IR 05000373/2018301

NRC Initial License Examination Report 05000373/2018301; 05000374/2018301 (Cdz)

ML19029B258
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	01/29/2019
From:	Randy Baker Operations Branch III
To:	Bryan Hanson Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear
References
IR 2018301
Download: ML19029B258 (10)

Text

ary 29, 2019

SUBJECT:

LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000373/2018301; 05000374/2018301

Dear Mr. Hanson:

On December 11, 2018, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations.

Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on November 16, 2018, with Mr. W. Trafton and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on December 20, 2018, between Mr. W. Trafton 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 examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the weeks of November 5, 2018, and November 12, 2018. The written examination was administered by training department personnel on November 16, 2018. Eight Senior Reactor Operator and six Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on January 3, 2019. One applicant failed one or more sections of the administered examination and was issued a proposed license denial letter.

Thirteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations; seven were issued senior operator licenses and six were issued operator licenses.

The written examination and other related written examination documentation will be withheld from public disclosure for 24 months per your request. However, since one applicant received a proposed license denial letter because of a written examination grade that was less than 80.0 percent, the applicant was provided a copy of the administered written examination. For examination security purposes, your staff should consider that written examination uncontrolled and exposed to the public. 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,

/RA/

Randal Baker, Acting Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-373; 50-374 License Nos. NPF-11; NPF-18

Enclosures:

1. OL Examination Report 05000373/2018301; 05000374/2018301 2. Simulation Facility Fidelity Report

REGION III==

Docket Nos: 50-373;05-374 License Nos: NPF-11; NPF-18 Report No: 05000373/2016301; 05000374/2016301 Enterprise Identifier: I-2018-003-0030 Licensee: Exelon Generation Company, LLC Facility: LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 Location: Marseilles, IL Dates: November 5, 2018, through December 11, 2018 Examiners: C. Zoia, Senior Operations Engineer - Chief Examiner R. Baker, Senior Operations Engineer - Examiner D. Reeser, Operations Engineer - Examiner G. Roach, Senior Operations Engineer - Examiner Approved by: R. Baker, Acting Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Enclosure 1

SUMMARY

Examination Report 05000440/2018301; 11/05/2018-12/11/2018; Exelon Generation

Company, LLC; LaSalle County Station; Units 1 and 2; 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,

Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 11.

Examination Summary Thirteen of fourteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations.

Seven applicants were issued a senior operator licenses and six applicants were issued operator licenses. One applicant failed one or more sections of the administered examination and was issued a proposed license denial. (Section 4OA5.1).

REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other Activities

.1 Initial Licensing Examinations

a. Examination Scope

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners and members of the facility licensees staff used the guidance prescribed in NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 11, 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 prepared the operating test outlines and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of October 1, 2018, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the onsite validation week, the examiners audited two 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 November 5, 2018, through November 14, 2018. The facility licensee administered the written examination on November 16, 2018.

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 written 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.

On December 11, 2018, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination. The written examination outlines and worksheets, the proposed written examination (ADAMS Accession Number ML17164A413), as well as the final as-administered examination and answer key (ADAMS Accession Number ML17164A409), will be available, in 24 months, electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS).

The NRC examiners graded the written examination on December 4, 2018, 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.

All changes made to the operating test were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and were documented on Form ES-301-7, Operating Test Review Worksheet. The operating test outlines and worksheets, the proposed operating test and worksheets, as well as the final Form ES-301-7, and the final as-administered operating test, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs ADAMS, on August 13, 2020. (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML17164A411, ML17164A413, ML17164A408, and ML17164A409, respectively.)

On December 11, 2018, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination facility licensee comments, and no post-examination applicant comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the operating test.

The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on January 3, 2019.

(3) Examination Results Eight applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator level and six applicants at the Reactor Operator level were administered written examinations and operating tests.

• Thirteen applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on January 3, 2019.

• One applicant failed one or more sections of the administered examination and was issued a proposed license denial.

.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, Part 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 Management Meetings

.1 Debrief

The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on November 16, 2018, to Mr. W. Trafton, Site Vice President, and other members of the LaSalle County Station staff.

.2 Exit Meeting

The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on December 20, 2018, with Mr. W. Trafton, Site Vice President, and other members of the LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2, staff by telephone. The NRCs final disposition of the written exam grading was disclosed and discussed with 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

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

J. Van Fleet, Operations Director

M. Martin, Training Director

D. Fuson, Operations Training Manager

J. Messina, Site Exam Representative

C. Betken, Exam Author

T. Messner, Exam Author

D. Murray, Regulatory Assurance Manager

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

W. Schaup, Senior Resident Inspector

J. Havertape, Resident Inspector

C. Zoia, Chief Examiner

R. Baker, Examiner

D. Reeser, Examiner

G. Roach, Examiner

ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed, and Discussed

None

LIST OF ACRONYMS USED

ADAMS Agencywide Document Access and Management System

NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT

Facility Licensee: LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2

Facility Docket Nos: 50-373; 50-374

Operating Tests Administered: November 5, 2018, through November 14, 2018

The following documents observations made by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

examination team during the initial operator license examination. These observations do

not constitute audit or inspection findings and are not, without further verification and review,

indicative of non-compliance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 55.45(b).

These observations do not affect U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification or

approval of the simulation facility other than to provide information which may be used in

future evaluations. No licensee action is required in response to these observations.

During the conduct of the simulator portion of the operating tests, the following items were

observed:

ITEM DESCRIPTION

SWR 0134795 During one scenario, a spurious annunciator alarmed causing a minor

disruption. The alarm was quickly addressed, and no further incidents

occurred.

2