IR 05000454/2012301

Er 05000454-12-301, 05000455-12-301(DRS), on 01/23/2012-02/07/2012, Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Byron Station, Units 1 and 2, Initial License Examination Report

ML12058A390
Person / Time
Site:	Byron
Issue date:	02/24/2012
From:	Hironori Peterson Operations Branch III
To:	Pacilio J Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear
Michael Bielby
References
50-454/12-301, 50-455/12-301
Download: ML12058A390 (10)

Text

ary 24, 2012

SUBJECT:

BYRON STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000454/2012301; 05000455/2012301

Dear Mr. M. Pacilio:

On February 7, 2012, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed your Byron Station, Units 1 and 2. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on January 27, 2012, with Mr. M. McCue, Acting Training Director, and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on February 10, 2012, between Mr. T. Tulon, Site Vice President, and Mr. M. Bielby, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the license applicants. During the telephone conversation NRC resolutions of the station=s post examination comments, initially received by the NRC on February 7, 2012, were discussed.

The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the week of January 23, 2012. The written examination was administered by Byron Station training department personnel on January 31, 2012. Five Senior Reactor Operator and three Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on February 21, 2012. Eight applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations and five were issued senior operator licenses and three 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. 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 System (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Sincerely,

/RA/

Hironori Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-454; 50-455 License Nos. NPF-37; NPF-66

Enclosures:

1. Operator Licensing Examination Report 05000454/2012301(DRS);

05000455/2012301(DRS)

w/Attachment: Supplemental Information 2. Simulation Facility Report

REGION III==

Docket No: 50-454; 50-455 License No: NPF-37; NPF-66 Report No: 05000454/2012301(DRS); 05000455/2012301(DRS)

Licensee: Exelon Generation Company, LLC Facility: Byron Station, Units 1 and 2 Location: Byron, IL Dates: January 23 - February 7, 2012 Inspectors: M. Bielby, Chief Examiner B. Palagi, Examiner C. Moore, Examiner Approved by: Hironori Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Enclosure

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER 05000454/2012301(DRS); 05000455/2012301(DRS); 01/23/2012-02/07/2012; Exelon

Generation Company, LLC, Byron 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, AOperator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors,@ Revision 9, Supplement 1.

Examination Summary:

Eight of eight applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Five applicants were issued senior operator licenses and three applicants were issued operator licenses.

(Section 4OA5.1).

REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other

.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 9-Supplement 1, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the written examination and operating test. Members of the facility licensees staff prepared the outline and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of January 23, 2012, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site 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 January 23 through 27, 2012. The facility licensee administered the written examination on January 31, 2012.

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% of the proposed examination questions were determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement. All changes made to the proposed 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, which will be available in 24 months electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's document system (ADAMS).

On February 7, 2012, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination. The final as-administered examination and answer key (ADAMS Accession Number ML12055A179, will be available in 24 months electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's document system (ADAMS).

The NRC examiners graded the written examination on February 7, 2012, 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.

Changes made to the operating test, documented in a document titled, AOperating Test Comments,@ as well as the final as administered dynamic simulator scenarios and JPMs, are available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's document system (ADAMS).

The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on February 21, 2012.

(3) Examination Results Five applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and three applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Eight applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses.

.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 10 CFR 55.49, AIntegrity 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 licensee=s examination security activities.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA6 Meetings

.1 Debrief

The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on January 27, 2012, to Mr. M. McCue, Acting Training Director and other members of the Byron Station Operations and Training Department staff.

.2 Exit Meeting

The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on February 10, 2012, with Mr. T. Tulon, Site Vice President, by telephone. The NRC=s final disposition of the station=s post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed with Mr. Tulon 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

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

T. Tulon, Site Vice President

M. Coffman, Non-Licensed Operator Training Specialist

D. Grudger, Regulatory Assurance Manager

B. Hochstetter, Initial License Training Specialist

T. Hulbert, Byron Regulatory Assurance

M. McCue, Acting Training Director / Licensed Operator Requalification Training Lead

G. Pickar, Acting Training Director / Operations Training Manager

R. Schliessman, Braidwood Regulatory Assurance

G. Smith, Initial License Training Specialist

R. Williams, Senior Operations Supervisor

B. Youman, Plant Manager

NRC

B. Bartlett, Senior Resident Inspector

M. Bielby, Chief Examiner

C. Moore, Examiner

ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed, and Discussed

None Attachment