ML120180206

Corporate Notification Letter, No. 50-225/OL-12-01, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

ML120180206
Person / Time
Site:	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Issue date:	01/19/2012
From:	Morlang M Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch
To:	Sreepada S Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Morlang, G M, NRR/DPR, 415-4092
Shared Package
ML12018A095	List: ML120180206 ML120460987 ML120461008
References
50-225/OL-12-01
Download: ML120180206 (11)

Text

January 19, 2012 Dr. Sastry Sreepada Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Jonsson Engineering Center, Room 2032 110 8th St.

Troy, NY 12180

SUBJECT:

CORPORATE NOTIFICATION LETTER NO. 50-225/OL-12-01, RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Dear Dr. Sreepada As discussed with Jason Thompson, the administration of operator licensing examinations at your Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reactor will be the week of January 23, 2012.

To meet this schedule, please furnish the material listed in Enclosure 1, Reference Material for Reactor/Senior Reactor Operator Licensing Examinations, in either hard copy to the address below, or electronic media format to Mike.Morlang@nrc.gov, as soon as possible.

ATTN: Mike Morlang M/S O-12 D-20 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852-2738 , Administration of Written Examinations, describes your responsibilities for conducting written examinations. Enclosure 3, Procedures for the Administration of Written Examinations, describes applicant responsibilities during the administration of the written examination. Please ensure that all applicants are aware of these rules.

Your review of the written examination will be conducted in accordance with the procedures specified in Enclosure 4, Facility Review of Written Examinations.

Finally, signed reactor operator and senior reactor operator license applications certifying that all training has been completed must be submitted at least 14 days before the first examination date. This will allow the chief examiner time to review the training and experience of the applicants, process the medical certifications, and process the applications. If this review cannot be completed in time to decide an applicants eligibility, that applicant may not be permitted to sit for the examination. Therefore, it is recommended that license applications be provided as soon as possible to ensure an appropriate level of review.

Dr. Sastry Sreepada The NRC has posted copies of the application forms, Personal Qualification Statement Licensee (NRC Form 398) and Certification of Medical History by Facility Licensee (NRC Form 396) on the agencys Web site at www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/

forms/nrc398.pdf and www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/nrc398.pdf, respectively.

These forms are in Adobe Acrobat format.

This letter contains information collection requirements that are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). These information collections were approved by the Office of Management and Budget, approval number 3150-0018.

The burden to the public for these mandatory information collections is estimated to average 7.7 hours8.101852e-5 days <br />0.00194 hours <br />1.157407e-5 weeks <br />2.6635e-6 months <br /> per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information collection. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of these information collections, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Records and FOIA/Privacy Services Branch (T-5 F52), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV; and to the Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202, (3150-0018), Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.

The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request for information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document displays a currently valid OMB control number.

If you have any questions regarding the examination procedures and requirements, please contact me at (301) 415-4092, or email at Mike.Morlang@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Mike Morlang, Chief Examiner Research and Test Reactors Oversight Branch Division of Policy and Rule Making Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-225

Enclosures:

1. Reference Material for Reactor/Senior Reactor Operator Licensing Examinations

2. Administration of Written Examinations

3. Procedures for the Administration of Written Examinations

4. Facility Review of Written Examinations cc: without enclosures: See next page

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Docket No. 50-225 cc:

Mayor of the City of Schenectady Schenectady, NY 12305 Barbara Youngberg Chief, Radiation Section Division of Hazardous Waste and Radiation Management NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-7255 Peter F. Caracappa, Ph.D, CHP Radiation Safety Officer NES Building, Room 1-10, MANE Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 110 8th St.

Troy, NY 12180-3590 Peter Collopy, Director EH&S Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 21 Union Street Gurley Building 2nd Floor Troy, NY 12180 John P. Spath, State Liaison Officer Designee Program Manager Radioactive Waste Policy and Nuclear Coordination New York State Energy Research & Development Authority 17 Columbia Circle Albany, NY 12203-6399 Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611

Dr. Sastry Sreepada The NRC has posted copies of the application forms, Personal Qualification Statement Licensee (NRC Form 398) and Certification of Medical History by Facility Licensee (NRC Form 396) on the agencys Web site at www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/

forms/nrc398.pdf and www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/forms/nrc398.pdf, respectively.

These forms are in Adobe Acrobat format.

This letter contains information collection requirements that are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). These information collections were approved by the Office of Management and Budget, approval number 3150-0018.

The burden to the public for these mandatory information collections is estimated to average 7.7 hours8.101852e-5 days <br />0.00194 hours <br />1.157407e-5 weeks <br />2.6635e-6 months <br /> per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information collection. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of these information collections, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Records and FOIA/Privacy Services Branch (T-5 F52), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV; and to the Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202, (3150-0018), Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.

The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request for information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document displays a currently valid OMB control number.

If you have any questions regarding the examination procedures and requirements, please contact me at (301) 415-4092, or email at Mike.Morlang@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Mike Morlang, Chief Examiner Research and Test Reactors Oversight Branch Division of Policy and Rule Making Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-225

Enclosures:

1. Reference Material for Reactor/Senior Reactor Operator Licensing Examinations

2. Administration of Written Examinations

3. Procedures for the Administration of Written Examinations

4. Facility Review of Written Examinations cc: without enclosures: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC RidsNrrDprPrla RidsNrrDprProb CRevelle ADAMS ACCESSION No.: ML TEMPLATE #: NRR-079 Office PROB/CE IOLB/OLA PROB/BC MMorlang CRevelle JEads/GMorlang for Name Date 1/18/12 1/18/12 1/ 18/12 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

ENCLOSURE 1 REFERENCE MATERIAL FOR REACTOR/

SENIOR REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS

1) Training materials including all substantive written material used to prepare applicants for initial reactor operator and senior reactor operator licensing. The material should include learning objectives, if available, and details presented during lectures, rather than outlines. Training materials should be identified, bound, and indexed. Training materials should include the following:

(a) System descriptions including descriptions of all operationally relevant flowpaths, components, controls, and instrumentation. System training material should draw parallels to the actual procedures used for operating an applicable system.

(b) Learning objectives, student handouts, and lesson plans (including training manuals, facility orientation manual, system descriptions, reactor theory, thermodynamics).

(c) Complete and operationally useful descriptions of all safety-system interactions and secondary interactions under emergency and abnormal conditions, including consequences of anticipated operator error, maintenance error, and equipment failure.

(d) Training material used to clarify and strengthen understanding of emergency operating procedures.

2) Complete Procedure Index (including temporary procedures).

3) All administrative procedures as applicable to reactor operation or safety.

4) All integrated facility procedures, normal or general operating procedures, and procedures for experiments.

5) All emergency procedures, emergency instructions, and abnormal or special procedures.

6) Standing orders or procedures changed by reactor supervision and important orders or changes that are safety related and may supersede the regular procedures.

7) A list of all reactor facility surveillances, with copies of all COMPLETED surveillances which require the collection of data (e.g., heat balance, rod drop times).

8) Fuel-handling and core-loading procedures and initial core-loading procedure (if appropriate).

9) Any annunciator/alarm procedures, as applicable.

10) Radiation protection manual and radiation control manual or procedures.

11) Emergency plan and any emergency plan implementing procedures (EPIPs).

12) Safety analysis report, technical specifications, and interpretations, if available.

13) System operating procedures, including experiments.

14) Piping and instrumentation diagrams, electrical single-line diagrams, and flow diagrams.

15) Technical data book, and/or facility curve information, as used by operators and facility precautions, limitations, and setpoints.

16) Questions and answers specific to the facility training program, which may be used in the written or operating examinations (voluntary by facility licensee).

17) Facility modification authorizations, which were authorized since the last revision to the safety analysis report.

18) Additional material as requested by the examiners to develop examinations that meet the requirements of the research and test reactor examiner standards and regulations.

The above reference material should be approved, final issues and be so marked. If a facility has not finalized some of the material, the chief examiner should verify with the facility that the most complete, up-to-date material is available and that agreement has been reached with the licensee for limiting changes before the administration of the examination.

ENCLOSURE 2 ADMINISTRATION OF WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS

1) A single room must be provided for administration of the written examination. This room and supporting restroom facilities should be located so as to prevent contact with other facility personnel during the written examination.

2) Minimum spacing is necessary to ensure examination integrity. The chief examiner will determine whether the room has adequate area to support minimum spacing between examination applicants to ensure examination integrity.

3) The chief examiner will review any arrangements made by the facility to give the applicants lunch, coffee, or other refreshments. These arrangements shall comply with Item 1 above.

4) The facility licensee may provide pads of 8.5 by 11-inch lined paper in unopened packages for the applicants use in completing the examination. The examiner will distribute these pads as needed.

5) Applicants may bring pens, pencils, calculators, or slide rules into the examination room.

Black ink or dark pencils should be used for writing answers to questions.

6) The chief examiner must approve any wall charts, models, training materials, equipment, or reference material present in the examination room.

7) The chief examiner will give the facility staff a copy of the written examination with answer key at the beginning of the examination. The facility staff will then have 5 working days to submit formal written comments with supporting documentation regarding written examination questions and answers to the chief examiner.

ENCLOSURE 3 PROCEDURES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS

1) Verify candidate identity.

2) Pass out examinations and handouts. Instruct applicants not to review examination until instructed to do so.

READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS VERBATIM:

1) Cheating on the examination means an automatic denial of your application and could result in more severe penalties.

2) When you have completed your examination, you must sign the statement at the bottom of the cover sheet. This indicates that the work is your own and you have not received or given assistance in completing the examination.

READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

With the start of the examination, you must comply with the following rules. These rules are in effect within the examination area (DEFINE THE AREA), until the last candidate has handed in his or her examination:

1) Restroom trips are limited to only one applicant at a time. You must avoid all contact with anyone outside the examination room to preclude even the appearance of cheating.

2) Use black ink or dark pencil only to facilitate legible reproductions.

3) Print your name in the blank provided in the upper right corner of the examination cover sheet and each answer sheet.

4) Mark your answers on the answer sheet(s) provided.

5) The point value for each question is shown in brackets after the question.

6) If the intent of a question is unclear, ask questions of the examiner or proctor only.

7) There is a time limit of 1 hour1.157407e-5 days <br />2.777778e-4 hours <br />1.653439e-6 weeks <br />3.805e-7 months <br /> per section of the written examination. For example, a one-section retake examination has a 1-hour time limit, while a normal three-section initial examination has a 3-hour time limit.

8) You must achieve a grade of 70 percent or greater in each category to pass the examination.

9) When turning in your examination, assemble the completed examination with examination questions, examination aids, answer sheets, and all scrap paper. Give the proctor your answer sheet(s) along with the signed cover sheet. Take all other material collected with you out of the examination area.

10) After turning in your examination, leave the examination area. If you are observed in this area while the examination is still in progress, your license may be denied or revoked.

11) During the examination you will be evaluated for your actions as if you were the actual watchstander. Please operate the reactor as if you were licensed, with the exception that you should announce your actions, and then pause momentarily to give the operator of record time to correct you or stop you, if necessary, before you actually perform the action. In addition, the examiner will be observing that you meet all conditions of your license, (e.g., wearing corrective lenses to perform licensed duties).

ENCLOSURE 4 FACILITY REVIEW OF WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS

1. At the option of the appropriate NRC management, the facility may review the written examination up to 2 weeks before its administration. This review may take place at the facility or an NRC office. The chief examiner will coordinate the details of the review with the facility. An NRC examiner will be present at all times during the review. The facility staff may not retain copies of the examination or any written notes. When using this option, the facility reviewers must sign the following statement before being allowed access to the examination.

a. Pre-examination Security Agreement:

I ______________________ acknowledge that I have acquired specialized knowledge

[Print Name]

concerning the examination scheduled for ____________ at __________________________

[Print Date] [Print Facility Name]

as of the date of my signature below. I agree that I will not knowingly divulge any information concerning this examination to any unauthorized persons. I understand that I am not to participate in any instruction involving those applicants scheduled to be administered the above examination from this date until after the examination has been administered. I further understand that violation of the conditions of this agreement may result in the examinations being canceled and/or enforcement action against myself or the facility licensee by whom I am employed or represent.

Signature/Date In addition, the facility staff reviewers will sign the following statement after the written examination has been administered.

b. Post-examination Security Agreement:

I _____________________ did not, to the best of my knowledge, divulge any information

[Print Name]

concerning the examinations administered during the week of _______ at _________________

[Print Date] [Print Facility Name]

or provide any instruction to those applicants who were administered the examination from the date I entered into this security agreement until the completion of examination administration.

Signature/Date

2. The facility staff will be provided a copy of the examination and the answer key at the beginning of the examination. A copy will be kept of any pen and ink changes made to questions during the examination administration.

If members of the facility staff did not review the examination before its administration, they will have 5 working days from the day of the written examination to submit formal comments. If the facility staff reviewed the examination before its administration, they must submit any additional comments before the examiner leaves the facility. The reactor supervisor will address the comments to the chief examiner. The NRC will consider comments submitted after the required period on a case-by-case basis. This may cause delays in grading the examinations.

3. The facility licensee should submit comments in the following format:

• list the question section and number and state the comment along with a recommendation for correction (e.g., delete, two correct answers)

• support the comment with a reference and provide a copy of the reference if it was not included in the original reference material submitted NOTES:

1) No change to the examination will be made without a reference to support the facility comment. Provide any supporting documentation not previously supplied.

2) Comments made without a concise facility recommendation will not be addressed.

3) Comments not submitted within the requested time will be included in the grading process on a case-by-case basis as determined by the NRC. Comments not submitted within the requested time will delay the examination grading process.

4) NRC policy is to delete a multiple-choice question that has no correct answer or more than two correct answers and to give credit for either response for questions that have two correct answers.