IR 05000482/2017301
| ML18011A668 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Wolf Creek  |
| Issue date: | 01/11/2018 |
| From: | Vincent Gaddy Operations Branch IV |
| To: | Heflin A Wolf Creek |
| References | |
| 50-482/17-301 50-482/OL-17 | |
| Download: ML18011A668 (20) | |
Text
ary 11, 2018
SUBJECT:
WOLF CREEK GENERATING STATION - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000482/2017301
Dear Mr. Heflin:
On November 15, 2017, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an initial operator license examination at Wolf Creek Generating Station. The enclosed report documents the examination results and licensing decisions. The preliminary examination results were discussed on November 9, 2017, with Mr. C. Reasoner, Site Vice President, and other members of your staff. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on December 19, 2017, with Mr. R. Meyer, Supervisor, Simulator and Examination Group, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.
The examination included the evaluation of five applicants for reactor operator licenses, five applicants for an instant senior reactor operator license, and one applicant for an upgrade senior reactor operator license. The license examiners determined that all applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55 and the appropriate licenses have been issued. There were two post examination comments submitted by your staff. Enclosure 1 contains details of this report, Enclosure 2 documents one observed simulator fidelity issue, and Enclosure 3 summarizes post examination comment resolution.
No findings were identified during this examination.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice and Procedure," 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 (PARS) component of NRCs document 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/
Vincent G. Gaddy, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-482 License No. NPF-42
Enclosures:
1. Examination Report 05000482/2017301 w/Attachment: Supplemental Information 2. Simulator Fidelity Report 3. NRC Resolution to the Wolf Creek Post Examination Comments
REGION IV==
Docket: 05000482 License: NPF-42 Report: 05000482/2017301 Licensee: Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation Facility Wolf Creek Generating Station Location: 1550 Oxen Lane NE Burlington, Kansas Dates: November 6 through December 19, 2017 Inspectors: C. Osterholtz, Senior Operations Engineer K. Clayton, Senior Operations Engineer T. Farina, Operations Engineer M. Hayes, Operations Engineer S. Hedger, Emergency Preparedness Inspector Approved By: Vincent G. Gaddy Chief, Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Enclosure 1
SUMMARY
ER 05000482/2017301; 11/6/2017 - 12/19/2017; Wolf Creek Generating Station; Initial
Operator Licensing Examination Report.
NRC examiners evaluated the competency of five applicants for reactor operator licenses, five applicants for an instant senior reactor operator license, and one applicant for an upgrade senior reactor operator license at Wolf Creek Generating Station.
The NRC developed the examinations using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 11. The written examination was administered by the licensee on November 15, 2017. The NRC examiners administered the operating tests November 6-10, 2017.
The examiners determined that all of the applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued.
NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings
None
Licensee-Identified Violations
None
REPORT DETAILS
OTHER ACTIVITIES (OA)
4OA5 Other Activities (Initial Operator License Examination)
.1 License Applications
a. Scope
NRC examiners reviewed all license applications submitted to ensure each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. The examiners also audited two of the license applications in detail to confirm that they accurately reflected the subject applicants qualifications. This audit focused on the applicants experience and on-the-job training, including control manipulations that provided significant reactivity changes.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
.2 Examination Development
a. Scope
The NRC developed the written examination and operating tests in accordance with the requirements of NUREG-1021. The NRC examination team conducted an on-site validation of the operating test.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
c. Other Observations The examiners noted the following observations that were placed in the licensees corrective action program for evaluation and resolution:
- The licensee currently administers job performance measures in the simulator with the annunciator audio turned off. This may not be the best practice, as it does not emulate the actual control room, which is desirable. Also, this practice limits the ability to use emergent annunciators to alert the operator to abnormal conditions, hindering the use of some alternate path job performance measures as training and evaluation tools. This issue was entered in the licensees corrective action program as Condition Report 00117336.
- During examination validation, the licensee was inconsistent in its operability determination for a pressurizer power operated relief valve that failed open in automatic, but was able to be closed manually. This issue was entered in the licensees corrective action program as Condition Report 00117333.
- During examination validation, the licensee was inconsistent in its expectation for procedural response to a ruptured steam generator concurrent with a single failed-open main steam isolation valve. This issue was entered in the licensees corrective action program as Condition Report 00117334.
- Procedure SYS SP-121, Operation of the G.A. Monitor System, needs enhancement to be able to be used to properly change setpoints for all of the equipment associated with it. This issue was entered in the licensees corrective action program as Condition Report 00117335.
- Initial licensed operator training may need to be enhanced to more adequately address clearance order preparation and review. This issue was entered in the licensees corrective action program as Condition Report 00117337.
.3 Operator Knowledge and Performance
a. Scope
On November 15, 2017, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to all 11 applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis to the NRC on November 27, 2017.
The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to all 11 applicants on November 6-10, 2017.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
All 11 applicants passed all portions of the written examination operating test. The final written examinations and post-examination analysis may be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession numbers noted in the attachment. There were two post-examination comments submitted by the licensee. The licensee requested and received approval by the NRC to withhold the written examinations from the public document room for 24 months after the administration date.
.4 Simulation Facility Performance
a. Scope
The NRC examiners observed simulator performance with regard to plant fidelity during examination validation and administration.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
During the performance of one simulator scenario, NRC examiners observed a possible simulator modeling issue. While performing actions in response to a digital rod position indication (DRPI) channel failure, three out of the four crews examined selected half accuracy on DRPI, which inadvertently cleared the fault. This should not have happened had the failure occurred in the actual control room. This deficiency was not identified during scenario validation, as none of the validating crews opted to select half accuracy on DRPI. See Enclosure 2 for additional details.
.5 Examination Security
a. Scope
The NRC examiners reviewed examination security during both the onsite preparation week and examination administration week for compliance with 10 CFR 55.49 and NUREG-1021. Plans for simulator security and applicant control were reviewed and discussed with licensee personnel.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit
Exit Meeting Summary
The chief examiner presented the preliminary examination results to Mr. C. Reasoner, Site Vice President, and other members of his staff on November 9, 2017. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on December 19, 2017, between Mr. C. Osterholtz, Chief Examiner, and Mr. R. Meyer, Supervisor, Simulator and Examination Group.
All proprietary information and materials used during the examination were returned to the licensee.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee Personnel
- C. Reasoner, Site Vice President
- D. Berry, Simulator Fidelity Coordinator
- M. Blow, Shift Manager, Operations
- J. Bouson, Operations Training
- W. Brandt, Examination Licensing Representative
- S. Duffy, Operations Training
- J. Edwards, Manager, Operations
- T. Farrow, Operations Training
- J. Hudson, Operations Training
- W. Isom, Licensed Supervisor Instructor, Initial
- J. Knapp, Superintendent, Operations Training
- P. Moore, Superintendent, Operations
- W. Muilenburg, Supervisor, Licensing
- A. Servaes, Examination Team
- R. Sims, Shift Manager, Operations
- L. Stone, Licensing
- W. Stucker, Superintendent, Operations
NRC Personnel
- D. Dodson, Senior Resident Inspector
- F. Thomas, Resident Inspector