ML18333A306
| ML18333A306 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Prairie Island  |
| Issue date: | 11/29/2018 |
| From: | Randy Baker Operations Branch III |
| To: | Sharp S Northern States Power Company, Minnesota |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17165A317 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-282/18-301, 50-306/18-301 | |
| Download: ML18333A306 (10) | |
See also: IR 05000306/2018301
Text
November 29, 2018
Mr. Scott Sharp
Site Vice President
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant
Northern States Power Company, Minnesota
1717 Wakonade Drive East
Welch, MN 55089-9642
SUBJECT: PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT,
UNITS 1 AND 2NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION
REPORT 05000288/2018301 AND 05000306/2018301
Dear Mr. Sharp:
On October 2, 2018, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial
operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Prairie Island
Nuclear Generating Plant. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations.
Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on
September 18, 2018, with you and other members of your facilitys staff. An exit meeting
was conducted by telephone on October 16, 2018, between you and Mr. R. Baker, Operator
Licensing Chief Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for
the license applicants. During the telephone conversation, the NRC confirmed that the station
did not have any post-examination comments requiring resolution.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the weeks
of September 10 and 17, 2018. The written examination was administered by the Prairie Island
Nuclear Generating Plant Station training department personnel on September 20, 2018.
Eleven Senior Reactor Operator and four Reactor Operator applicants were administered
license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on October 30, 2018. All
fifteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations and eleven applicants
were issued senior operator licenses and four applicants were issued operator licenses for
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2.
The administered written examinations and operating tests, as well as documents related to
the development and review of the examinations (outlines, proposed examinations, review
comments, and resolutions, etc.), will be withheld from public disclosure for 24 months until
October 2, 2020.
S. Sharp -2-
This letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be available electronically for public
inspection and copying at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the NRCs Public
Document Room in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2.390,
Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Robert J. Orlikowski, Chief
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos. 50-282, 50-306
Enclosures:
1. OL Examination
Report 05000288/2018301;
2. Simulation Facility Fidelity Report
cc: Distribution via LISTSERV
T. Wadley, Training Manager,
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating
Plant
S. Sharp -3-
Letter to Scott Sharp from Robert Orlikowski dated November 29, 2018.
SUBJECT: PRAIRIE ISLAND NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT,
UNITS 1 AND 2NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION
REPORT 05000288/2018301 AND 05000306/2018301
DISTRIBUTION:
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Caroline Randiki
ADAMS Accession Number: ML18333A306
OFFICE RIII RIII
NAME RBaker:jw ROrlikowski
DATE 11/29/18 11/29/18
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION III
Docket Nos: 50-288; 50-306
Report No: 05000288/2018301; 05000306/2018301
Licensee: Northern States Power Company, Minnesota
Facility: Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2
Location: Welch, MN
Dates: September 10, 2018, through October 2, 2018
Inspectors: R. Baker, Senior Operations Engineer, Chief Examiner
C. Zoia, Senior Operations Engineer, Examiner
B. Bergeon, Operations Engineer, Examiner
Approved by: R. Orlikowski, Chief
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Enclosure 1
SUMMARY
Examination Report 050002886/2018301; 05000306/2018301; 09/10/2018-10/02/2018;
Northern States Power Company, Minnesota; Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant,
Units 1 and 2; Initial License Examination Report.
The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional Nuclear
Regulatory Commission examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021,
Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 11.
Examination Summary
Fifteen of fifteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations.
Eleven applicants were issued senior operator licenses and four applicants were
issued operator licenses for Units 1 and 2. (Section 4OA5.1).
2
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 NRC examiners
prepared the written examination outline and members of the facility licensees staff
prepared the operating test outlines. Members of the facility licensees staff developed
the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed
examination, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff, during the
week of August 13, 2018. During the onsite validation week, the examiners audited
two of the license applications for accuracy. 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
September 10 through 17, 2018. The facility licensee administered the written
examination on September 20, 2018.
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 20 percent of the proposed examination questions were determined to be
unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement. All changes made to the
proposed 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 written examination
outlines and worksheets, the proposed written examination and worksheets, as well as
the final Form ES-401-9, and the final as-administered examination and answer key, will
be publicly available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the
Publicly Available Records component of NRC's Agencywide Document Access and
Management System (ADAMS) on October 2, 2020. (ADAMS Accession Numbers
ML17165A321, ML17165A322, ML17165A317, and ML17165A318, respectively.)
On October 2, 2018, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were
no post-examination facility licensee comments, and no post-examination applicant
comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written
examination.
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on October 15, 2018, and
conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and
validity of the examination questions.
3
(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.
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 operating
test outlines and worksheets, the proposed operating test and worksheets, as well as
the final Form ES-301-7, and the final as-administered operating test, will be available
electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records
component of NRC's ADAMS, on October 2, 2020. (ADAMS Accession Numbers
ML17165A321, ML17165A322, ML17165A317, and ML17165A318, respectively.)
On October 2, 2018, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were
no post-examination facility licensee comments, and no post-examination applicant
comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the operating test.
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on October 16, 2018.
(3) Examination Results
Eleven applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator level and four applicants at the
Reactor Operator level were administered written examinations and operating tests.
All applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective
operating licenses for Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 on
October 30, 2018.
.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 Title 10 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
No findings were identified.
4OA6 Management Meetings
.1 Debrief
The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and
findings on September 18, 2018, to Mr. S. Sharp, Site Vice President, and other
members of the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Operations and Training
Department staff.
4
.2 Exit Meeting
A telephone exit meeting was conducted on October 16, 2018, by Mr. R. Baker,
Operator Licensing Chief Examiner, with Mr. S. Sharp, Site Vice President, and other
members of the licensee staff. The NRC confirmed that there were no post-examination
comments during the telephone discussion. The examiner asked the licensee whether
any of the material used to develop or administer the examination should be considered
proprietary. No proprietary or sensitive information was identified during the examination
or debrief/exit meetings.
ATTACHMENT: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
5
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee
S. Sharp, Site Vice President
H. Hanson, Plant Manager
M. Peterson, Fleet General Supervisor Operations Training
T. Wadley, Training Manager
J. Connors, Regulatory Affairs Manager
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
L. Haeg, Senior Resident Inspector
K. Pusateri, Resident Inspector
R. Baker, Chief Examiner
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened, Closed, and Discussed
None
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
ADAMS Agencywide Document Access and Management System
NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Attachment
SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee: Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2
Facility Docket Nos: 50-288; 50-306
Operating Tests Administered: September 10-17, 2018
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
On the September 13, 2018, during the first run of Scenario #4, Event #3,
the pressurizer pressure master controller, 1HC431K (4304101),
Manual/Auto switch failed to shift to the manual position. The applicant took
manual control of the pressurizer spray valves and heaters for the
remainder of the scenario, which did not adversely impact the remaining
scenario events. The switch was repaired following completion of the
scenario and, and the controller failure did not recur during subsequent
scenarios.
Enclosure 2