IR 05000454/2022301

NRC Initial License Examination Report 05000454/2022301 and 05000455/2022301

ML23062A183
Person / Time
Site:	Byron
Issue date:	03/07/2023
From:	April Nguyen NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB
To:	Rhoades D Constellation Energy Generation
Bartlett B
Shared Package
ML19121A195	List: IR 05000454/2022301 ML22102A123 ML22343A217
References
IR 2022301
Download: ML23062A183 (1)

Text

March 7, 2023

SUBJECT:

BYRON STATION - NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000454/2022301 AND 05000455/2022301

Dear David Rhoades:

On January 3, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Byron Station.

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 February 27, 2023, between Harris Welt and Bruce Bartlett, 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 Byron Station training department personnel on December 21, 2022. Seven Senior Reactor Operator and three Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on February 1, 2023. All ten applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Seven were issued senior operator licenses and three 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 3, 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 03/07/23 April M. Nguyen, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 05000454 and 05000455 License Nos. NPF-37 and NPF-66 Enclosure:

1. Examination Report 05000454/2022301; 05000455/2022301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV B. Lewin, Training Manager

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER 05000454/2022301 and 05000455/2022301(DORS); 12/12/2022-01/03/2023; Constellation

Nuclear, Byron Station. 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:

Ten of ten applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Seven applicants were issued senior operator licenses and three 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 onsite validation week, the examiners audited three reactor operator and three 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 21, 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 3, 2024, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML19121A203, ML19121A201, ML19121A198, and ML19121A195 respectively).

The licensee informed the Chief Examiner that there were no post-examination comments and thus there was no need for NRC resolution of post-examination comments.

The NRC examiners graded the written examination on January 18, 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 3, 2024, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML19121A203, ML19121A201, ML19121A198, and ML19121A195 respectively).

The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on January 18, 2023.

(3) Examination Results Seven applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and three applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Thirteen applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on February 1, 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 Title 10 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 16, 2022, to H. Welt and members of the Byron Station Operations and Training Department staff.

.2 Exit Meeting

The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on February 27, 2023, with Harris Welt, 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

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

Harris Welt - Site Vice President

Benjamin Reyes - Sr Training Instructor (Exam Author)

Gerald Armstrong - Regulatory Assurance

David Gutierrez - Regulatory Assurance

Charles Dawson - Training Instructor

Bryan Gapinski - Shift Operations Superintendent

Brian Lewin - Senior Manager Training

Barry Mingus - Sr Training Instructor (Exam Author)

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

B. Bartlett, Chief Examiner

D. Bacon, Senior Examiner

R. Baker, Senior Examiner

B. Bergeon, Examiner

S. Battenfield, Examiner Under Instruction

R. Williams, Examiner Under Instruction

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

SIMULATOR FIDELITY REPORT

Facility Licensee: Byron Station

Facility Docket No: 050-454; 050-455

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

None N/A

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