 2025, and conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and validity of the examination questions. Post-examination analysis revealed generic weaknesses in applicant performance with one
- (1) Fundamentals Knowledge question with more than 50 percent of applicants answering incorrectly.
- (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.
Less than 20 percent of the proposed operating test portion of the examination was determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement.
During the validation of the operating test, several Job Performance Measures (JPMs)were modified or replaced, and some modifications were made to the dynamic simulator scenarios. Changes made to the operating test portion of the examination, were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on Form 2.3-3, Operating Test Review Worksheet. The Form 2.3-3, the operating test outlines, and both the proposed and final as administered dynamic simulator scenarios and JPMs, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS on October 10, 2027, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML23202A180, ML23202A183, ML23202A184, and ML23202A173 respectively).
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on October 17, 2025.
- (3) Examination Results Eight
- (8) applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and four
- (4) applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Twelve
- (12) applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective examination pass letters. Deferrals were requested by the facility licensee due to training program completion. Once all deferral requirements have been completed, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will review the documentation and issue Senior Operator and Reactor Operator Licenses to the respective applicants.
.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 Title10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 55.49, Integrity 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 licensees examination security activities.
b. Findings
None
4OA6 Meetings
.1 Debrief
The chief examiner presented the examination teams preliminary observations and findings on September 26, 2025, to Dan Mearhoof, Senior Manager, Site Training and other members of the LaSalle County Station Operations and Training Department staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on November 14, 2025, with Dan Mearhoff, Senior Manager, Site Training by teleconference. The NRCs final disposition of the stations grading of the written examination and post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed during the teleconference. The chief examiner asked the licensee whether any of the retained submitted 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
Dan Mearhoff, Senior Manager, Site Training
Dimitri Mata, Exam Author
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Jaime Benjamin, Senior Resident Inspector
Troy Henning, Chief Examiner
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened, Closed, and Discussed
None