IR 05000440/2022301
| ML23024A007 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Perry  |
| Issue date: | 01/24/2023 |
| From: | April Nguyen NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB |
| To: | Penfield R Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp |
| Roach G | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML21188A239 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-440/22-01 50-440/OL-22 | |
| Download: ML23024A007 (10) | |
Text
January 24, 2023
SUBJECT:
PERRY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT - NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000440/2022301
Dear Rod Penfield:
On January 5, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Perry Nuclear Power Plant. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on December 19, 2022, with you and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on January 12, 2023, between you and Greg Roach, 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 week of December 12, 2022. The written examination was administered by Perry Nuclear Power Plant training department personnel on December 20, 2022. Seven Senior Reactor Operator and five Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on January 12, 2023. Twelve applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Seven were issued senior operator licenses and five were issued operator licenses.
The 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 January 5, 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, Signed by Nguyen, April on 01/24/23 April M. Nguyen, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-440 License No. NPF-58 Enclosure:
1. Examination Report 05000440/2022301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV Scott Plymale, Training Manager, Perry Nuclear Power Plant
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ER 05000440/2022301(DORS); 12/12/2022-01/05/2023; Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp, Perry
Nuclear Power Plant. Initial License Examination Report.
The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional U.S. 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 of twelve applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Seven applicants were issued senior operator licenses and five applicants were issued operator licenses. (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 November 14, 2022, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited two reactor operator and two senior reactor operator 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 December 12, 2022, through December 16, 2022. The facility licensee administered the written examination on December 20, 2022.
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 2.3-5, Written Examination Review Worksheet. The Form 2.3-5, the written examination outlines (Form 4.1-PWR Pressurized-Water Reactor Examination Outline and Form 4.1-COMMON Common Examination Outline), 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 January 5, 2025, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML21188A236, ML21188A232, ML21188A233, and ML21188A238 respectively).
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on January 6, 2023, 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.
Less than 20 percent of the proposed operating test portion of the examination was determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement.
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 (Form 3.2-1 Administrative Topics Outline, Form 3.2-2 Control Room and In-Plant Systems Outline, and Form 3.3-1 Scenario 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 January 5, 2025, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML21188A236, ML21188A232, ML21188A233, and ML21188A238 respectively).
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on January 6, 2023.
- (3) Examination Results Seven applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and five applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Twelve applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on January 12, 2023.
.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 team's preliminary observations and findings on December 19, 2022, to Rod Penfield, Site Vice President and other members of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant Operations and Training Department staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on January 12, 2023, with Rod Penfield, Site Vice President by telephone. The NRCs final disposition of the stations grading of the written examination and post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed during the telephone discussion. The chief examiner asked the licensee whether any of the retained submitted material used to develop or administer the examination should be considered proprietary. Proprietary or sensitive information identified during the examination or debrief/exit meetings will be handled in accordance with the applicable requirements.
ATTACHMENT:
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Enclosure 1
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee
- R. Penfield, Site Vice President
- C. Elliott, Plant General Manager
- S. Fahnestock, Regulatory Compliance Acting Supervisor
- S. Plymale, Manager - Site Training
- K. Clark, Manager - Operations
- R. Torres, Lead Exam Author
- B. Udell, Exam Author
- S. Kapostatsy, Operations Facility Representative
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- T. Ospino, Resident Inspector
- G. Roach, Chief Examiner
- T. Wingfield, Examiner
- J. Nance, Examiner
- R. Ng, Examiner Under Instruction
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened, Closed, and Discussed
None
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
ADAMS Agency-Wide Document Access and Management System
NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
SPDS Safety Parameter Display System
SWR Simulator Work Request
SIMULATOR FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee: Perry Nuclear Power Plant
Facility Docket No: 50-440
Operating Tests Administered: December 12, 2022 through December 16, 2022
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
1. Safety Parameter Display System (SPDS) Computer digital
1. SWR 23-0003
displays on P680 failed in the middle of the second day of
simulator scenarios. The crews were advised to not use the
displays and barriers were placed over them.
2. SWR 23-0004 2. SPDS locked up while implementing Emergency Operating
Procedures during a simulator scenario for a very short time. This
did not affect the applicant crews ability to complete the scenario.
3. Several spurious radiation monitor alarms were received. One
3. SWR 23-0005 occurred during a simulator scenario. This caused the NRC
Examiners to advise the crew to disregard the alarm. Other times
the alarms occurred with no applicants in the simulator.
4. SWR 23-0006 4. A simulator computer failure resulted in the inability to finish a
scenario as planned and the inability to delete several
malfunctions. The applicants had already completed all Critical
Task actions and all required event verifiable actions when the
failure occurred.
5. The RCIC Trip Throttle valve switch had sticky contacts resulting in
5. SWR 23-0007 confusion for a short time for one applicant during a Job
Performance Measure (JPM). Subsequently, the control switch
was exercised between each JPM performance.
2