ML053200531
| ML053200531 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 12/15/2005 |
| From: | Brian Benney Plant Licensing Branch III-2 |
| To: | Edington R Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) |
| Duvigneaud D, NRR/DLPM/LPD4 301-415-4010 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML053200540 | List: |
| References | |
| TAC MC7346 | |
| Download: ML053200531 (9) | |
Text
December 15, 2005 Mr. Randall K. Edington Vice President-Nuclear and CNO Nebraska Public Power District P. O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321
SUBJECT:
COOPER NUCLEAR STATION - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: UNIT STAFF QUALIFICATIONS (TAC NO. MC7346)
Dear Mr. Edington:
The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 214 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-46 for the Cooper Nuclear Station. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated June 20, 2005.
The amendment would revise TS 5.3, Unit Staff Qualifications, to upgrade the qualification standard for the shift manager, senior operator, licensed operator, and shift technical engineer from Regulatory Guide 1.8, Qualification and Training of Personnel for Nuclear Power Plants, Revision 2, April 1987, to Regulatory Guide 1.8, Revision 3, May 2000. It also clarifies qualification requirements applicable to the operations manager position.
A copy of our related Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's next biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Brian Benney, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-298
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 214 to DPR-46
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page
December 15, 2005 Mr. Randall K. Edington Vice President-Nuclear and CNO Nebraska Public Power District P. O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321
SUBJECT:
COOPER NUCLEAR STATION - ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT RE: UNIT STAFF QUALIFICATIONS (TAC NO. MC7346)
Dear Mr. Edington:
The Commission has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 214 to Facility Operating License No.
DPR-46 for the Cooper Nuclear Station. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated June 20, 2005.
The amendment would revise TS 5.3, Unit Staff Qualifications, to upgrade the qualification standard for the shift manager, senior operator, licensed operator, and shift technical engineer from Regulatory Guide 1.8, Qualification and Training of Personnel for Nuclear Power Plants, Revision 2, April 1987, to Regulatory Guide 1.8, Revision 3, May 2000. It also clarifies qualification requirements applicable to the operations manager position.
A copy of our related Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's next biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Brian Benney, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-298
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 214 to DPR-46 DISTRIBUTION:
- 2. Safety Evaluation PUBLIC LPLIV r/f cc w/encls: See next page GHill (2)
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RidsNrrDorlDpr QNguyen DDuvigneaud TS: ML053500085 NRR-100 PKG: ML053200540 ACCESSION NO: ML053200531 NRR-058 OFFICE NRR/PGCB/PE NRR/LPLIV/PM NRR/LPLIV/LA NRR/ITSB/BC OGC NRR/LPLIV/BC NAME QNguyen:sp BBenney LFeizollahi TBoyce Uttal Nlo DTerao DATE 11/22/2005 11/22/2005 11/22/2005 09/22/2005*
12/7/2005 12/13/2005 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT DOCKET NO. 50-298 COOPER NUCLEAR STATION AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 214 License No. DPR-46 1.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A.
The application for amendment by Nebraska Public Power District (the licensee),
dated June 20, 2005, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B.
The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C.
There is reasonable assurance (i) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations; D.
The issuance of this license amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and E.
The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.
2.
Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the attachment to this license amendment and Paragraph 2.C.(2) of Facility Operating License No. DPR-46 is hereby amended to read as follows:
(2)
Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 214, are hereby incorporated in the license. The Nebraska Public Power District shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.
3.
The license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 60 days from the date of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
David Terao, Chief Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: December 15, 2005
ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 214 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-46 DOCKET NO. 50-298 Replace the following page of the Appendix A Technical Specifications with the enclosed revised page. The revised page is identified by an amendment number and contains marginal lines indicating the areas of change.
REMOVE INSERT 5.0-4 5.0-4
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 214 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-46 NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT COOPER NUCLEAR STATION DOCKET NO. 50-298
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By application dated June 20, 2005 (Agencywide Documents and Access Management System Accession No. ML051740472), Nebraska Public Power District (the licensee) requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for the Cooper Nuclear Station (CNS). The proposed changes would revise TS 5.3, Unit Staff Qualifications, to upgrade the qualification standard for the shift manager, senior operator, licensed operator, and shift technical engineer from Regulatory Guide 1.8, Qualification and Training of Personnel for Nuclear Power Plants, Revision 2, April 1987, to Regulatory Guide 1.8, Revision 3, May 2000. It also clarifies qualification requirements applicable to the operations manager position.
2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION
On March 20, 1985, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) issued the Commission Policy Statement on Training and Qualification of Nuclear Power Plant Personnel which endorsed the training accreditation process and the National Academy for Nuclear Training (NANT). In Generic Letter 87-07, "Information Transmittal of Final Rulemaking for Revisions to Operator Licensing - 10 CFR [Part] 55 And Conforming Amendments," dated March 19, 1987, and in NUREG-1262, "Answers to Questions at Public Meetings Regarding Implementation of Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 55 on Operators' Licenses," published November 1987, the NRC indicated it would accept a facilitys licensed operator training program if the facility certified in writing that the program was accredited and based on a systems approach to training (SAT). This certification would supersede the requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N18.1-1971, "Selection and Training of Nuclear Power Plant Personnel,"
and ANSI/American Nuclear Society (ANS) 3.1-1978, "Selection, Qualification and Training of Personnel for Nuclear Power Plants." Facility licensees were advised to submit a request to the NRC for a change to their TSs to revise or delete, as appropriate, the requirements that had been superseded.
In 1992 the NRC published its proposed rule 10 CFR 50.120, "Training and qualification of nuclear power plant personnel." The proposed rule stated that, if adopted, the rule would supersede the policy statement on training and qualification of nuclear power plant personnel and would not result in any change to accredited programs. The Commission concluded that accredited programs, implemented consistent with industry objectives and criteria, would be in compliance with this regulation. In April 1993, the NRC published its final rule on training and qualification of nuclear power plant personnel. The rule requires nuclear power plant licensees to establish, implement, and maintain SAT-based training programs for nine non-licensed positions. Accreditation of these nine training programs is an acceptable means of meeting the requirements of 10 CFR 50.120.
On January 18, 2001, the NRC published NRC Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2001-01, Eligibility of Operator License Applicants," to familiarize licensees with the NRC's current guidelines for the qualification and training of reactor operator (RO) and senior reactor operator (SRO) applicants. RIS 2001-01 acknowledged that 10 CFR 55.31(a)(4) allows the NRC to accept an application for an operators license if the facility licensee certifies that the applicant has successfully completed a Commission-approved training program that is based on an SAT. In addition, RIS 2001-01 stated that: (1) a training program would be considered approved by the NRC when it receives or renews accreditation from the National Nuclear Accrediting Board (NNAB);
(2) accreditation of operator training programs suggests that facilities are implementing the education and experience guidelines endorsed by the NNAB; (3) NANT guidelines for education and experience (those in effect in 1987 or those issued in January 2000) outline acceptable methods for implementing the Commission's regulations; and (4) the staff encourages all facility licensees to review their requirements and commitments related to licensed RO and SRO education and experience and to update their documentation (e.g., Final Safety Analysis Report, TSs, and training program descriptions) to "enhance consistency and minimize confusion."
3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION
The proposed TS change would revise CNS TS 5.3, "Unit Staff Qualifications." The requested revision would update requirements that had been outdated based on licensed operator training programs being accredited by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and promulgation of the revised 10 CFR Part 55, "Operators' Licenses." TS Section 5.3 describes the requirements for unit staff qualifications. These changes conform to the current requirements of 10 CFR Part 55. The TS requirements for all other unit staff qualifications remain unchanged.
CNS TS 5.2.2.e currently requires the operations supervisor to hold an SRO license. The operations supervisor at CNS is directly in the reporting hierarchy between the operations manager and the shift managers and is the primary individual responsible for directing the activities of the operating crews. The operations manager does not directly supervise ROs, but provides a higher level managerial oversight of the Operations Department. The proposed requirement to hold or have previously held an SRO license provides adequate assurance that the operations manager has an appropriate level of operations knowledge. This approach is consistent with that currently contained in ANSI/ANS 3.1-1993. The operations manager will be required to meet or exceed the remaining qualifications of the generic operations manager position described in ANSI N18.1-1971.
The NRC staff concludes that the revised qualification requirements in TS 5.3 are adequate because they conform with the RO and SRO license eligibility criteria and standards acceptable to the NRC. In addition, the changes will not affect the 10 CFR 50.36(c)(5) requirement to ensure the licensee maintains administrative controls that assure the operation of the facility in a safe manner.
Based on the above discussion, the proposed revision to CNS TS Section 5.3 is consistent with 10 CFR Part 55 and does not adversely affect nuclear safety or plant operations.
4.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Nebraska State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendment. The State official had no comments.
5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The amendment relates to changes in recordkeeping, reporting, or administrative procedures or requirements. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (70 FR 59085; published October 11, 2005). Accordingly, the amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(10). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendments.
6.0 CONCLUSION
The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that: (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor: Q. Nguyen Date: Decembmemr 15, 2005
October 2005 Cooper Nuclear Station cc:
Mr. William J. Fehrman President and Chief Executive Officer Nebraska Public Power District 1414 15th Street Columbus, NE 68601 Mr. Michael T. Boyce Nuclear Assett Manager Nebraska Public Power District P. O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Mr. John C. McClure Vice President and General Counsel Nebraska Public Power District P. O. Box 499 Columbus, NE 68602-0499 Mr. Paul V. Fleming Licensing Manager Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Mr. Michael J. Linder, Director Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality P. O. Box 98922 Lincoln, NE 68509-8922 Chairman Nemaha County Board of Commissioners Nemaha County Courthouse 1824 N Street Auburn, NE 68305 Ms. Cheryl K. Rogers, Program Manager Nebraska Health & Human Services System Division of Public Health Assurance Consumer Services Section 301 Centennial Mall, South P. O. Box 95007 Lincoln, NE 68509-5007 Mr. Mike Wells, Deputy Director Missouri Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, MO 65101 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P. O. Box 218 Brownville, NE 68321 Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011 Director, Missouri State Emergency Management Agency P. O. Box 116 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0116 Chief, Radiation and Asbestos Control Section Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Air and Radiation 1000 SW Jackson Suite 310 Topeka, KS 66612-1366 Mr. Daniel K. McGhee Bureau of Radiological Health Iowa Department of Public Health Lucas State Office Building, 5th Floor 321 East 12th Street Des Moines, IA 50319 Mr. Scott Clardy, Director Section for Environmental Public Health P.O. Box 570 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570 Jerry C. Roberts, Director of Nuclear Safety Assurance Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Mr. John F. McCann, Director Licensing, Entergy Nuclear Northeast Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.
440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601-1813