IR 05000456/2014301

Er 05000456/2014301; 05000457/2014301; on 11/12/2014 - 12/03/2014; Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2; Initial License Examination Report

ML15016A195
Person / Time
Site:	Braidwood
Issue date:	01/16/2015
From:	Hironori Peterson Operations Branch III
To:	Pacilio M Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear
Shared Package
ML14344A987	List: IR 05000456/2014301 ML15005A049
References
50-456/14-301, 50-457/14-301
Download: ML15016A195 (24)

Text

UNITED STATES ary 16, 2015

SUBJECT:

BRAIDWOOD STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000456/2014301; 05000457/2014301

Dear Mr. Pacilio:

On December 3, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed your Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on November 21, 2014, with Mr. D. Stiles, and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on December 12, 2014, between Mr. D. Styles, Braidwood Station Training Director, and Mr. R. Michael Morris, Senior Operations Engineer, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the licensed applicants. During the telephone conversation, NRC resolutions of the stations post-examination comments, initially received by the NRC on December 3, 2014, were discussed.

The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the weeks of November 10 and November 17, 2014. The written examination was administered by Braidwood Station training department personnel on November 24, 2014. Six Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) and six Reactor Operator (RO) applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on December 17, 2014. One RO applicant failed the written examination and was issued a proposed license denial letter.

Eleven applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations and ten were issued applicable operator licenses. In accordance with NRC policy, the license for the one remaining applicant is being withheld pending the outcome of any written examination appeal that may be initiated.

The proposed written examination and the administered written examination will be withheld from public disclosure for 24 months per your request. However, the applicant that received a proposed license denial letter because of a written examination grade that was less than 80 percent, will be provided a copy of the administered written examination. For examination security purposes, your staff should consider the written examination uncontrolled and exposed to the public. In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding, of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRCs Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS)

component of the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS).

ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site 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. 50-456; 50-457 License Nos. NPF-72; NPF-77

Enclosure:

Operator Licensing Examination Report (ER)

05000456/2014301; 05000457/2014301 w/Attachments:

1. Supplemental Information 2. Simulation Facility Report 3. Post-Examination Comments and Resolutions

REGION III==

Docket Nos: 50-456; 50-457 License Nos: NPF-72; NPF-77 Report No: 05000456/2014301; 05000457/2014301 Licensee: Exelon Generation Company, LLC Facility: Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2 Location: Braceville, IL Dates: November 12, 2014 - December 3, 2014 Inspectors: R. M. Morris, Senior Operations Engineer D. Reeser, Operations Engineer N. Valos, Senior Reactor Analyst Approved by: H. Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Enclosure

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER 05000456/2014301; 05000457/2014301; 11/12/2014 - 12/03/2014; Exelon Generation

Company, LLC; Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2; Initial License Examination Report.

The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021,

Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 9-Supplement 1.

Examination Summary Eleven of twelve applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Six applicants were issued Senior Operator licenses and four applicants were issued Operator licenses.

One applicant failed the written examination and was issued a proposed license denial. The license for the remaining applicant is being held and may be issued pending the outcome of any written examination appeal. (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 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 October 20, 2014, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff.

During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited four 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 November 12 through November 21, 2014. The facility licensee administered the written examination on November 24, 2014.

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, which will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS).

On December 3, 2014, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were four post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination. The post-examination comments and the NRC resolution for the post-examination comments are included as Attachment 2 to this report. The proposed written examination, as well as the final as-administered examination and answer key (ADAMS Accession Number ML14363A062), will be available in 24 months electronically in the NRCs Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS.

The NRC examiners graded the written examination on December 15, 2014, 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, Operating Test Comments, as well as the final as-administered dynamic simulator scenarios and Job Performance Measures, are available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS.

The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on December 15, 2014.

(3) Examination Results Six applicants at the SRO level and six applicants at the RO level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Ten applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on December 18, 2014.

One applicant failed the administered written examination and was issued a proposed license denial. One applicant passed all portions of the license examination, but received a written test grade below 82 percent. In accordance with NRC policy, the applicants license will be withheld until any written examination appeal possibilities by other applicants have been resolved. If the applicants grade is still equal to or greater than 80 percent after any appeal resolution, the applicant will be issued an operating license. If the applicants grade has declined below 80 percent, the applicant will be issued a proposed license denial letter and offered the opportunity to appeal any questions the applicant feels were graded incorrectly.

.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, 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

No findings were identified

4OA6 Management Meetings

.1 Debrief

The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on November 21, 2014, to Mr. D. Stiles, Training Director, and other members of the Braidwood Station Operations and Training Department staff.

.2 Exit Meeting

The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on December 15, 2014, with Mr. D. Stiles, Braidwood Station Training Director, by telephone. The NRCs final disposition of the stations post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed with Mr. Stiles 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.

ATTACHMENTS:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

D. Stiles, Training Director

K. Dovas, Operations Training Manager

J. Eilertson, Exam Author

A. Ferko, Ops Director

M. Henson, ILT Group Lead

R. Schleissman, Regional Assurance

G. Stopka, Shift Operations Supervisor

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

R. M. Morris, Senior Operations Engineer

B. Boston, Reactor Engineer

ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed, and Discussed

None