IR 05000454/2019301
| ML19098A697 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Byron  |
| Issue date: | 04/08/2019 |
| From: | Randy Baker Operations Branch III |
| To: | Bryan Hanson Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear |
| Zoia C | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17164A343 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-454/19-301, 50-455/19-301 IR 2019301 | |
| Download: ML19098A697 (10) | |
Text
ril 8, 2019
SUBJECT:
BYRON STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000454/2019301; 05000455/2019301
Dear Mr. Hanson:
On January 29, 2019, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at 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 17, 2019, with Mr. M. Kanavos and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on February 20, 2019, between Mr. T. Chalmers of your staff, and Mr. C. Zoia, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the examination for the license applicants.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the weeks of January 7, 2019, and January 14, 2019. The written examination was administered by training department personnel on January 23, 2019. Nine Senior Reactor Operator and five Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on February 22, 2019. One applicant failed one or more sections of the administered examination and was issued a preliminary results letter. Thirteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations; eight were issued senior operator licenses and five were issued operator licenses.
The administered written examinations and operating tests, as well as documents related to the development and review of the examinations (outlines, proposed examinations, review comments, and resolutions, etc.), will be withheld from public disclosure for 24 months, until January 29, 2021. However, since one applicant received a preliminary results letter due to having several operating test items that were graded as unsatisfactory, the applicant was provided a copy of the specific exam materials related to the failure. For examination security purposes, your staff should consider those examination materials 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 D. Baker, Acting Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-454; 50-455 License Nos. NPF-37; NPF-66
Enclosures:
1. OL Examination Report 05000454/2019301; 05000455/2019301 2. Simulation Facility Fidelity Report
REGION III==
Docket Nos: 50-454; 50-455 License Nos: NPF-37; NPF-66 Report No: 05000454/2019301; 05000455/2019301 Enterprise Identifier: L-2019-OLL-0029 Licensee: Exelon Generation Company, LLC Facility: Byron Station, Units 1 and 2 Location: Byron, IL Dates: January 7, 2019, through January 29, 2019 Examiners: C. Zoia, Senior Operations Engineer, Chief Examiner R. Baker, Senior Operations Engineer, Examiner D. Reeser, Operations Engineer, Examiner B. Bergeon, Operations Engineer, Examiner Approved by: R. Baker, Acting Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Enclosure 1
SUMMARY
Examination Report 05000454/2019301; 05000455/2019301; 01/07/2019-01/29/2019; 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,
Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 11.
Examination Summary Thirteen of fourteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations.
Eight applicants were issued a senior operator licenses and five 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 December 10, 2018, 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 weeks of January 7, 2019, and January 14, 2019. The facility licensee administered the written examination on January 23, 2019.
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 January 29, 2019, 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 (Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS Accession Number ML17164A347)), as well as the final as-administered examination and answer key (ADAMS Accession Number ML17164A345), will be available, in 24 months, electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS.
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on January 29, 2019, 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 ML17164A346, ML17164A347, ML17164A344, and ML17164A345, respectively).
On January 29, 2019, 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 February 22, 2019.
- (3) Examination Results Nine applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator level and five 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 February 22, 2019.
One applicant failed one or more sections of the administered examination and was issued a preliminary results letter.
.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 on January 17, 2019, to Mr. M. Kanavos, Site Vice President, and other members of the Byron Station staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on February 20, 2019, with Mr. T. Chalmers, Plant Manager, and other members of the Byron Station staff, by telephone. The NRCs final disposition of the 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. Proprietary or sensitive information identified during the examination will be properly dispositioned from public availability.
ATTACHMENT:
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee
- M. Kanavos, Site Vice President
- T. Chalmers, Plant Manager
- R. Lawlor, Training Director
- K. Sanford, Operations Training Manager
- B. Payne, Site Exam Representative
- M. Kultgen, Exam Author
- Z. Cox, Regulatory Assurance
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- C. Hunt, Resident Inspector
- C. Zoia, Chief Examiner
- R. Baker, Examiner
- D. Reeser, Examiner
- B. Bergeon, 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: Byron Station, Units 1 and 2
Facility Docket Nos: 50-454; 50-455
Operating Tests Administered: January 7, 2019, through January 17, 2019
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 None
2