IR 05000397/2023301

NRC Examination Report 05000397/2023301

ML23117A175
Person / Time
Site:	Columbia
Issue date:	05/01/2023
From:	Heather Gepford NRC/RGN-IV/DORS/OB
To:	Schuetz R Energy Northwest
References
IR 2023301
Download: ML23117A175 (1)

Text

May 01, 2023

SUBJECT:

COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000397/2023301

Dear Mr. Schuetz:

On April 20, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an initial operator license examination at Columbia Generating Station. The enclosed report documents the examination results and licensing decisions. The preliminary examination results were discussed on April 12, 2023, with Mr. K. Robertson, Exam Group Supervisor. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on April 20, 2023, with Mr. D. Brown, Site Vice President, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.

The examination included the evaluation of seven applicants for reactor operator licenses, four applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses, and two applicants for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses. The license examiners determined that twelve of the thirteen applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued. There was one post-examination comment submitted by your staff. Enclosure 1 contains details of this report and Enclosure 2 summarizes post-examination comment resolution.

No findings were identified during this examination. 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 10 CFR 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.

Sincerely, Signed by Gepford, Heather on 05/01/23 Heather J. Gepford, Ph.D., Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket No. 05000397 License No. NPF-21 Enclosures:

1. Examination Report 05000397/2023301 w/attachment: Supplemental Information 2. NRC Post-Examination Comment Resolution Electronic distribution via LISTSERV

ML23117A175 SUNSI Review: ADAMS: Non-Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:

By: NAH Yes No Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002 OFFICE OE:DORS/OB SOE:DORS/OB OE:DORS/OB OE:DORS/OB OE:DORS/OB C:DRS/OB NAME NHernandez JKirkland DYou KMurphy JDemarshall HGepford SIGNATURE /RA/ /RA/ /RA/ /RA/ /RA/ /RA/

DATE 04/27/23 04/27/23 04/27/23 04/27/23 04/28/23 05/01/23

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Inspection Report

Docket Number: 05000397 License Number: NPF-21 Report Number: 05000397/2023301 Enterprise Identifier: L-2023-OLL-0023 Licensee: Energy Northwest Facility: Columbia Generating Station Location: Richland, Washington Inspection Dates: February 20, 2023, to April 20, 2023 Inspectors: N. Hernandez, Operations Engineer, Chief Examiner J. Kirkland, Senior Operations Engineer J. Demarshall, Senior Operations Engineer D. You, Operations Engineer K. Murphy, Operations Engineer Approved By: Heather J. Gepford, Ph.D., Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Enclosure

SUMMARY Examination Report 05000397/2023301; February 20 - April 20, 2023; Columbia Generating Station; Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report The NRC examiners evaluated the competency of seven applicants for reactor operator licenses, four applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses, and two applicants for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses at Columbia Generating Station.

The licensee developed the examinations using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 12. The written examination was administered by the licensee on March 9, 2023. The NRC examiners administered the operating tests on February 20-24, 2023.

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

A. NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings None.

B. Licensee-Identified Violations None.

REPORT DETAILS OTHER ACTIVITIES - INITIAL LICENSE EXAM

.1 License Applications a. Scope The NRC examiners reviewed all license applications submitted to ensure each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. The NRC examiners also audited six 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 were identified.

.2 Examination Development a. Scope The NRC examiners reviewed integrated examination outlines and draft examinations submitted by the licensee against the requirements of NUREG-1021. The NRC examiners conducted an onsite validation of the operating tests.

b. Findings The NRC examiners provided outline, draft examination, and post-validation comments to the licensee. The licensee satisfactorily completed comment resolution prior to examination administration.

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

.3 Operator Knowledge and Performance a. Scope On March 9, 2023, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to all thirteen applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis and post-examination comments to the NRC on March 21, 2023.

The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to all applicants from February 20-24, 2023.

b. Findings No findings were identified.

All applicants passed the written examination, and twelve applicants passed all parts of the operating test. The final examinations and post-examination analysis and comments may be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession numbers noted in the attachment. In accordance with NRC policy, the exams may be delayed for public release for up to two and a half years; and will be released for public viewing on July 9, 2025.

The examination team noted no generic weaknesses associated with applicant performance on the operating tests. Post-examination analysis revealed seven generic weaknesses associated with applicant performance on the written examination.

Specifically, the following questions had a miss rate of greater than 50%: questions 11, 18, 22, 35, 69, 79, and 89. These weaknesses were captured in the licensees corrective action program as condition report 442950. Copies of all individual examination reports were sent to the facility training manager for evaluation and determination of appropriate remedial training.

.4 Simulation Facility Performance a. Scope The NRC examiners observed simulator performance with regard to plant fidelity during examination validation and administration.

b. Findings No findings were identified.

.5 Examination Security a. Scope The NRC examiners reviewed examination security for examination development during both the onsite preparation week and examination administration week for compliance with 10 CFR 55.49 and NUREG-1021. Plans for simulator security and applicant control were reviewed and discussed with licensee personnel.

Findings No findings were identified.

EXIT MEETINGS AND DEBRIEFS Exit Meeting Summary The chief examiner presented the preliminary examination results to Mr. K. Robertson and other members of the staff on April 12, 2023. A telephonic exit was conducted on April 20, 2023, between Mr. N. Hernandez, chief examiner, and Mr. D. Brown, Site Vice President.

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

ADAMS DOCUMENTS REFERENCED Accession No. ML23115A344 - FINAL WRITTEN EXAMS Accession No. ML23115A345 - FINAL OPERATING TEST Accession No. ML23115A355 - POST-EXAMINATION ANALYSIS-COMMENTS

NRC Resolution to the Columbia Generating Station Post-Examination Comment A complete text of the licensee's post-examination analysis and comments can be found in ADAMS under Accession Number ML23115A355.

SRO QUESTION # 95 COMMENT: The licensee recommended accepting answer choice A in addition to answer choice B. This question involved providing the applicant with a stuck rod and the applicable technical specification action statement, 3.1.3, Control Rod Operability. The applicant was then asked to determine the combination of control rods that would not violate rod separation criteria.

The original answer is correct; the rod combinations in answer choice B will not violate rod separation criteria. During post examination analysis licensee staff identified a typographical error that resulted in two correct answers. Answer choice A was intended to contain control rod 46-43 but mistakenly contained control rod 46-47. Therefore, distractor A is also correct.

NRC RESOLUTION: The NRC agrees with the licensee's recommendation to accept both A and B as correct answers for Question #95. This is based on the control rod combination provided in answer choice A also being a combination that will not violate control rod separation criteria.

TS Bases for LCO 3.1.3 describes conditions where the stuck control rod separation criteria are not met: The separation criteria are not met if: a) the stuck control rod occupies a location adjacent to two "slow" control rods, b) the stuck control rod occupies a location adjacent to one

"slow" control rod, and the one "slow" control rod is also adjacent to another "slow" control rod, or c) if the stuck control rod occupies a location adjacent to one "slow" control rod when there is another pair of "slow" control rods adjacent to one another.

Enclosure 2