ML21221A304
| ML21221A304 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 08/11/2021 |
| From: | Thomas Farina Operations Branch IV |
| To: | Dent J Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) |
| References | |
| Download: ML21221A304 (4) | |
See also: IR 05000298/2022301
Text
August 11, 2021
Mr. John Dent, Jr.,Vice President
and Chief Nuclear Officer
Nebraska Public Power District
Cooper Nuclear Station
72676 648A Avenue
P.O. Box 98
Brownville, NE 68321
SUBJECT:
COOPER NUCLEAR STATION - NOTIFICATION OF NRC INITIAL OPERATOR
LICENSING EXAMINATION 05000298/2022301
Dear Mr. Dent:
In a telephone conversation on August 3, 2020 between myself, Thomas J. Farina, Senior
Operations Engineer, and Mr. James Florence, Superintendent, Simulator and Training Support,
arrangements were made for the administration of operator licensing examinations at Cooper
Nuclear Station during the week of June 13, 2022.
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 12, which is expected to be issued for use more than six months before the
start of the exam. If NUREG 1021 Revision 12 is not issued prior to December 13, 2021, I will
discuss with your staff how the examination preparation will be impacted. 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 January 9, 2022. The written examination outline will be provided to your staff by
the NRC(Nuclear Regulatory Commission) prior to that date. The written examinations,
operating tests, and supporting reference materials identified in Attachment 3 to ES-201
(NUREG 1021 Revision 11) will be due by March 25, 2022. 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 May 9, 2022.
J. Dent
2
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 NUREG 1021, and to
make the simulation facility available on the dates noted above. In accordance with NUREG
1021, your staff 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 Revision 11 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) to Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) with approval number 3150-0090 at least 60 days before the
first examination date (if able). Mr. Farina 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. Farina 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 information collection requirements that are subject to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). These information collections were approved
by the Office of Management and Budget, approval number 3150-0018.
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.
J. Dent
3
Public Protection Notification
The NRC may not conduct or 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
current valid OMB approval 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. Florence 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 817-200-1117.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Farina, Senior Operations Engineer
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket: 50-298
License: DPR-46
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21221A304
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