IR 05000254/2024301

NRC Initial License Examination Report 05000254/2024301; 05000265/2024301

ML24213A311
Person / Time
Site:	Quad Cities
Issue date:	08/01/2024
From:	Paul Zurawski NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB
To:	Rhoades D Constellation Energy Generation, Constellation Nuclear
Bergeon B.
Shared Package
ML22251A231	List: IR 05000254/2024301 ML24141A210
References
IR 2024301
Download: ML24213A311 (1)

Text

SUBJECT:

QUAD CITIES NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000254/2024301; 05000265/2024301

Dear David Rhoades:

On June 12, 2024, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations.

Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on June 03, 2024, with Drew Griffiths, Plant Manager, and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted via Microsoft Teams on July 1, 2024, between Doug Hild of your staff and Bryan Bergeon, Chief Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the license applicants. During the conversation, the NRC resolutions of any post-examination comments submitted by the facility, initially received by the NRC on June 12, 2024, were discussed.

The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the weeks of May 28, 2024 and June 03, 2024. The written examination was administered by Quad Cities Nuclear Power Stations training department personnel on June 06, 2024. Seven Senior Reactor Operator and five Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on June 26, 2024. Twelve applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Seven were issued senior operator licenses and five were issued operator licenses, effective June 27, 2024.

The as-administered written examination and operating test, as well as documents related to the development and review (outlines, review comments and resolution, etc.) of the examination, will be withheld from public disclosure until June 12, 2026. The enclosure contains details of this report.July 31, 2024 This letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) 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 Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.

Sincerely, Paul J. Zurawski, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-254; 50-265 License Nos. DPR-29; DPR-30 Enclosure:

1. Examination Report 05000254/2024301; 05000265/2024301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV R. Merema, Training Manager Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station Signed by Zurawski, Paul on 07/31/24

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER 05000254/2024301; 05000265/2024301; 05/28/2024-06/12/2024; Constellation Energy

Generation, LLC; Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2; Initial License Examination Report.

The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional and program office Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 12.

Examination Summary:

Twelve of twelve applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Seven applicants were issued senior operator licenses, and five applicants were issued operator licenses. (Section 4OA5.1).

REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other Activities

.1 Initial Licensing Examinations

a. Examination Scope

The NRC examiners and members of the facility licensees staff used the guidance prescribed in NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 12, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the written examination and operating test. The written examination outlines were prepared by the NRC staff and were transmitted to the facility licensees staff. Members of the facility licensees staff developed the operating test outlines and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of April 22, 2024, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited all twelve license applications for accuracy. The NRC examiners, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff, administered the operating test, consisting of job performance measures and dynamic simulator scenarios, during the period of May 28, 2024 through June 03, 2024. The facility licensee administered the written examination on June 06, 2024.

b. Findings

(1) Written Examination

The NRC examiners determined that the written examination, as proposed by the licensee, exceeded the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

Greater than 20 percent of the proposed examination questions were determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement, however, the examination was considered to be a satisfactory submittal based on exercised discretion in accordance with Operator Licensing Manual Chapter (OLMC) 510, Operator Licensing Examination Reports, section C.a. OLMC-510 is publicly available in the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), Accession Number ML23052A114.

During validation of the written examination, several questions were modified or replaced. All changes made to the proposed written examination, were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on Form 2.3-5, Written Examination Review Worksheet.

The Form 2.3-5, the written examination outlines, and both the proposed and final written examinations, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) on June 12, 2026, (ADAMS Accession Numbers for the following: Administrative Files ML22251A230, Examination Outlines ML22251A229, Proposed Exam ML22251A228, and As-Administered Exam ML22251A233, respectively).

On June 12, 2023, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination. The NRC examiners graded the written examination on June 13, 2024, and conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and validity of the examination questions. Post-examination analysis revealed no generic weaknesses in applicant performance.

(2) Operating Test The NRC examiners determined that the operating test, as originally proposed by the licensee, was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

Less than 20 percent of the proposed operating test portion of the examination was determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement.

During the validation of the operating test, several Job Performance Measures (JPMs)were modified or replaced, and some modifications were made to the dynamic simulator scenarios. Changes made to the operating test portion of the examination, were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on Form 2.3-3, Operating Test Review Worksheet. The Form 2.3-3, the operating test outlines, and both the proposed and final as administered dynamic simulator scenarios and JPMs, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS on June 12, 2026, (ADAMS Accession Numbers for the following: Administrative Files ML22251A230, Examination Outlines ML22251A229, Proposed Exam ML22251A228, and As-Administered Exam ML22251A233 respectively).

The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on June 26, 2024.

Post-examination analysis revealed generic weaknesses in applicant performance in the areas of control rod drive system operation and diagnosis, knowledge of the standby gas treatment system standby lineup, application of the standby gas treatment system instrumentation technical specifications, procedure use and adherence (taking actions from memory when the actions were not designated as immediate operator actions),inconsistent placekeeping of procedures, and setting SCRAM / reactor trip criteria during transient conditions. The licensee documented these general weaknesses in their corrective action program under condition report 4780443.

(3) Examination Results

Seven applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and five applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Twelve applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on June 27, 2024.

.2 Examination Security

a. Scope

The NRC examiners reviewed and observed the licensee's implementation of examination security requirements during the examination validation and administration to assure compliance with Title10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 55.49, Integrity of Examinations and Tests. The examiners used the guidelines provided in NUREG 1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, to determine acceptability of the licensees examination security activities.

b. Findings

None.

4OA6 Meetings

.1 Debrief

The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on June 03, 2024, to Drew Griffiths, Plant Manager and other members of the Quad Cities Nuclear Power Stations Operations and Training Department staff.

.2 Exit Meeting

The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on July 1, 2024, with Doug Hild via Microsoft Teams. The NRCs final disposition of the stations grading of the written examination and post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed. The chief examiner asked the licensee whether any of the retained submitted material used to develop or administer the examination should be considered proprietary. No proprietary or sensitive information was identified during the examination or debrief/exit meetings.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

Doug Hild, Site Vice President

Drew Griffiths, Plant Manager

Adnan Ali, Operations Director

Derek Drockelman, Shift Operations Supervisor

Ryan Merema, Senior Manager, Training

Sean Sullivan, Operations Training Manager

Tom Resig, Initial License Training Lead

Dave Basham, Initial License Training Instructor

Travis Kelley, Exam Author

Rick Swart, Regulatory Assurance

Rachel Luebbe, Regulatory Assurance

Tom Dean, Corporate Training Director

Chris Burkhart, Regulatory Exam Expert

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

C. Hunt, Senior Resident Inspector, Examiner

B. Bergeon, Chief Examiner

T. Henning, Examiner

T. Wingfield, Examiner

J. Correll, Examiner

ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed, and Discussed

None

LIST OF ACRONYMS USED

ADAMS Agencywide Document Access and Management System

JPM Job Performance Measure

NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

OLMC Operator Licensing Manual Chapter

RO Reactor Operator

SRO Senior Reactor Operator

SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT

Facility Licensee: Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station

Facility Docket No: 50-254; 50-265

Operating Tests Administered: May 28, 2024 through June 03, 2024

The following documents observations made by the NRC examination team during the initial

operator license examination. These observations do not constitute audit or inspection findings

and are not, without further verification and review, indicative of non-compliance with

CFR 55.45(b). These observations do not affect NRC certification or approval of the

simulation facility other than to provide information which may be used in future evaluations. No

licensee action is required in response to these observations.

During the conduct of the simulator portion of the operating tests, the following items were

observed:

ITEM DESCRIPTION

SWR 0139136 1A RHR Pump Switch Degraded. When the pump switch was taken to

pull-to-lock, the switch slipped down and made up the contacts for the

OFF light.

2