IR 05000458/2025301
| ML26014A173 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | River Bend  |
| Issue date: | 01/20/2026 |
| From: | Brian Tindell NRC/RGN-IV/DORS/OB |
| To: | Hansett P Entergy Operations |
| References | |
| 50-458/25-301 | |
| Download: ML26014A173 (0) | |
Text
January 20, 2026
SUBJECT:
RIVER BEND STATION - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000458/2025301
Dear Mr. Hansett:
On November 25, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an initial operator license examination at River Bend Station. The enclosed report documents the examination results and licensing decisions. The preliminary examination results were discussed on November 19, 2025, with Mr. Kevin McKenna, Operations Director, and other members of your staff. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on December 11, 2025, with Mr. Gabe Kimich, Superintendent-Operations Training, who was provided with the NRC licensing decisions.
The examination included the evaluation of three applicants for reactor operator licenses, three applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses and one applicant for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses. The license examiners determined that all seven applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued. There were no post-examination comments submitted by your staff. The enclosure contains details of this report.
No findings were identified during this examination. 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 10 CFR 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Sincerely, Brian Tindell, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket No. 05000458 License No. NPF-47 Enclosure:
Examination Report 05000458/2025301, Electronic distribution via LISTSERV Signed by Tindell, Brian on 01/20/26
ML26014A173 SUNSI Review:
ADAMS:
Non-Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:
By: DDY Yes No Publicly Available Sensitive NRR-079 OFFICE OB:SOE OB:SOE OB:OE C:OB NAME DYou CHarrington PBreidenbach BTindell SIGNATURE
/RA/
/RA/
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DATE 01/14/26 01/20/26 01/14/26 01/20/26
Enclosure U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Examination Report Docket Number:
05000458 License Number:
NPF-47 Report Number:
05000458/2025301 Enterprise Identifier:
L-2025-OLL-0043 Licensee:
Entergy Operations, Inc.
Facility:
River Bend Station Location:
St. Francisville, LA Inspection Dates:
November 17, 2025, to November 25, 2025 Inspectors:
D. You, Senior Operations Engineer C. Harrington, Senior Operations Engineer P. Breidenbach, Operations Engineer Approved By:
Brian Tindell, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety
SUMMARY Examination Report 05000458/2025301; November 17-25, 2025; River Bend Station; Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report The NRC examiners evaluated the competency of three applicants for reactor operator licenses, three applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses, and one applicant for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses at River Bend Station.
The licensee developed the examinations using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 12. The written examination was administered by the licensee on November 25, 2025. The NRC examiners administered the operating tests on November 17-19, 2025.
The NRC examiners determined that all seven applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued.
A.
NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings None.
B.
Licensee-Identified Violations None.
REPORT DETAILS OTHER ACTIVITIES - INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION
.1 License Applications a.
Scope The NRC examiners reviewed all license applications submitted to ensure each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. The NRC examiners also audited three of the license applications in detail to confirm that they accurately reflected the subject applicants qualifications. This audit focused on the applicants experience and on-the-job training, including control manipulations that provided significant reactivity changes.
b.
Findings No findings were identified.
.2 Examination Development a.
Scope The NRC examiners reviewed integrated examination outlines and draft examinations submitted by the licensee against the requirements of NUREG-1021. The NRC examiners conducted an onsite validation of the operating tests.
b.
Findings The NRC examiners provided outline, draft examination and post-validation comments to the licensee. The licensee satisfactorily completed comment resolution prior to examination administration.
The NRC examiners determined the written examinations and operating tests initially submitted by the licensee were within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.
.3 Operator Knowledge and Performance a.
Scope On November 25, 2025, the licensee proctored the administration of the written examinations to all seven applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis to the NRC on December 2, 2025.
The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to all applicants on November 17-19, 2025.
b.
Findings No findings were identified.
All applicants passed the written examination and all parts of the operating tests. The final written examinations and post-examination analysis may be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession numbers noted in the attachment. There were no post-examination comments as indicated in the licensee submittal.
The examination team noted one generic weakness associated with applicant performance on the administrative and simulator job performance measures sections of the operating tests. The applicants displayed a weakness addressing a failure of the main generator breaker to open automatically. Post-examination analysis revealed no generic weaknesses associated with applicant performance on the written examination.
These deficiencies were captured in the licensees corrective action program as Condition Report 2025-06431. Copies of all individual examination reports were sent to the facility training manager for evaluation and determination of appropriate remedial training.
.4 Simulation Facility Performance a.
Scope The NRC examiners observed simulator performance with regard to plant fidelity during examination validation and administration.
b.
Findings No findings were identified.
.5 Examination Security a.
Scope The NRC examiners reviewed examination security for examination development during both the onsite preparation week and examination administration week for compliance with 10 CFR 55.49 and NUREG-1021. Plans for examination security and applicant control were reviewed and discussed with licensee personnel.
b. Findings No findings were identified.
EXIT MEETINGS AND DEBRIEFS Exit Meeting Summary The chief examiner presented the preliminary examination results to Mr. Kevin McKenna, Operations Director, and other members of your staff on November 19, 2025. A telephonic exit was conducted on December 11, 2025, between Mr. David You, chief examiner, and Mr. Gabe Kimich, Superintendent-Operations Training. The licensee did not identify any information or materials used during the examination as proprietary.
ADAMS DOCUMENTS REFERENCED Accession No. ML26012A389 - FINAL WRITTEN EXAMS Accession No. ML26012A390 - FINAL OPERATING TEST Accession No. ML26012A391 - POST-EXAMINATION ANALYSIS