IR 05000482/2013301

Er 05000482-13-301; June 17, 2013 - August 8, 2013; Wolf Creek Generating Station; Initial Operator Licensing Examination Report; Examination Development

ML13255A296
Person / Time
Site:	Wolf Creek
Issue date:	09/12/2013
From:	Vincent Gaddy Operations Branch IV
To:	Matthew Sunseri Wolf Creek
References
50-482/13-301
Download: ML13255A296 (17)

Text

September 12, 2013

Matthew W. Sunseri, President and

Chief Executive Officer

Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation P.O. Box 411 Burlington, KS 66839

SUBJECT: WOLF CREEK GENERATING STATION - NRC EXAMINATION REPORT 05000482/2013301

Dear Mr. Sunseri:

On July 26, 2013, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an initial operator license examination at Wolf Creek Generating Station. The enclosed report documents the examination results and licensing decisions. The preliminary examination results were discussed on July 25, 2013, with yourself and other members of your staff. A telephonic exit meeting was conducted on August 8, 2013, with Mr. James Knapp, who was provided the NRC licensing decisions.

The examination included the evaluation of six applicants for reactor operator licenses and one applicant for an instant senior reactor operator license. 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 ten 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

enclosure will be available electr onically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's 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/

Vince Gaddy, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket: 50-482 License: NPF-42

Enclosure:

1. NRC Examination Report 05000482/2013301

w/Attachment: Supplemental Information 2. NRC Post Examination Comment Resolution

REGION IV==

Docket: 50-482 License: NPF-42 Report: 05000482/2013301 Licensee: Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation Facility Wolf Creek Generating Station Location: 1550 Oxen Lane NE Burlington, Kansas Dates: June 17, 2013 - August 8, 2013 Inspectors: D. Strickland, Senior Operations Engineer K. Clayton, Senior Operations Engineer

S. Hedger, Operations Engineer Approved By: Vince Gaddy, Chief Operations Branch

Division of Reactor Safety

- 2 -

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER05000482/2013301; June 17, 2013 - August 8, 2013; Wolf Creek Generating Station; Initial

Operator Licensing Examination Report; Examination Development

NRC examiners evaluated the competency of six applicants for reactor operator licenses and one applicant for an instant senior reactor operator license at Wolf Creek Generating Station.

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 19, 2013. NRC examiners administered the operating tests on the week of July 22, 2013.

The examiners determined that all seven of the 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

4OA5 Other Activities (Initial Operator License Examination)

.1 License Applications

a. Scope

NRC examiners reviewed all license applications submitted to ensure each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. The examiners also audited three of the license applications in detail to confirm that they accurately reflected the subject applicant's qualifications. This audit focused on the applicant's 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

NRC examiners reviewed integrated examination outlines and draft examinations submitted by the licensee against the requirements of NUREG-1021. The NRC examination team conducted an onsite validation of the operating tests.

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 ex amination initially submitted by the licensee was not within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.

There were 38 questions categorized as unsatisfactory per NUREG-1021 requirements, with the two most common issues being knowledge/ability mismatch or two or more distracters that were not credible. Additionally, there were 36 questions that needed editorial changes, and 26 questions that were satisfactory as originally submitted.

Consistent with the corporate notification letter sent to licensees at the start of examination development for each examinati on, future unsatisfactory examination submittals may cause the examinations to be rescheduled or cancelled. The licensee wrote Condition Report 00073742 to address these exam development issues.

.3 Operator Knowledge and Performance

a. Scope

On July 19, 2013, 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 and post examination comments to the NRC on August 2, 2013.

The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating tests to all ten applicants on the week of July 22, 2013.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

All seven applicants passed all portions of the operating test. All of the applicants passed the written examination. The final written examinations and post-examination analysis and comments may be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession numbers noted in the attachment. Post examination comments formally submitted by the licensee are included in the Enclosure 2 of this report.

The examination team noted a generic weakness during the administration of the Job Performance Measure associated with the ability to complete a Containment Purge Isolation. Three out of seven applicants initially closed two incorrect dampers, prior to closing the correct dampers. There was also a generic weakness noted in the completion of the Job Performance Measure associated with a task on the Radiation Monitoring Panel. Two of seven operators had problems with the operation of the RM11R panel. The licensee wrote Condition Report 00072089 to address the Radiation Monitoring Panel issue.

.4 Simulation Facility Performance

a. Scope

The NRC examiners observed simulator performanc e 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 preparation 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.

.6 Facility Post Examination Comments

The facility provided the NRC chief examiner with ten post administration comments on the written examination. These comments are included in Enclosure 2 to this report and in ADAMS under as Accession Number ML13248A545.

4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit

The chief examiner presented the preliminary examination results to Mr. Al Camp, Plant Manager, and other members of the staff on July 25, 2013. A telephonic exit was conducted on August 8, 2013, between Mr. Duane Strickland, Chief Examiner, and Mr. James Knapp, Supervisor, Operations Training.

All proprietary information and materials used during the examination were returned to the licensee.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee Personnel

Al Camp, Plant Manager

Steve Henry, Operations Manager Shane Battenfield, Operations Instructor Kenneth Fredrickson, Licensing

James Knapp, Supervisor, Operations Training

Edward Ray, Manager Training

Terry Damashek, Supervisor Operations Support Training Brendan Ryan, Initial Licensing Supervising Instructor

Robert Acree, Simulator Fidelity Coordinator

George Smith, Initial Licensing Supervising Instructor

NRC Personnel

Charles Peabody, Senior Resident Inspector