IR 05000368/2014302

Er 050003682014302; on 07/30/2014 - 08/21/2014; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2; Initial Operator Licensing Retake Examination Report

ML14248A269
Person / Time
Site:	Arkansas Nuclear
Issue date:	09/04/2014
From:	Vincent Gaddy Operations Branch IV
To:	Jeremy G. Browning Entergy Operations
References
ER-2014-302
Download: ML14248A269 (16)

Text

ber 4, 2014

SUBJECT:

ARKANSAS NUCLEAR ONE, UNIT 2 - NRC RETAKE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000368/2014302

Dear Mr. Browning:

On July 31, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed initial operator license retake examinations at Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2. The enclosed report documents the examination results and licensing decisions. The preliminary operating test results were discussed on July 31, 2014, with you and other members of your staff. A telephonic meeting was conducted on August 21, 2014, with Mr. R. Martin, Operations Training Superintendent, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.

The examinations included the evaluation of two applicants for a written retake examination, one being a reactor operator applicant, and one being an upgrade senior reactor operator applicant. The examinations also included one operating test retake for an upgrade senior reactor operator applicant that consisted of job performance measures only. The NRC examiners determined that the reactor operator written retake applicant and the upgrade senior reactor operator operating test retake applicant satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55.

One license has been issued and one license is being held in abeyance by NRC Region IV until proposed license denials become final or resolution of any examination appeal. There were three post-examination comments submitted by your staff. Enclosure 1 contains details of this report and Enclosure 2 summarizes post-examination comment resolution.

No findings were identified during this examination. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosures will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRCs document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Sincerely,

/RA/

Vincent G. Gaddy, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket: 50-368 License: NPF-6 Enclosure:

1. NRC Examination Report 05000368/2014302 w/Attachment 2. NRC Post-Examination Comment Resolution Electronic Distribution for Arkansas Nuclear One

ML14248A269 SUNSI Review ADAMS Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:

By: COsterholtz Yes No Non-Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002 OFFICE SOE:OB SOE:OB C:PBA C:OB NAME COsterholtz/dch CSteely WWerner VGaddy SIGNATURE /RA/ /RA/ /RA/ /RA/

DATE 8/26/2014 8/26/2014 8/29/2014 9/4/2014

Letter to Jeremy Browning from Vincent G. Gaddy, September 4, 2014 SUBJECT: ARKANSAS NUCLEAR ONE, UNIT 2 - NRC RETAKE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000368/2014302 Electronic distribution by RIV:

Regional Administrator (Marc.Dapas@nrc.gov)

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ROPreports

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION IV

Docket: 05000368 License: NPF-6 Report: 05000368/2014302 Licensee: Entergy Operations, Inc.

Facility: Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2 Junction of Hwy. 64 West and Hwy. 333 South Location:

Russellville, Arkansas Dates: July 30 - August 21, 2014 Inspectors: C. Osterholtz, Chief Examiner, Senior Operations Engineer C. Steely, Senior Operations Engineer Approved By: Vincent G. Gaddy, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Enclosure 1

SUMMARY

ER 05000368/2014302; 07/30/2014 - 08/21/2014; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2; Initial

Operator Licensing Retake Examination Report.

NRC examiners evaluated the competency of one applicant for a reactor operator license and two applicants for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses at Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2.

The licensee developed the examinations using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 9, Supplement 1. The written examination was administered by the licensee on July 30, 2014. NRC examiners administered the operating test on July 30-31, 2014.

The examiners determined that two of the applicants satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR Part 55. One license has been issued and one license is being held in abeyance by NRC Region IV until proposed license denials become final or resolution of any examination appeal.

NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings

None

Licensee-Identified Violations

None

REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other Activities (Initial Operator License Retake Examinations)

.1 License Applications

a. Scope

NRC examiners reviewed all license applications submitted to ensure each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. Examiners also audited the three 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 developed the written examination outline and reviewed all other outlines, draft examination, and test submitted by the licensee against the requirements of NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors."

The NRC examination team conducted an onsite validation of the operating test.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

NRC examiners provided outline, draft examination, and post-validation comments to the licensee. The licensee satisfactorily completed comment resolution prior to examination administration.

NRC examiners determined that the written examinations initially submitted by the licensee were not within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

There were 36 questions categorized as unsatisfactory per NUREG-1021 requirements, with the 2 most common issues being stem focus or 2 or more distractors that were not credible. This is of particular concern, as it is a repeat observation from the last initial examination administered in February 2014. Consistent with the corporate notification letter sent to licensees at the start of examination development for each examination, future unsatisfactory examination submittals may cause the examinations to be rescheduled or cancelled. The licensee wrote Condition Report CR-ANO-2-2014-02517 to address these exam development issues. Five of the questions that were unsatisfactory were administered on previous NRC initial examinations. These questions had deficiencies that were previously missed by both licensee personnel and NRC examiners, and were not considered in determining an unsatisfactory licensee submittal.

NRC examiners determined the operating test initially submitted by the licensee was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

.3 Operator Knowledge and Performance

a. Scope

The NRC examination team administered the retake job performance measure operating test to the upgrade senior reactor operator applicant on July 30-31, 2014.

On July 30, 2014, the licensee proctored the administration of the retake written examination to a reactor operator applicant and an upgrade senior reactor operator applicant. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis to the NRC on August 14, 2014.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

The reactor operator applicant passed the written examination and the upgrade senior reactor operator, who was administered only the job performance measure portion of the operating test, also passed. The final written examination, final operating test, post-examination analysis, and comments may be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession numbers noted in the Supplemental Information attachment. (Public release of the final written examination has been delayed for 24 months from the date of administration at the request of the licensee.) There were three post-examination comments submitted by the licensee (see Enclosure 2 for the question, licensee comment, and recommendation and the NRC resolution).

The inspectors noted that the remediation program the licensee implemented for the applicants retaking the written examination was not fully successful, in that one applicant failed the retake examination and one applicant marginally passed (81.0 percent). The licensee acknowledged the deficiency and entered it into their corrective action program as Condition Report CR-ANO-C-2014-02019.

.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 during both the onsite validation week and examination administration week for compliance with 10 CFR 55.49 and NUREG-1021. Plans for simulator security and applicant control were reviewed and discussed with licensee personnel.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit

Exit Meeting Summary

The chief examiner presented the preliminary operating test results to Mr. Jeremy Browning, Site Vice President, and other members of the staff on July 31, 2014. A telephonic meeting was conducted on August 21, 2014, with Mr. R. Martin, Operations Training Superintendent, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.

The licensee did not identify any information or materials used during the examination process as proprietary.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee Personnel

J. Browning, Site Vice President

T. Arnold, Training Manager

L. Barr, Simulator Instructor

M. Hall, Licensing Specialist

J. Hathcote, Operations Manager

J. Horton, Operations Support Manager

D. James, Regulatory Affairs Director

R. Keele, Operations Training Superintendent

R. Martin, Operations Training Superintendent

C. Miller, Initial Licensed Operator Program Lead

C. Odell, Production Manager

C. Simpson, Examination Assessment Lead

NRC Personnel

M. Young, Resident Inspector