ML20170A907
| ML20170A907 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/17/2020 |
| From: | Cowdrey C, Bernard Litkett NRC/NRR/DRO/IOLB |
| To: | Chris Miller NRC/NRR/DRO |
| Litkett B | |
| References | |
| Download: ML20170A907 (7) | |
Text
June 17, 2020 MEMORANDUM TO: Christopher Miller, Director Division of Reactor Oversight Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM: Christian Cowdrey, Chief /RA/
Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch Division of Reactor Oversight Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF THE 2020 ANNUAL UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION/INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR POWER OPERATIONS COORDINATION MEETING ON TRAINING-RELATED ISSUES On June 9, 2020, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducted a public coordination meeting on training-related issues with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) via teleconference. Such meetings are conducted in accordance with the NRC/INPO Memorandum of Agreement dated September 11, 2013. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss items of mutual interest concerning INPO's training program accreditation process and other initiatives. Participants included representatives of the NRCs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), Region II, III and IV operation licensing branches, INPOs Workforce Training, Education and Proficiency Division, and members of the public.
Introductions and Opening Remarks The NRC provided opening remarks. INPO provided opening remarks included a discussion of organizational changes since the 2019 Coordination Meeting. The NRC discussed efforts to improve the efficiency of licensed operator examinations. INPO discussed its strategy to improve the accreditation process. During opening remarks, the NRC and INPO both discussed the importance of training and qualifications, and the need to have effective communications between the two organizations.
Enclosures:
- 1. Meeting Attendee List
- 2. Meeting Agenda CONTACT: Bernard Litkett, NRR/DRO 301-415-3657
C. Miller 2
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF THE 2020 ANNUAL UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION/INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR POWER OPERATIONS COORDINATION MEETING ON TRAINING-RELATED ISSUES Dated: June 17, 2020 DISTRIBUTION:
Accession Number: ML20170A907 via email NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DRO/IOLB NRR/DRO/IQVB NAME BLitkett CCowdrey DATE 6/17/2020 6/17/2020 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
C. Miller 3 COVID-19 Response NRC Initial license examinations have resumed, and the NRC is coordinating with industry on rescheduling examinations and conducting activities in a safe manner. During the COVID-19 pandemic, operator digital docket (ODD) and electronic information exchange (EIE) were used the streamline NRC application filing process.
The staff established a process for 10 CFR Part 55 exemption requests related to COVID-19 and staff is continuing to evaluate the necessary personal protective equipment for examiners to enable them to safely administer examinations during this pandemic.
INPO INPO stated that, from the perspective of accredited training, the utility members of the National Academy continue to meet INPO guidelines. Fifteen accreditation team visits (ATV) had been rescheduled due to COVID-19 and were recommenced in May 2020. Additionally, the new DaVinci process for the National Nuclear Accreditation Boards (NNABs) has been placed on hold and will resume in August. Utility members continue to meet the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines during COVID-19. Local conditions at each facility licensee are being monitored for COVID-19 in order to maintain licensed operator proficiency and to continue training safely. The use of distance learning, limiting capacity at facilities, and personal protective equipment are some of the methods that the facility licenses are employing to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 in the workforce.
INPO continues to work with a small modular reactor supplier to consider how to accredit their training programs. The key decision point is whether the license holder or the contractor will be a member of the National Academy for Nuclear Training. INPO is holding quarterly phone conferences to consider what academy documents might have to change as a result of the technological differences. Until there is an actual owner identified, INPO does not have the ability to make a final decision on Academy membership.
Accreditation Update INPO reported that from May 2019 to May 2020, they conducted 17 ATVs and 24 NNABs for the operations and technical training programs. INPO has an additional 18 ATVs and 11 NNABs scheduled in 2020 for the operations and technical training programs. Last year, NRC observers attended most of the NNABs and an NRC observer attended the ATV at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station.
The DaVinci update will focus on worker improvement in knowledge and skills by 2023. INPO will focus on ensuring excellent instructors and subject matter experts to reinforce station expectations in training. The goals of the program are to identify any problems in a facility licensee training program and have the problem corrected and to verify the WANO peer review program is effective at identifying areas for improvement.
The DaVinci process uses video conferencing to facilitate a remote NNABs for the new accreditation process. The six operations and six training programs are accredited on an alternating schedule every 3 years during a 6-year period to ensure the quality of training is
C. Miller 4 maintained. Additionally, continuous monitoring of training programs is in place to bring confidence that the accreditation process is working. The operations and technical training programs remote NNABs are held separately. During the remote NNAB, the ATV team leader briefs the NNAB. The facility licensee is not present at the remote NNAB.
Regulatory Issues The NRC discussed proposed revisions to the Generic Fundamentals Examination (GFE). The staff is proposing reintegrating the testing of fundamentals into the site-specific written examination.
The NRC discussed the revision of NUREG-1122, Knowledge and Abilities Catalog for Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Pressurized Water Reactors, and NUREG-1123, "Knowledge and Abilities Catalog for Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Boiling Water Reactors." Public comments have been incorporated. The NRC staff expects to publish revision 3 to both catalogs later this summer. The NRC will notify the industry approximately 6 weeks prior to publication so that licensees may evaluate when to request examination outlines for upcoming examinations.
The NRC discussed revision 12 of NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors." This upcoming revision, currently in development, is intended to consolidate and streamline examiner standards for ease of use and maintenance, improve guidance for definitions of critical tasks and performance deficiency, and create a place holder for advanced reactor examinations, such as NuScale. By reorganizing the format of the NUREG into standalone sections, this will facilitate future revisions as the sections will be able to be revised independently, similar to NUREG-0800, Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition. The NRC will provide quarterly updates on the progress of this revision to industry.
The NRC provided an update on the status of operator licensing for the reactors under construction at Vogtle Electric Generating Plant. The NRC has completed the initial license operator examination at Vogtle Unit 3 for 2020 and pass letters have been issued. The next examination is scheduled for 2022. If the current construction schedule is maintained, the NRC expects to issue about 60 licenses in July for Unit 3.
The NRC discussed advanced reactor human factors engineering (HFE) review status for HFE applications currently under staff review. The goal of the HFE reviews is to ensure the applicant has applied acceptable HFE practices and guidelines to the design of human-system interfaces so that the likelihood and consequences of operator errors are minimized.
The NRC discussed the revised Memorandum of Agreement between the NRC and INPO to support DaVinci, which will be signed on July 21, 2020 during the annual senior management meeting with INPO.
Industry Learning Activities The National Academy for Nuclear Training e-Learning (NANTel) is a national web-based training system. INPO discussed industry development of training using NANTeL and reported that this program has operated very reliably over the last year. The use of eLearning has increased with 70,000 utility workers participating and approximately 784,000 certifications completed using industry, INPO and the Electric Power Research Institute developed courses.
This allows workers at multiple locations to complete interactive, on-line training for site access,
C. Miller 5 fitness for duty, and radiation protection. INPO stated that this type of training can support the needs of industry into the future and that they have addressed data flow along with other areas of improvement.
Other Items of Mutual Interest Related to Training INPO provided an update on several revised ACADs and will be providing copies to the NRC.
ACAD 02-001, The Objectives and Criteria for Accreditation of Training in the Nuclear Power Industry, and ACAD 02-002, The Process for Maintaining Accreditation of Training in the Nuclear Power Industry, were revised to support the DaVinci process.
NRC COVID-19 Lesson Learned The staff is developing guidance for the regions to accept electronic signatures on operator licensing applications. The guidance improves efficiency by using ODD and EIE as tools for submitting applications for initial licenses and renewals that have been signed electronically by facility personnel. This guidance completes the policy work necessary to conduct operator licensing activities remotely, for both the NRC and the industry. This effort finalizes a transformative initiative that began several years ago to get digital licensing on-line, replacing old hard-copy docket files.
Closing Remarks In closing, the NRC and INPO agreed that this meeting was productive and future meetings would continue. No final positions were taken during the meeting.
INPO-NRC Coordination Meeting Teleconference, June 9, 2020 ATTENDEES Nuclear Regulatory Commission Christopher Miller, Director, Division of Reactor Oversight, NRR Christian Cowdrey, Branch Chief, Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch, DRO/NRR Gerry McCoy, Branch Chief, RII Operations Branch Patricia Pelke, Branch Chief, RIII Operations Branch Gregory Warner, Branch Chief, RIV Operations Branch Theresa Buchanan, Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch, DRO/NRR Travis Iskierka-Boggs, Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch, DRO/NRR Jesse Seymour, Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch, DRO/NRR Eric Cushing, Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch, DRO/NRR Justin Vazquez, Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch, DRO/NRR Bernard Litkett, Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch, DRO/NRR Maurin Scheetz, Operator Licensing and Human Factors Branch, DRO/NRR David Decker, Associate Director, Office of Congressional Affairs Shakur Walker, Technical Assistant for Commissioner Wright Robert Krsek, Technical Assistant for Reactors Office of Commissioner Baran Scott Burnell, Office of Public Affairs Institute of Nuclear Power Operations Lisa Brattin, Senior Vice President, Workforce Training, Education and Proficiency George Manaski, Director, Industry Training and Proficiency Greg Ruppert, Manager, Training Debbi Williams, Director, Industry Learning James Caulk, Senior Evaluator Greg Kanda, INPO James Moon, INPO Others connected via Telephone Bridge Steve Catron NextEra Energy Fleet Licensing Manager Steven Dolley Managing Editor, Inside NRC Marty Phalen, Nuclear Energy Institute Murphy, Martin C. Exelon Nuclear Edwin Lyman, Union of Concerned Scientists John Conly, Certrec Corporation Jana Bergman, Curtis-Wright Chavoy Tyson, Public Enclosure 1
PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA
Notice of Annual Meeting with the NRC and Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)
June 09, 2020, 02:00 PM to 04:00 PM Teleconference Time Topic Speaker 2:00 Introductions and Opening Remarks NRC/INPO 2:10 COVID-19 Response taken by NRC and INPO NRC/INPO 2:25 Accreditation and DaVinci Update INPO 2:30 Regulatory Issues NRC 2:50 Industry Learning Activities INPO 3:10 Other Items of Mutual Interest Related to Training NRC/INPO 3:30 Public input including questions and answers Public 3:50 Closing Remarks NRC/INPO 4:00 Adjourn NRC/INPO Enclosure 2