ML20350B812
| ML20350B812 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Comanche Peak  |
| Issue date: | 12/11/2020 |
| From: | John Kirkland Operations Branch IV |
| To: | Peters K Vistra Operations Company |
| References | |
| 50-445/21-301, 50-446/21-301 | |
| Download: ML20350B812 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000445/2021301
Text
December 11, 2020
Mr. Ken Peters
Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer
Attention: Regulatory Affairs
Vistra Operations Company LLC
P.O. Box 1002
Glen Rose, TX 76043
SUBJECT: COMANCHE PEAK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT -NOTIFICATION OF NRC
INITIAL OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION 05000445/2021301 AND
Dear Mr. Peters:
In a telephone conversation on November 19, 2020 between Mr. Jordan Ruby, Examination and
Simulator Supervisor and Mr. John Kirkland, Chief Examiner, arrangements were made for the
administration of operator licensing examinations at Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant
during the week of August 9, 2021.
As agreed during the telephone conversation, your staff will prepare the examinations based on
the guidelines in NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power
Reactors, Revision 11. The NRCs regional office will discuss with your staff any changes that
might be necessary before the examinations are administered.
To meet the above schedule, it will be necessary for your staff to furnish the operating test
outlines by March 8, 2021. The written examination outline was provided to your staff on
November 19, 2020. The written examinations, operating tests, and supporting reference
materials identified in Attachment 3 to ES-201 will be due by May 24, 2021. Pursuant to Title
10, Section 55.40(b)(3), of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 55.40(b)(3)), an authorized
representative of the facility licensee shall approve the examinations, and tests before they are
submitted to the NRC for review and approval. All materials shall be complete and ready-to-
use.
We request that any personal, proprietary, sensitive unclassified, or safeguards information in
your response be contained in a separate enclosure and appropriately marked. Delays in
receiving the required materials, or the submittal of inadequate or incomplete materials, may
cause the examinations to be cancelled or rescheduled. In addition, your support for on-site
validation of the examinations is required during the week of July 5, 2021.
To conduct the requested written examinations and operating tests, it will be necessary for your
staff to provide adequate space and accommodations in accordance with ES-402, and to make
the simulation facility available on the dates noted above. In accordance with ES-302, your staff
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION IV
1600 E. LAMAR BLVD
ARLINGTON, TX 76011-4511
K. Peters
2
should retain the original simulator performance data (e.g., system pressures, temperatures,
and levels) generated during the dynamic operating tests along with any video and audio
recordings of the dynamic operating tests until the NRC takes its licensing action on all of the
applications and any adjudicatory actions on any hearing demands are complete. Appendix E
to NUREG-1021 contains NRC policies and guidelines that will be in effect while the written
examinations and operating tests are being administered.
To permit timely NRC review and evaluation, your staff should submit preliminary reactor
operator and senior reactor operator waiver or excusal requests (if any) (Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) approval number 3150-0090) at least 60 days before the first examination
date (if able). Mr. Kirkland, Chief Examiner, should be contacted to determine the method for
submission of the waiver and/or excusal requests. Preliminary reactor operator and senior
reactor operator license applications (OMB approval number 3150-0090) and, medical
certifications (OMB approval number 3150-0024) should be submitted at least 30 days before
the first examination date. If the preliminary applications are not received at least 30 days
before the examination date, a postponement may be necessary. Final, signed applications
certifying that all training has been completed and requesting any waivers or excusals, as
applicable, should be submitted at least 14 days before the first examination date.
Although the minimum guidelines for receiving waiver or excusal requests is 30 days before the
first examination date (preliminary) and 14 days before the first examination date (final), the
requests should be submitted as early in the process as possible (see the 60-day guideline,
above). Resolutions resulting from verbal inquiries by the licensee to the NRC are not binding.
Submittals addressing waivers and/or excusals should be in writing (i.e., on NRC Form 398, or
as directed when Mr. Kirkland is contacted to determine the method for submission). The
NRCs final decision on whether to grant a waiver or excusal will be documented on the final
(not preliminary) NRC Form 398 submitted for the applicant and will not be provided until the
final application is submitted to the NRC.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
This letter contains mandatory information collections that are subject to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
approved these information collections (approval number 3150-0011). Send comments
regarding this information collection to the Information Services Branch, Office of the Chief
Information Officer, Mail Stop: T6 A10M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555-0001, or by e-mail to Infocollects.Resource@nrc.gov, and to the Desk Officer, Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202, (3150-0011) Office of Management and
Budget, Washington, DC 20503.
The burden to the public for these mandatory information collections is estimated to average
400 hours0.00463 days <br />0.111 hours <br />6.613757e-4 weeks <br />1.522e-4 months <br /> per examination including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
information collection. You may submit comments on any aspect of the information collection,
including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the FOIA, Privacy and Information Collections
Branch (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by
electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS.RESOURCE@NRC.GOV; and to the Desk Officer, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202, (3150-0018), Office of Management and
Budget, Washington, DC 20503.
K. Peters
3
Public Protection Notification
The NRC may not conduct nor sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request
for information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
This letter will be made available for public inspection and copying at
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the NRC Public Document Room in
accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Mr. Ruby has been advised of the policies and
guidelines referenced in this letter. If you have any questions regarding the NRCs examination
procedures and guidelines, please contact me at 817-200-????.
Sincerely,
/RA/
John Kirkland, Chief Examiner
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Dockets: 50-445; 50-446
SUNSI Review:
ADAMS:
Non-Publicly Available
Non-Sensitive
Keyword:
By: JKirkland
Yes No
Publicly Available
Sensitive
OFFICE
SOE:OB
NAME
JKirkland
SIGNATURE
/RA/
DATE
12/11/20