IR 05000456/2020301
| ML20239A842 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Braidwood  |
| Issue date: | 08/27/2020 |
| From: | Patricia Pelke NRC/RGN-III/DRS/OLB |
| To: | Bryan Hanson Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear |
| Baker R | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19121A239 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-456/20-301, 50-457/20-301 | |
| Download: ML20239A842 (10) | |
Text
August 27, 2020
SUBJECT:
BRAIDWOOD STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000456/2020301 AND 05000457/2020301
Dear Mr. Hanson:
On June 27, 2020, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Braidwood Station. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on June 10, 2020, with Mr. J. Keenan, Site Vice President, and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by telephone on July 17, 2020, with Mr. J. Keenan, Site Vice President, other members of your staff, and Mr. R. Baker, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the final grading of the written examination for the license applicants. The NRC also confirmed that the station submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration during NRC grading of the examination.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the weeks of June 1, 2020 and June 8, 2020. The written examination was administered by Braidwood Station training department personnel on May 22, 2020. Nine Senior Reactor Operator and four Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. One of the Senior Reactor Operator applicants was administered only the written examination as a retake examination, with the results of the retake examination finalized on June 11, 2020. The results of the remaining examinations were finalized on July 27, 2020. Thirteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Nine applicants were issued senior operator licenses and four applicants 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 June 27, 2022. 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, Patricia J. Pelke, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos. 50-456; 50-457 License Nos. NPF-72; NPF-77
Enclosures:
1. OL Examination Report 05000456/2020301 and 05000457/2020301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report
REGION III==
Docket No:
05000456; 05000457 License No:
05000456/2020301; 05000457/2020301 Enterprise Identifier: L-2020-OLL-0035 Licensee:
Exelon Generation Company, LLC Facility:
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2 Location:
Braceville, IL Dates:
May 22, 2020 through June 27, 2020 Examiners:
R. Baker, Senior Operations Engineer, Chief Examiner G. Roach, Senior Operations Engineer, Examiner B. Bergeon, Operations Engineer, Examiner
Approved by:
P. Pelke, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety
SUMMARY
Examination Report 05000456/2020301; 05000457/2020301; 05/22/2020-06/27/2020;
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 11.
Examination Summary Thirteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Nine applicants were issued senior operator licenses and four applicants were issued operator licenses.
(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 May 11, 2020, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the onsite validation week, the examiners audited three license applications for accuracy. The facility licensee administered the written examination on May 22, 2020. 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 June 1, 2020, through June 9, 2020.
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 or equal to 20 percent of the proposed examination questions were determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement.
During the validation of the written examination, several questions were modified or replaced. All changes made to the written examination were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and were documented on Form ES-401-9, Written Examination Review Worksheet. The Form ES-401-9, the written examination outlines (ES-401-1 and ES-401-3), 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 June 27, 2022, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML19121A238, ML19121A241, ML19121A243, and ML19121A244, respectively).
On June 27, 2020, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination.
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on July 7, 2020, 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.
Following the review and validation of the operating test, minor modifications were made to several job performance measures, and some minor modifications were made to the dynamic simulator scenarios. 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 Form ES-301-7, the operating test outlines (ES-301-1, ES-301-2, and ES-D-1s), and both the proposed and final operating tests, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs ADAMS on April 3, 2022, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML19121A238, ML19121A241, ML19121A243, and ML19121A244, respectively).
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on July 27, 2020.
- (3) Examination Results Nine applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator level and four applicants at the Reactor Operator level were administered written examinations and operating tests. One of the Senior Reactor Operator applicants was administered only the written examination as a retake examination.
Thirteen applicants passed all portions of their examinations. A senior operator license was issued on June 11, 2020, to the applicant who was administered the retake written examination; the remaining applicants were issued their respective operating licenses on July 27, 2020.
.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 and findings on June 10, 2020, to Mr. J. Keenan, Site Vice President, and other members of the Braidwood Station staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on July 17, 2020, with Mr. J. Keenan, Site Vice President, and other members of the Braidwood Station staff, by telephone.
The chief examiner 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 or debrief/exit meetings will be handled in accordance with the applicable requirements.
ATTACHMENT:
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee
- J. Keenan, Site Vice President
- G. Gugle, Plant Manager
- F. Jordan, Senior Manager Site Training
- K. Lueshen, Regulatory Assurance Manager
- A. Grabowski, Manager Operations Services
- J. Taff, Operations Training Manager
- D. Brunswick, Lead Exam Developer
- E. Steinberg, Operations Training
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- P. Pelke, Operations Branch Chief
- D. Kimble, Senior Resident Inspector
- P. Smagacz, Resident Inspector
- R. Baker, Senior Operations Engineer, Chief Examiner
- G. Roach, Senior Operations Engineer, Examiner
- B. Bergeon, Operations Engineer, Examiner
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened, Closed, and Discussed
None
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
Agencywide Document Access and Management System
NRC
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
SIMULATOR FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee:
Braidwood Station
Facility Docket No:
050-456; 050-457
Operating Tests Administered:
June 1, 2020 through June 9, 2020
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
Control Rod Motion
Audio Counter
During the first scenario that caused control rods to begin stepping into
the core due to a failed control instrument, the control rod motion audio
counter failed to generate the requisite clicking sound that identifies the
rod motion. All other visible indications of rod motion operated correctly,
and the crew responded appropriately to the instrument failure. As
control rods were being withdrawn to their original positions prior to the
instrument failure, the audio counter again began functioning properly.
The audio failure did not repeat itself throughout the remainder of the
administration of the operating test and was subsequently attributed to
sticky contacts. No simulator work request (SWR) was required.
Main Control Panel
Audible Annunciator
Alarm
During the later portion of a scenario where the crew was implementing
the Emergency Operating Procedures, the main control panel audible
annunciator alarm stopped working and when subsequent annunciators
went into alarm, an accompanying audible alarm was no longer activated.
Shortly following the occurrence, as visible alarms were being reset, the
audible alarm again began functioning properly, and continued to do so
throughout the remainder of the administration of the operating test
scenarios and Job Performance Measures. Following investigation by
the facility at the completion of the effected scenario, the failure of the
audible alarm was attributed to a sticky RESET button on the control
module for the main panels annunciators. No SWR was required.