ML19057A262
| ML19057A262 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 02/26/2019 |
| From: | Greg Werner Operations Branch IV |
| To: | Bement R Arizona Public Service Co |
| Werner G | |
| References | |
| IR 2019301 | |
| Download: ML19057A262 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000528/2019301
Text
February 26, 2019
Mr. Robert S. Bement
Executive Vice President Nuclear/
Chief Nuclear Officer
Arizona Public Service Company
P.O. Box 52034, MS 7602
Phoenix, AZ 85072-2034
SUBJECT: PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 -
NOTIFICATION OF NRC INITIAL OPERATOR LICENSING
EXAMINATION 05000528/2019301; 05000529/2019301; 05000530/2019301
Dear Mr. Bement:
In a conversation on January 9, 2019, between Messrs. J. Rodgers, Lead Examination
Developer, and K. Clayton, Chief Examiner, arrangements were made for the administration of
licensing examinations at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, during the
week of October 7, 2019.
As agreed during the telephone conversation, your staff will prepare the examinations based on
the guidelines in Revision 11, of NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for
Power Reactors. The Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRC) regional office will discuss with
your staff any changes that might be necessary before the examinations are administered.
To meet the above schedule, it will be necessary for your staff to furnish the draft operating test
outlines and any updates to the written outlines by May 3, 2019. The draft written examination
outlines were provided to your staff on January 9, 2019. The written examinations, operating
tests, and supporting reference materials identified in Attachment 3 to ES-201 will be due by
July 19, 2019. Pursuant to Title 10, Section 55.40(b)(3), of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR 55.40(b)(3)), an authorized representative of the facility licensee shall approve the
written examination and operating tests before they are submitted to the NRC for review and
approval. All materials shall be complete and ready to use.
We request that any personal, proprietary, sensitive unclassified, or safeguards information in
your response be contained in a separate enclosure and appropriately marked. Delays in
receiving the required materials, or the submittal of inadequate or incomplete materials, may
cause the examinations to be cancelled or rescheduled. In addition, your support for on-site
validation of the examinations is required during the week of September 9, 2019.
To conduct the requested written examinations and operating tests, it will be necessary for your
staff to provide adequate space and accommodations in accordance with ES-402, and to make
the simulation facility available on the dates noted above. In accordance with ES-302, your staff
should retain the original simulator performance data (e.g., system pressures, temperatures,
and levels) generated during the dynamic operating tests along with any video and audio
recordings of the dynamic operating tests until the NRC takes its licensing action on all of the
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applications and any adjudicatory actions on any hearing demands are complete. Appendix E
to NUREG-1021 contains a number of NRC policies and guidelines that will be in effect while
the written examinations and operating tests are being administered.
To permit timely NRC review and evaluation, your staff should submit preliminary reactor
operator and senior reactor operator waiver or excusal requests (if any) (Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) approval number 3150-0090) at least 60 days before the first examination
date (if able). Mr. Clayton should be contacted to determine the method for submission of the
waiver and/or excusal requests. Preliminary reactor operator and senior reactor operator
license applications (OMB approval number 3150-0090) and medical certifications
(OMB approval number 3150-0024) should be submitted at least 30 days before the first
examination date. If the preliminary applications are not received at least 30 days before the
examination date, a postponement may be necessary. Final, signed applications certifying that
all training has been completed and requesting any waivers or excusals, as applicable, should
be submitted at least 14 days before the first examination date.
Although the minimum guidelines for receiving waiver or excusal requests is 30 days before the
first examination date (preliminary) and 14 days before the first examination date (final), the
requests should be submitted as early in the process as possible (see the 60-day guideline,
above). Resolutions resulting from verbal inquiries by the licensee to the NRC are not binding.
Submittals addressing waivers and/or excusals should be in writing (i.e., on NRC Form 398, or
as directed when Mr. Clayton is contacted to determine the method for submission). The NRCs
final decision on whether to grant a waiver or excusal will be documented on the final (not
preliminary) NRC Form 398 submitted for the applicant and will not be provided until the final
application is submitted to the NRC.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
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 voluntary information collections is estimated to average
2,250 hours0.00289 days <br />0.0694 hours <br />4.133598e-4 weeks <br />9.5125e-5 months <br /> per examination including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing
data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
information collection. You may submit comments on any aspect of the information collection,
including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the FOIA, Privacy and Information Collections
Branch (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by
electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS.Resource@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.
Public Protection Notification
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.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding,
of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter and its enclosures will be available
electronically for public inspection in the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the Electronic Reading Room page
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of the NRCs public Web Site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Mr. Rodgers has been advised of the policies
and guidelines referenced in this letter. If you have any questions regarding the NRCs
examination procedures and guidelines, please contact Mr. Clayton at 817-200-1216 or myself
at 817-200-1159.
Sincerely,
/RA Clyde Osterholtz Acting for/
Gregory E. Werner, Chief
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos. 50-528, 50-529, and 50-530
License Nos. NPF-41, NPF-51, and NPF-74
cc: Electronic Distribution for Palo Verde
SUNSI Review: ADAMS: Non-Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:
By: KDC Yes No Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002
OFFICE DRS:OB/SOE DRS:OB/C
NAME KClayton GWerner
SIGNATURE /RA/ /RA CCO for/
DATE 02/25/2019 02/26/2019