ML080570388

Er 05000327-08-301, 05000328-08-301, on 1/28-2/8/2008, Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2; Licensed Operator Examinations

ML080570388
Person / Time
Site:	Sequoyah
Issue date:	02/25/2008
From:	Widmann M Operations Branch III
To:	Campbell W Tennessee Valley Authority
References
ER-08-301
Download: ML080570388 (9)

See also: IR 05000327/2008301

Text

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION II

SAM NUNN ATLANTA FEDERAL CENTER

61 FORSYTH STREET, SW, SUITE 23T85

ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-8931

February 25, 2008

Tennessee Valley Authority

ATTN: Mr. William R. Campbell

Chief Nuclear Officer and

Senior Vice President

6A Lookout Place

1101 Market Street

Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT: SEQUOYAH NUCLEAR PLANT - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT

NOS. 05000327/2008301 AND 05000328/2008301

Dear Mr. Campbell:

During the period of January 28-30, 2008, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

administered operating examinations to employees of your company who had applied for

licenses to operate the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant. The chief examiner discussed examination

questions and preliminary findings related to the operating test with those members of your staff

identified in the enclosed report on January 31, 2008. The written examination was

administered by your staff on February 8, 2008.

Three Senior Reactor Operator applicants passed both the written and operating examinations.

There were no post examination comments. A Simulation Facility Report is included in this

report as Enclosure 2.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter and its

enclosures 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 http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html(the Public Electronic Reading

Room).

TVA 2

Should you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact me at (404) 562-4550.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Malcolm T. Widmann, Chief

Operations Branch

Division of Reactor Safety

Docket No.: 50-327, 50-328

License No.: DPR-77, DPR-79

cc: See page 3

Enclosures: 1. Report Details

2. Simulation Facility Report

TVA 3

cc w/encls: Robert H. Bryan, Jr., General Manager

Ashok S. Bhatnagar Licensing and Industry Affairs

Senior Vice President Sequoyah Nuclear Plant

Nuclear Generation Development Tennessee Valley Authority

and Construction 4X Blue Ridge

Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street

Electronic Mail Distribution Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

Preston D. Swafford David A. Kulisek, Plant Manager

Senior Vice President Sequoyah Nuclear Plant

Nuclear Support Tennessee Valley Authority

Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution

Electronic Mail Distribution

Lawrence E. Nanney, Director

Walter M. Justice, II TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation

Interim Vice President Division of Radiological Health

Nuclear Engineering & Electronic Mail Distribution

Technical Services

Tennessee Valley Authority

Electronic Mail Distribution County Mayor

Hamilton County Courthouse

Randy Douet Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

Site Vice President

Sequoyah Nuclear Plant Ann Harris

Electronic Mail Distribution 341 Swing Loop

Rockwood, TN 37854

General Counsel

Tennessee Valley Authority James H. Bassham, Director

Electronic Mail Distribution Tennessee Emergency Management

Agency

John C. Fornicola, General Manager Electronic Mail Distribution

Nuclear Assurance

Tennessee Valley Authority Mr. Thomas Wallace

Electronic Mail Distribution Training Manager

Sequoyah Training Center

Beth A. Wetzel, Manager Igou Ferry Road

Corporate Nuclear Licensing and Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379

Industry Affairs

Tennessee Valley Authority

4X Blue Ridge

1101 Market Street

Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

Glenn W. Morris, Manager

Licensing and Industry Affairs

Sequoyah Nuclear Plant

Tennessee Valley Authority

Electronic Mail Distribution

_________________________

OFFICE RII:DRS RII:DRS RII:

SIGNATURE / RAG.Lasks for/ /RA/ /RA/

NAME M.Widmann M. Bates R. Nease

DATE 2/ /2008 2/ /2008 2/ /2008 2/ /2008 2/ /2008 2/ /2008 2/ /2008

E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION II

Docket No.: 50-327, 50-328

License No.: DPR-77, DPR-79

Report No.: 05000327/2008301 and 05000328/2008301

Licensee: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Facility: Sequoyah Nuclear Plant Units 1 & 2

Location: Sequoyah Access Road

Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379

Dates: Operating Tests - January 28 - 30, 2008

Written Examination - February 8, 2008

Examiners: M. Bates, Chief, Senior Operations Engineer

B. Caballero, Operations Examiner

P. Capehart, Operations Examiner

Approved by: Malcolm T. Widmann, Chief

Operations Branch

Division of Reactor Safety

Enclosure 1

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER 05000327/2008301, 05000328/2008301; 1/28-2/8/2008; Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant,

Units 1 and 2; Licensed Operator Examinations.

The NRC examiners conducted operator licensing initial examinations in accordance with the

guidance in NUREG-1021, Revision 9, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power

Reactors. This examination implemented the operator licensing requirements of 10 CFR

§55.41, §55.43, and §55.45.

The NRC administered the operating tests during the period of January 28-30, 2008. Members

of the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant training staff administered the written examination on February

8, 2008. The operator licensing initial written examinations and operating tests were developed

by the licensee. Three Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) applicants passed both the written and

operating examinations and were issued SRO licenses.

There were no post examination comments.

No findings of significance were identified.

Enclosure 1

Report Details

4. OTHER ACTIVITIES

4OA5 Operator Licensing Initial Examinations

a. Inspection Scope

The Sequoyah training staff developed the operating test and written examinations in

accordance with NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power

Reactors, Revision 9. The licensees examination team reviewed the proposed

examinations. Examination changes agreed upon between the NRC and the licensee

were made according to NUREG-1021 and incorporated into the final version of the

examination materials.

The examiners reviewed the licensees examination security measures while preparing

and administering the examinations to ensure examination security and integrity

complied with 10 CFR 55.49, Integrity of Examinations and Tests.

The examiners evaluated three SRO applicants who were being assessed under the

guidelines specified in NUREG-1021. The examiners administered the operating tests

during the period of January 28-30, 2008. Members of the Sequoyah training staff

administered the written examination on February 8, 2008. The evaluations of the

applicants and review of the documentation were performed to determine if the

applicants, who applied for licenses to operate the Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant, met

requirements specified in 10 CFR 55, Operators Licenses.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

The NRC determined that the details provided by the licensee for the walkthrough and

simulator tests were within the range of acceptability expected for the proposed tests.

Three SRO applicants passed both the operating test and written examination.

The final RO and SRO written examinations with knowledge and abilities (K/As),

question references/answers and examination references may be accessed in the

ADAMS system (ADAMS Accession Numbers, ML080440381 and ML080440386).

4OA6 Meetings

Exit Meeting Summary

On January 31, 2008, the chief examiner discussed generic issues with

Mr. T. Cleary and members of the Sequoyah staff. The inspectors asked the licensee

whether any materials examined during the inspection should be considered proprietary.

No proprietary information was identified.

Enclosure 1

4

PARTIAL LIST OF PERSONS CONTACTED

Licensee personnel

T. Cleary, Sequoyah Vice President

T. Wallace, Training Manager

M. Palmer, Operations Manager

J. Capriani, Nuclear Assurance Manager

R. Bruno, Senior Accreditation Manager

B. Picchiottino, Operations Training Manager

C. Church, Project Manager

J. Addison, Initial License Training Supervisor

T. Jones, Operations Instructor

J. Proffitt, Licensing Engineer

NRC personnel

S. Freeman, Senior Resident Inspector

M. Speck, Resident Inspector

Enclosure 1

SIMULATION FACILITY REPORT

Facility Licensee: Sequoyah Nuclear Plant

Facility Docket Nos.: 05000327/05000328

Operating Tests Administered on: January 28-30, 2008

This form is to be used only to report observations. These observations do not constitute audit

or inspection findings and, without further verification and review in accordance with IP 71111.11, are not indicative of noncompliance with 10 CFR 55.46. No licensee action is

required in response to these observations.

While conducting the simulator portion of the operating tests, examiners did not observe any

simulation fidelity issues.

Enclosure 2