ML20134K157

Forwards Initial Operator Licensing Exam Rept 50-245/96-12 on 961202-06

ML20134K157
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	02/07/1997
From:	Meyer G NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Harpster T, Kenyon B NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO.
Shared Package
ML20134K160	List: ML20134K157 ML20134K172
References
NUDOCS 9702130162
Download: ML20134K157 (3)

See also: IR 05000245/1996012

Text

/' Jy3

= ,

.

February 7,1997

Mr. Bruce D. Kenyon

President and Chief Executive Officer

Northeast Nuclear Energy Company

c/o Mr. Terry Harpster

P. O. Box 128

Waterford, Connecticut 06385-0128

SUBJECT: INITIAL OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION REPORT NO. 50-245/96-12

Dear Mr. Kenyon:

!

'

During the period of December 2 - 6,1996, the NRC administered initial examinations to

seven employees of your company who had applied for licenses to operate Millstone  ;

4

Unit 1. At the conclusion of the examinations, the preliminary findings were discussed

with Mr. Haynes and members of your staff.

)

i 1

l Six of the seven applicants failed the examinations. One applicant passed the examination, i

but a license was not issued because the required plant reactivity manipulations had not  !

been completed, i

! The applicants were poorly prepared to pass either the written or operating portion of the i

l initial etaminations. The applicant that passed did so by a very small margin. Numerous I

generic weaknesses were noted and are discussed in the report.

i

We note that the performance observed during the December 1996 initial examination was

i a significant degradation compared to prior initial examinations with high passing rates.

l

We are concerned that the poor performance of the applicants may be symptomatic of

weak training, evaluation, or management that could adversely affect current licensed i

'

operators at Unit 1 and wer Millstone units. From discussions with Jay Thayer, recovery

officer for training, we are aware that Northeast Utilities shares these concems and has

initiated an independent evaluation of the root causes. Accordingly, within 60 days, we

,

request that you submit your root cause assessment of the poor performance during the

4 initial examination.

We are also concerned with the poor performance of the licensed reactor operators in their

l examinations for senior reactor operators. Significant weaknesses were noted in those

d

areas that they are currently licensed to perform at Millstone Unit 1. The most significant

weaknesses were in the ability to successfully operate controls that affect reactivity and

diagnoses of instrument failures. Prior to the upgrade applicants performing licerned duties {f

i

i at the reactor operator level, NU is requested to review Ge applicable written and I

operating test weaknesses identified in individual upgraie applicant examination reports,

I and provide remediation and reevaluation as part of your regalification training program. / h' ,

Please inform us when you have completed this process prior to returning these operators l

i to licensed duties.

-

9702130162 970207

PDR ADOCK 05000245 ,

V PDR l

i

.,

S **

,

Mr. Bruce D. Kenyon 2

in accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the Commission's regulations, a copy of this letter

and its enclosure will be placed in the NRC Public Document Room.

Should you have any questions regarding this information, please contact

Don Florek of my staff at (610) 337-5185 or me at (610) 337-5198.

Sincerely,

Glenn W. Meyer, Chief

Operator Licensing and

Human Performance Branch

Division of. Reactor Safety

Docket No. 50-245

Enclosure: Initial Operator Licensing Examination

Report No. 50-245/96-12 with Attachments 1-4

cc w/ encl; w/o Attachments 1-4:

T. C. Feigenbaum, Executive Vice President - Chief Nuclear Officer

J. McElwain, Unit 1 Recovery Officer

D. M. Goebel, Vice President, Nuclear Oversight

J. K. Thayer, Recovery Officer, Nuclear Engineering and Support

P. D. Hinnenkamp, Director, Unit Operations

F. C. Rothen, Vice President, Work Services

,

L. M. Cuoco, Esquire

'

J. R. Egan, Esquire

V. Juliano, Waterford Library

Department of Public Utility Control

S. B. Comley, We The People

State of Connecticut SLO Designee

cc w/enci and Attachments 1-4:

H. F. Haynes, Director - Nuclear Training

J. F. Smith, Manager, Operator Training

P. Benyada, Assistant Supervisor - Operations Training

_ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .__ _ _ . ..

7

-

l

. ,

1

Mr. Bruce D. Kenyon 3

i Distribution w/enci and Attachments 1-4: 1

DRS Master Exam File

Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

PUBLIC I

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

Distribution w/ encl: w/o Attachments 1-4:

W. Lanning, Deputy Director of Inspections, SPO, RI

'

M. Kalamon, SPO, RI  ;

NRC Resident inspector l

D. Screnci, PAO

'

J. Wiggins, DRS

G. Meyer, DRS ,

D. Florek, Chief Examiner, DRS l

D. Prawdzik, NRC Contract Examiner

, NRC Resident inspector i

DR.S OL Facility File

ORS A'/ < (:)

.

Distribution w/ encl: w/o Attachments 1-4: (VIA E-MAIL):

$ D. Screnci, PAO

N. Sheehan, Field-Public Affairs Officer, RI

J. Anderson, PM, SPO, NRR l

W. Dean, OEDO l

'

P. McKee, Director, Deputy Director of Licensing, SPO, NRR

,

G. Imbro, Deputy Director of ICAVP Oversight, SPO, NRR

L. Plisco, Chief, SPO, NRR

j S. Dembek, PM, SPO, NRR

, D. Mcdonald, SPM, SPO, NRR ,

l M. Callahan, OCA l

! R. Correia, NRR

I R. Frahm, Jr., NRR

S. Richards, OLB/NRR

Inspection Program Branch (IPAS)

DOCUMENT NAME: A:\MS19612. INS

To receive a copy of this docurdttt, %dicate a the boa: *C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure *E" = Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy

0FFICE RI/DRS d / 4,l RI/DRS _

NRR/0LS _# l l

NAME OFlore V / GMeyer (M SRicha h

DATE 01/30/91 DV S /97 W J OY /97 'N 01/ /97 01/ /97 l

0Fi9CIAL RECORD COPY

!