IR 05000255/2017302

Palisades Nuclear Plant - NRC Initial License Reexamination Report 05000255/2017302 (MEB)

ML17229B134
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	08/16/2017
From:	Orlikowski R J Operations Branch III
To:	Arnone C Entergy Nuclear Operations
References
50-255/17-302 50-255/OL-17
Download: ML17229B134 (9)

Text

August 16, 2017

Mr. Charles Arnone Vice President, Operations Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043-9530

SUBJECT: PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT - NRC INITIAL LICENSE REEXAMINATION REPORT 05000255/2017302

Dear Mr. Arnone:

On August 9, 2017, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing reexamination process for a license applicant employed at your Palisades Nuclear Plant. The enclosed report documents the results of the reexamination. An exit meeting was conducted on August 8, 2017, between Mr. Darrell Corbin, General Manager Plant Operations, other members of your staff and Mr. Michael Bielby, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner, to review observations noted during the examination process as well as the proposed final grading of the operating test reexamination. The NRC examiner administered the initial license reexamination operating test on August 7, 2017. One Senior Reactor Operator-Instant (SRO-I) applicant was administered the reexamination. The results of the reexamination were finalized on August 14, 2017. The applicant passed all components of the administrative job performance measures portion of the operating test reexamination. In accordance with NRC policy, the SRO-I applicant's license is being withheld pending medical certification by the facility that the applicant meets the medical requirements for licensed operators, the medical certification is approved by the NRC's physician, and the facility certifies the applicant has satisfactorily attended and participated in licensed SRO training after completion of the examination. The reexamination, as well as documents related to the development and review (outlines, proposed examinations, review comments and resolution, etc.) of the examination will be withheld from public disclosure for 24 months, until August 7, 2019. 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 2.390, "Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding."

Sincerely,/RA/

Robert J. Orlikowski, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-255 License No. DPR-20

Enclosures:

1. OL Examination Report 05000255/2017302 2. Simulation Facility Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV W. Nelson, Training Manager, Palisades Nuclear Plant Letter to Charles Arnone from Robert Orlikowski dated August 16, 2017

SUBJECT: PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT - NRC INITIAL LICENSE REEXAMINATION REPORT 05000255/2017302 DISTRIBUTION: Jeremy Bowen RidsNrrPMPalisades Resource RidsNrrDorlLpl3 RidsNrrDirsIrib Resource Cynthia Pederson James Trapp Richard Skokowski Allan Barker Carole Ariano Linda Linn DRPIII DRSIII Nancy Salgado Colleen Schmidt

ADAMS Accession Number: ML17229B134 OFFICE RIII RIII RIII RIII NAME MBielby:jw ROrlikowski DATE 08/15/17 08/16/17 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY Enclosure 1 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III Docket No: 50-255 License No: DPR-20 Report No: 05000255/2017302 Licensee: Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Facility: Palisades Nuclear Plant Location: Covert, Michigan Dates: August 7 - 9, 2017 Inspector: M. Bielby, Senior Operations Engineer - Chief Examiner Approved by: R. Orlikowski, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety 2

SUMMARY

Examination Report 05000255/2017302; 08/07/2017 - 08/092017; Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Palisades Nuclear Plant; Initial License Reexamination Report. The announced initial operator licensing reexamination was conducted by regional U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 10. Examination Summary The Senior Reactor Operator (SRO)-Instant applicant passed all components of the administrative job performance measures portion of the operating test reexamination. The applicant's license is being withheld pending medical certification by the facility that the applicant meets the medical requirements for licensed operators, the medical certification is approved by the NRC's physician, and the facility certifies the applicant has satisfactorily attended and participated in licensed SRO training after completion of the examination. (Section 4OA5.1).

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REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other Activities

.1 Initial Licensing Examinations

a. Examination Scope

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiner and members of the facility licensee's staff used the guidance prescribed in NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 10, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the operating test reexamination. This reexamination consisted of only the administrative job performance measures (JPMs) portion of the operating test; the systems JPMs, simulator scenario portion of the operating test, as well as the written examination, were successfully completed during the initial license examination and were therefore waived for this reexamination. Members of the facility licensee's staff prepared the outline and developed the administrative JPMs portion of the operating test reexamination. The NRC examiner validated the proposed examination during the morning of August 7, 2017, with the assistance of members of the facility licensee's staff. The NRC examiner, with the assistance of members of the facility licensee's staff, administered the operating test reexamination during the afternoon of August 7, 2017.

b. Findings

(1) Operating Test The NRC examiner determined that the administrative JPMs portion of the operating test reexamination, as originally proposed by the licensee, was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination. Changes made to the reexamination, documented in a document titled, "Operating Test Comments," as well as the final as-administered administrative JPMs portion of the operating test, will be available, on August 7, 2019, electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System. The NRC examiner completed grading of the operating test on August 14, 2017. (2) Examination Results One Senior Reactor Operator-Instant (SRO-I) applicant was administered the reexamination. The applicant passed all components of the administrative JPMs portion of the operating test reexamination. In accordance with NRC policy, the SRO-I applicant's license is being withheld pending medical certification by the facility that the applicant meets the medical requirements for licensed operators, the medical certification is approved by the NRC's physician, and the facility certifies the applicant has satisfactorily attended and participated in licensed SRO training after completion of the examination.

.2 Examination Security

a. Scope

The NRC examiner 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 licensee's examination security activities.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

4OA6 Management Meetings

.1 Exit Meeting The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on August 8, 2017, with Mr. D. Corbin, General Manager Plant Operations, and other members of the facility's Regulator Assurance, Operations and Training organizations.

Observations from the reexamination validation and administration were presented to the facility, and the facility verified that no post exam comments were identified for submission. The examiner presented the preliminary grading results, and asked the licensee whether any of the material used to develop or administer the examination should be considered proprietary. No proprietary or sensitive information was identified during the examination or exit meeting. ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION KEY POINTS OF CONTACT Licensee

D. Corbin, General Manager Plant Operations

B. Baker, Operations Manager

B. Dotson, Regulatory Assurance Specialist

O. Gustafson, Director Regulatory and Performance Improvement

J. Hardy, Regulatory Assurance Manager

W. Nelson, Training Manager

A. Smeckert, Operations Instructor

P. Russell, Engineering Director

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission J. Boettcher, Acting Senior Resident Inspector

B. Bartlett, Acting Resident Inspector

M. Bielby, Chief Examiner ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED Opened, Closed, and Discussed None LIST OF ACRONYMS USED JPM Job Performance Measure NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission SRO-I Senior Reactor Operator-Instant

SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT Facility Licensee: Palisades Nuclear Plant Facility Docket No: 50-255 Operating Tests Administered: August 7, 2017 The following documents observations made by the

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiner team during the initial operator license reexamination. These observations do not constitute audit or inspection findings and are not, without further verification and review, indicative of non-compliance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 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 None None