ML20216K001

Safety Evaluation Approving Licensee Request Re Plant Training Program for Certified Fuel Handlers

ML20216K001
Person / Time
Site:	Big Rock Point File:Consumers Energy icon.png
Issue date:	04/16/1998
From:	NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20216J991	List: ML20216J986 ML20216K001
References
NUDOCS 9804220058
Download: ML20216K001 (2)

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20066 4 001 l SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGUL ATION l

l REGARDING CERTIFIED FUEL HANDLER TRAINING PROGRAM l CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY l

l FOR BIG ROCK POINT NUCLEAR PLANT

! DOCKET NO. 50-155 l i I

l

1.0 INTRODUCTION

l By letter dated September 19,1997, Consumers Energy Company (Consumers or licensee) requested amendment to Facility Operating License DPR-6 and Appendix A, Technical l

Specifications, of DPR-6 to reflect the permanc.itly shutdown and defueled condition of the

! Big Rock Point (BRP) Nuclear Plant. Within this submittal, Consumers included their l proposed " Training Program for Certified Fuel Handlers." Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff approval of CFH training programs is required in accordance with 10 CFR 50.2.

NRC staff review and approval of the licensee's request for amendment of DPR-6 and associated technical specifications continues.

2.0 BACKGMOUND By letter dated June 28,1997, Consumers certified to the NRC their intentione to permanently cease power operations at BRP on August 30,1997. On August 29,1997, Consumers permanently shut down the BRP plant. By letter dated September 19,1997, Consumers requested amendment to Facility Operating License DPR-6 and Appendix A, Technical Specifications, of DPR-6 to reflect the permanently shutdown and defueled condition of the BRP facility. Within this submittal, Consumers included their proposed

" Training Program for Certified Fuel Hand:ers," wisich consisted of two main parts: initial certification training and recertification training. The proposed CFH program described, in part, the training, testing, program administration, and certification requirements for CFHs at the BRP facility. The licensee's proposed amendment to technical specifications includes, in part, changes to operator licensing and staffing requirements. This license amendment is still undergoing NRC staff review.

On September 23,1997, Consumers certified, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(ii),

that on September 20,1997, all fuel was permanently removed frum the reactor vessel ENCLOSURE 2 980422005B 980416 PDR ADOCK 05000155 W PDR

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2-and placed in the spent fuel pool for interim storage. D' aber 29,1997, l representatives from Consumers and NRC staff met at Nn. _.2adquarters to discuss

, planned activities regarding the decommissioning of the BRP facility. This meeting included .

discussions of licensee-proposed operator staffing changes, including CFHs. On l

January 21,1998, the NRC staff visited the BRP facility and discussed the BRP CFH I training program with licensee representatives. Subsequently, on February 10,1998, during a telephone conversation with the NRC staff, the licensee confirmed that NRC staff questions regarding the CFR training program had been resolved and implemented, as l

appropriate, into the BRP " Training Program for Certified Fuel Handlers."

2.0 EVALUATION i l

The proposed " Training Program for Certified Fuel Handlers," composed of the CFH Initial Training Program and the CFH Recertification Training Program, establish CFH training and program requirements for the BRP Nuclear Plant. These programs ensure that the qualifications of the CFH personnel are commensurate with the tasks to be performed and l the conditionc requiring personnel resnonse. Furthermore, these programs are to be i performed on a Systams Approach to Training (SAT) that appropriately reflects the approach that was used to determine the content of the BRP operator training programs

.during plant operation. The SAT process provides for the development, maintenance, and modification of the BRP " Training Program for Certified Fuel Handlers" to ensure continued  ;

successful performance on the job by trained individuals,' as plant conditions change  ;

! throughout the decommissioning of the DRP facility.

l 1 3.0 .QONCLUSION l

l The proposed BRP " Training Program for Certified Fuel Handics' is consistent with current l licensing practices and provides adequate confidence that a >propriate SAT-based training l of personnel, who perform CFH duties, is conducted to ensure that the facility is l raaintained in safe condition while spent nuclear fuelis stored in the spent fuel pool. There i is no regulation that requires NRC approval of changes to the CFH training program and the licensee shall follow all licensee and technical specification requirements until properly amended by the Commission.

Principal Contributor: Jesse A. Arildsen Date: March 25,1998