ML25231A249
| ML25231A249 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 08/28/2025 |
| From: | Murphy K NRC/RGN-IV/DORS/OB |
| To: | Dia K Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) |
| References | |
| IR 2025004 | |
| Download: ML25231A249 (1) | |
Text
August 28, 2025 Khalil Dia, Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Nebraska Public Power District Cooper Nuclear Station 72676 648A Avenue P.O. Box 98 Brownsville, NE 68321
SUBJECT:
COOPER NUCLEAR STATION - NOTIFICATION OF INSPECTION (NRC INSPECTION REPORT 05000298/2025004) AND REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Dear Khalil Dia:
During the week of October 6, 2025, two inspectors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRC) Region IV office will perform the baseline biennial requalification inspection at Grand Gulf, using NRC Inspection Procedure 71111.11B, Licensed Operator Requalification Program.
Experience has shown that this inspection is a resource intensive inspection both for the NRC inspectors and your staff. To minimize the impact to your onsite resources and to ensure a productive inspection, we have enclosed a request for documents needed for this inspection.
These documents have been divided into three groups:
The first group (Section A of the enclosure) identifies information to be provided prior to the inspection to ensure that the inspectors are adequately prepared.
The second group (Section B of the enclosure) identifies the information the inspectors will need upon arrival at the site.
The third group (Section C of this enclosure) identifies the items which are necessary to close out the inspection and are usually sent a few weeks after the inspectors have left the site.
It is important that all these documents are up to date and complete to minimize the number of additional documents requested during the preparation and/or the onsite portions of the inspection.
K. Dia 2
We have discussed the schedule for these inspection activities with your staff and understand that our regulatory contact for this inspection will be Andrew Vaughn of your training organization. Our inspection dates are subject to change based on your updated schedule of examination activities. If there are any questions about this inspection or the material requested, please contact me, Kevin Murphy, at (817) 200-1550 (kevin.murphy@nrc.gov).
This letter does not contain new or amended information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Existing information collection requirements were approved by the Office of Management and Budget, control number 3150-0018. 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 currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.
This letter and its enclosure 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.
Sincerely, Kevin Murphy, Operations Engineer Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 05000298 License No. DPR-46
Enclosure:
Initial Request for Information Biennial Requalification Inspection Signed by Murphy, Kevin on 08/28/25
ML25231A249 SUNSI Review ADAMS:
Non-Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:
By: KMM Yes No Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002 OFFICE BC:DORS/BC OE:DORS/OB NAME HGepford KMurphy SIGNATURE
/RA/
/RA/
DATE 08/28/25 08/28/25
Enclosure Initial Request for Information Biennial Requalification Inspection Cooper Nuclear Station Inspection Report: 05000298/2025004 Inspection Dates:
October 6, 2025 - October 10, 2025 Inspection Procedure:
IP 71111.11B, Licensed Operator Requalification Program Lead Inspector:
Kevin Murphy, Operations Engineer A. The following information is requested to support inspection preparation activities.
These items are listed by section as they appear in the inspection module (i.e. 03.04a, 03.04b, etc.). Requested materials can be sent via a file hosting service (preferably SharePoint) or in an electronic format on CD/DVD to arrive at the Region IV office no later than July 31, 2025.
CD/DVD to: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region IV ATTN: Kevin Murphy 1600 E. Lamar Blvd Arlington, TX 76011 General Requests:
List of licensed operators (SRO & RO) by crew (operating & staff)
List of plant events and industry operating experience incorporated into LOR program since last BRQ Audits and/or self-assessment reports addressing the licensed operator requalification training program A summary report of condition reports related to operator actions/errors in the control room 03.04a: Biennial Requalification Written Examinations The current and approved biennial written examination schedule The current requalification cycle written examination results for both SRO & RO that have already been administered up to the week prior to the inspectors arrival onsite.
2 Written examinations that have been approved for administration up to and including the week before the inspectors are onsite. This will need to have adequate password protection or double envelope protection if mailed via regular mail per NUREG-1021.
The current requalification cycle examination methodology (sample plan) 03.04b: Annual Requalification Operating Tests The schedule for the operating tests (JPMs & scenarios) to be given the week of October 6, 2025 (week inspectors are onsite)
The operating tests (JPMs & scenarios) (password protected and provide separately via telephone at later date) to be given the week of October 6, 2025 Current requalification cycle operating tests (SRO & RO) and results up to the week prior to the inspection inspectors arrival onsite 2024 NRC required annual operating tests Current requalification cycle operating test methodology (sample plan) 03.04c: Administration of an Annual Requalification Operating Test Procedures used to administer the annual operating test Procedures used to assess operator performance Procedures that describe conduct of simulator training 03.04d: Requalification Examination Security Submit any tracking tools that you use to prevent excessive overlap on the written examinations and meet the intent of sampling all required topics on a periodic basis.
Submit any tracking tools that you use to prevent excessive overlap on the operating tests and meet the intent of sampling all required malfunctions (including major events, instrument/component malfunctions, TS calls, etc.) on a periodic basis.
Procedures that describe examination security, including procedures used to develop the examinations that include guidelines on overlap between examinations in current exam cycle tests and prior year examinations List of condition reports since the last biennial requalification inspection related to examination security and overlap
3 03.04e: Remedial Training and Re-Examinations List of remedial training conducted or planned since last requalification exam (includes training provided to operators to enable passing requalification exam and training provided to correct generic or individual weaknesses observed during previous requalification exam cycle).
Remediation plans (lesson plans, reference materials, and attendance documentation) 03.04f: Operator License Conditions Procedures and program documentation for maintaining active operator licenses, tracking training attendance, and ensuring medical fitness of licensed operators.
Procedures and associated documentation that supports reactivation of any SRO/RO license (operating or staff crew) since the last biennial inspection.
03.04g: Control Room Simulator Simulator discrepancy report summary list for open discrepancy reports and summary list for those items closed since October 6, 2023.
Primary parameters tested to verify core physics parameters (such as moderator temperature coefficient, integral rod worth). The applicable reference graphs from the plant physics data book (electronic or other means as available) should also be included as well as the test procedures used and the acceptance criteria with results.
A list of simulator modification packages completed in the last two-year window.
B. The following information is requested to support the onsite inspection activities.
Requested materials should be available to the inspectors, either electronically or hardcopy, upon site arrival on October 6, 2025.
03.03: Requalification Exam Results / 03.04a and 03.04b: Biennial Requalification Written Exam and Annual Requalification Operating Tests Quality Results up to the day the inspectors leave the site 03.04f: Conformance with Operator License Conditions Access to licensed operators records (operating and staff crews).
Access to licensed operators training attendance records.
Access to licensed operators medical records.
4 03.04g: Control Room Simulator Performance Simulator discrepancies from October 6, 2023 - October 6, 2025. This should include open and closed simulator discrepancy reports, including the documentation/justification for closure.
Current model deficiencies, including FSAR vs design differences in the simulator (any documentation on this).
Summary list of modifications from October 6, 2023 - October 6, 2025.
Simulator differences lesson plan used in training (current to October 6, 2025).
Simulator annual performance test packages (usually in a single book but may be electronic or in single test packages), complete with transient tests, steady state tests, and malfunction tests. This should also include the test procedures for each test, the acceptance criteria, and results. For each transient test, the reference chart should be included or an equivalent subject matter expert review versus the simulator results with a write-up for any differences beyond the ANSI standard requirements.
Test packages used to verify core physics parameters (such as moderator temperature coefficient and integral rod worth). The applicable reference graphs from the plant physics data book (electronic or other means as available) should also be included as well as the test procedures used and the acceptance criteria with results.
C. Cooper is required to send the final results summary (see Table 1 below) and any remaining exams and operating tests that have not been reviewed to the regional office lead inspector for this inspection for final review and comparison against the Significance Determination Tools to communicate the exit results for the inspection.
TABLE 1: EXAMINATION RESULTS
- 1. Total number of licensed operators.
- 2. Number of licensed operators administered a requalification examination required by 10 CFR 55.59(a).
- 3. Number of individual licensed operators who failed any portion of a requalification examination (written, JPM, or individual simulator scenario failures).
- 4. Divide line 3 by line 2 to obtain the individual requalification examination failure rate. Line 3/Line 2.
- 5. Number of crews administered simulator scenarios as part of a requalification examination required by 10 CFR 55.59(a).
- 6. Number of crews who performed unsatisfactorily on the simulator scenarios.
- 7. Divide line 6 by line 5 to obtain the crew simulator scenario failure rate. Line 6/Line 5.
%