ML20281A562

NRC Operator License Examination Report 05000390/2020301 and 05000391/2020301

ML20281A562
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	10/06/2020
From:	Gerald Mccoy Division of Reactor Safety II
To:	Anthony Williams Tennessee Valley Authority
References
50-390/20-301, 50-391/20-301 50-390/OL-20, 50-391/OL-20
Download: ML20281A562 (9)

See also: IR 05000390/2020301

Text

October 06, 2020

Mr. Anthony L. Williams, IV

Site Vice President

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

Tennessee Valley Authority

P.O. Box 2000, ADM 1V-WBN

Spring City, TN 37381

SUBJECT: WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT - NRC OPERATOR LICENSE

EXAMINATION REPORT 05000390/2020301 AND 05000391/2020301

Dear Mr. Williams:

During the period August 24 - September 1, 2020, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

administered operating tests to employees of your company who had applied for licenses to

operate the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. At the conclusion of the tests, the examiners discussed

preliminary findings related to the operating tests and the written examination submittal with

those members of your staff identified in the enclosed report. The written examination was

administered by your staff on September 3, 2020.

Thirteen Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) applicants passed both the operating test and written

examination. There were no post-examination comments concerning the operating test.

Simulator Fidelity Report is included in this report as Enclosure 3.

The initial examination submittal was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed

examination. All examination changes agreed upon between the NRC and your staff were

made according to NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power

Reactors, Revision 11.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter and its

enclosures will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document

Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of the NRCs document

system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-

rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

A. Williams 2

If you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact me at (404) 997-4551.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Gerald J. McCoy, Chief

Operations Branch 1

Division of Reactor Safety

Docket Nos: 50-390, 50-391

License Nos: NPF-90, NPF-96

Enclosures:

1. Report Details

2. Simulator Fidelity Report

cc: Distribution via Listserv

ML20281A562  : SUNSI REVIEW COMPLETE FORM 665 ATTACHED

OFFICE RII:DRS/OB1 RII:DRS/OB1

NAME DDUMBACHER GMCCOY

DATE 10/ 6 /2020 10/ 6 /2019

E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION II

Examination Report

Docket No.: 05000390, 05000391

License No.: NPF-90, NPF-96

Report No.: 05000390/2020301 and 05000391/2020301

EPID No.: L-2020-OLL-0032

Licensee: Tennessee Valley Authority

Facility: Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2

Location: Spring City, TN

Dates: Operating Test - August 24 -September 1, 2020

Written Examination - September 3, 2020

Examiners: D. Dumbacher, Chief Examiner, Senior Operations Engineer

M. Meeks, Senior Operations Engineer

A. Goldau, Operations Engineer

M. Donithan, Operations Engineer

Approved by: Gerald J. McCoy, Chief

Operations Branch 1

Division of Reactor Safety

Enclosure 1

SUMMARY

ER 05000390/2020301 and 05000391/2020301; operating test August 24 - September 1, 2020

& written exam September 3, 2020; Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; Operator License

Examinations.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners conducted an initial examination in

accordance with the guidelines in Revision 11 of NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing

Examination Standards for Power Reactors." This examination implemented the operator

licensing requirements identified in 10 CFR §55.41, §55.43, and §55.45, as applicable.

Members of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant staff developed both the operating test and the written

examination. The initial operating test, written Reactor Operator (RO) examination, and written

Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) examination submittals met the quality guidelines contained in

NUREG-1021.

The NRC administered the operating tests during the period of August 24 - September 1, 2020.

Members of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant training staff administered the written examination on

September 3, 2020. Thirteen SRO applicants passed both the operating test and written

examination. Eight applicants were issued licenses commensurate with the level of examination

administered on September 30, 2020. Although the other five applicants passed their

examinations, the associated licenses will not be issued until Watts Bar notifies the NRC in

writing that all deferred requirements have been met.

There were no post-examination comments.

No findings were identified.

2

REPORT DETAILS

3. OTHER ACTIVITIES

4OA5 Operator Licensing Examinations

a. Inspection Scope

The NRC evaluated the submitted operating test by combining the scenario events and job

performance measures (JPMs) in order to determine the percentage of submitted test items

that required replacement or significant modification. The NRC also evaluated the submitted

written examination questions (RO and SRO questions considered separately) in order to

determine the percentage of submitted questions that required replacement or significant

modification, or that clearly did not conform with the intent of the approved knowledge and

ability (K/A) statement. Any questions that were deleted during the grading process, or for

which the answer key had to be changed, were also included in the count of unacceptable

questions. The percentage of submitted test items that were unacceptable was compared to

the acceptance criteria of NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Standards for Power

Reactors.

The NRC reviewed the licensees examination security measures while preparing and

administering the examinations in order to ensure compliance with 10 CFR §55.49, Integrity

of examinations and tests.

The NRC administered the operating tests during the period August 24 - September 1,

2020. NRC examiners evaluated thirteen SRO applicants using the guidelines contained in

NUREG-1021. Members of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant training staff administered the

written examination on September 3, 2020. Evaluations of applicants and reviews of

associated documentation were performed to determine if the applicants, who applied for

licenses to operate the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, met the requirements specified in 10 CFR

Part 55, Operators Licenses.

The NRC evaluated the performance or fidelity of the simulation facility during the

preparation and conduct of the operating tests.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

The NRC developed the written examination sample plan outline. Members of the Watts Bar

Nuclear Plant training staff developed both the operating test and the written examination. All

examination material was developed in accordance with the guidelines contained in Revision

11 of NUREG-1021. The NRC examination team reviewed the proposed examination.

Examination changes agreed upon between the NRC and the licensee were made per

NUREG-1021 and incorporated into the final version of the examination materials.

The NRC determined that the licensees written examination and operating test submittals

were within the range of acceptable quality for a proposed examination specified by NUREG-

1021.

3

No issues related to examination security were identified during preparation and

administration of the examination.

All applicants passed both the operating test and written examination and on

September 30, 2020, eight of the applicants were issued licenses. Although the other

five applicants passed their examinations, the associated licenses will not be issued

until Watts Bar notifies the NRC in writing that all deferred requirements have been

met.

Copies of all individual examination reports were sent to the facility Training Manager

for evaluation of weaknesses and determination of appropriate remedial training.

The licensee submitted no post-examination comments. A copy of the final written RO

and SRO examinations and answer key may be accessed not earlier than October 2,

2022 in the ADAMS system (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML20276A151 and

ML20276A205).

4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit

Exit Meeting Summary

On August 28, 2020 the NRC examination team discussed generic issues associated

with the operating test with A. Williams, Site Vice President, and members of the Watts

Bar Nuclear Plant staff. The examiners asked the licensee if any of the examination

material was proprietary. No proprietary information was identified.

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee personnel

Williams, Anthony - WBN Site Vice President

Rice, Christopher - WBN Director of Nuclear Plant Operations

McMullin, Matthew - WBN Director of Nuclear Training

McIlnay, Brian S - WBN Facility Representative / Shift Manager

Joplin, Russell Wayne - Program Manager, Corporate Nuclear Exams

Williams, Pedro Arthur Jr - WBN Operations Training Liaison / Shift Manager

Deschaine, Wesley David - NRC Senior Resident

O'Brien, Patrick Clinton - WBN Initial License Training Supervisor

Gabosch, Timothy - WBN Exam Project Manager

4

SIMULATOR FIDELITY REPORT

Facility Licensee: Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

Facility Docket No.: 050000390 and 050000391

Operating Test Administered: August 24 -September 1, 2020

This form is to be used only to report observations. These observations do not constitute audit

or inspection findings and, without further verification and review in accordance with Inspection

Procedure 71111.11 are not indicative of noncompliance with 10 CFR 55.46. No licensee

action is required in response to these observations.

One simulator fidelity and two configuration issues were identified.

One simulator fidelity issue arose when the simulator ICS computer crashed.

This caused the plant computer on the simulator to go down for the course of the scenario.

The scenario was completed without the use of ICS. The licensee stated that the cause was

indeterminate. Condition Report 1641066 was written to capture and correct the issue.

The first configuration issue was that JPM B Initial Condition (IC) was found to have had an error

in the code. CR 1638012 was generated to address the issue. With the malfunction

inserted, break flow goes to 0 after soon after going to run. There was an error introduced during

IC construction that wasn't observed during validation due to the shorter run time but became

readily apparent during the examination. All simulator Instructor Station indications were that the

malfunction was inserted. The IC for JPM B has been repaired.

The second configuration issue was related to a JPM where a lockout relay indicating light was lit

during validation but initially, for the first applicant, was not. This setup issue was corrected for

the remaining applicants and did not affect the JPM result for the affected applicant.

Enclosure 2