ML20006A443

Responds to NRC 891129 Ltr Re Areas of Concern Noted in Exam Rept 50-020/89-03(OL).Corrective Actions:Lectures & Demonstrations Held by Radiation Protection Officer Re Radiological Controls

ML20006A443
Person / Time
Site:	MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	01/18/1990
From:	Bernard J, Kwok K MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9001260268
Download: ML20006A443 (2)

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.@- NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY hhh dCDMS AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CENTER OF MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

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O.K. HARLING 138 Albany Street. Cambridge, Mass. 02139 J.A. BERNARD, JR.

Dvector Telefar No. (617)253-7300 Director of Reactor Operations Telex No. 92-1473 MIT CAM Tel. No. (617) 253-42t1/4202 January 18,1990 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 -

ATrN: Document ContmlDesk S'ibject: Re se to NRC letter Dated 11/29/89 C5cerning Operator Examination No.

50- 9-03 (OL).

Gentlemen:

' This letter is submitted in response to the request of Mr. Robert M. Gallo (Chief, Operations Branch, Division of Reactor Safety, Region I, USNRC) concerning Operator Examination No. 50-20/89-03 (OL), Mr. Gallo's letter dated 11/29/89 served to transmit-Operator Licensing Examination Report No. 89-03, Section 3 of which documented several i areas of concern relative to the operating examinations of the senior reactor operator candidates.

As a general comment, we are in agreement with the Chief Examiner, Mr. Wallace, concerning individual candidates and we note that Mr. Gallo's letter pertained only to those candidates. We do not feel that there is a generic deficiency in our training prottram nor do we feel that those members of our staff who currently hold senior operator .icenses are .

deficient in these areas.~ Evidence for this conclusion is as follows:

(a) The current training program (with NRC directed modifications) has been in effect since 1979. Also, the personnel responsible for implementing that program have been doing so since that time. Prior to the September 1989 exams, a total of 17 candidates had been trained under the current program and, of these, all 17 had received their licenses.

(b) The facility has been inspected on almost an annual basis since 1984 on emergency preparedness. These inspections have resulted either in the identification of minor, readily corrected deficiencies or in a finding of no deficiencies.

Relative to the operator licensing examination report, we have taken or will take the following general and specific actions:

General:

(1) A copy of the transmittal letter and the report was given to all licensed operators (SRO and RO).

(2) _ Alllicensed personnel are being required to sign a statement in which they certify  !

that they have read the operator licensing' examination report.

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(3) The o wrator licensing examination report was discussed with certain members of  ;

the M T Reactor Safeguards Committee upon its receipt and with the full Conunittee as an agenda item at a regularly scheduled meeting on 12/20/89. The Committee approved the specifics of our corrective action at that time. .

Specific: -

(a) Both the facility's emergency operating procedures (EOPs) and the abnormal operating procedures (AOPs) y,ere reviewec to determine if improvements could be made both to assist personnel in transiting from the AOPs to the EOPs and to aid personnel in classifying emergencies. One such area was identified. This area is  ;~

the incorporation of Emergency Action levels (EALs)in the AOPs. Details are as follows. Cenain procedures (e.g., loss of core tank level) appear in both the EOPs and AOPs. Emergency action levels (EALs) have, of course, been defined for use' in classifying the situations covered by these procedures. For the EOPs, the EALs are listed in tabular form as pan of each procedure. For the AOPs, these tables ,

were inadvenently omitted. This situation is now being rectified and we anticipate .'

that action will be completed by 03/31/90.- This action addresses the first and second of the two identified weaknesses noted in the operator licensing examination report.

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(b) The MITR Radiation Protection Officer held two lectures / demonstrations on radiological controls. These were attended by all licensed personnel as well as by' the reactor mechanic and certain experimenters. This action addressed the third of ,

the three identified weaknesses noted in the operator licensing examination report.

On a continuing basis, we will stress questions in the. identified areas '

(frisking / radiation barriers) on the radiological controls review that is conducted ,

annually for all operators as pan of the existing training program.

In addition to the above, we will of course be working with the individual candidates who

, failed the examinat ion to improve their knowledge in these areas. .i Sincerely, .

O Kwan S. Kwok C

Superintendent MIT Research Reactor

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ohn A. Bernard, Ph.D.- l Directorof Reactor Operations MIT Research Reactor. q l

JAB /crh cc: USNRC - Region I- Chief, USNRC - Region I- Chief, Reactor Projects Section 3B Operations Branch USNRC - Region I- Project Engineer, . ' Division of Reactor Safety ,

Reactor Projects Section 3B USRNC - Mr. David Wallace, 1 USNRC - Senior Resident Inspector, Region I ,

Pilgrim Nuclear Station Operations Engineer (Examiner)- .

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