ML12286A316
| ML12286A316 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden  |
| Issue date: | 10/12/2012 |
| From: | Hironori Peterson Operations Branch III |
| To: | Pacilio M Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear |
| References | |
| 50-237/12-301, 50-249/12-301 | |
| Download: ML12286A316 (11) | |
See also: IR 05000237/2012301
Text
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION III
2443 WARRENVILLE ROAD, SUITE 210
LISLE, IL 60532-4352
October 12, 2012
Mr. Michael J. Pacilio
Senior Vice President, Exelon Generation Company, LLC
President and Chief Nuclear Officer, Exelon Nuclear
4300 Winfield Road
Warrenville, IL 60555
SUBJECT: DRESDEN NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3;
NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000237/2012301;
Dear Mr. Pacilio:
On August 27, 2012, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial
operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Dresden
Nuclear Power Station. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations.
Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on
August 14, 2012, with Mr. D. Czufin and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was
conducted by telephone on September 25, 2012, between Mr. P. DiGiovanna of your staff
and Mr. D. Reeser, Chief Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading
of the written examination for the license applicants. During the telephone conversation,
NRC resolutions of the stations post-examination comments, initially received by the NRC
on August 27, 2012, were discussed.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the
weeks of August 6 and August 13, 2012. The written examination was administered by
Dresden Nuclear Power Station Training Department personnel on August 17, 2012.
Four Senior Reactor Operator and six Reactor Operator (RO) applicants were administered
license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on September 26, 2012.
Two RO applicants failed one or more sections of the administered examination and were
issued proposed license denial letters. Eight applicants passed all sections of their respective
examinations and four were issued senior operator licenses and one was issued an operator
license. The license for one RO applicant is being withheld pending written certification that the
applicant has completed the on-the-job training requirements of the Initial Licensed Operator
Training Program. In accordance with NRC policy, the licenses for two RO applicants are being
withheld pending the outcome of any written examination appeal that may be initiated.
The written examination and other related written examination documentation will be withheld
from public disclosure for 24 months per your request. However, if an applicant received
a proposed license denial letter because of a written examination grade that is less than
80 percent, the applicant will be provided a copy of the written examination. For examination
M. Pacilio -2-
security purposes, your staff should consider that written examination is uncontrolled and
exposed to the public.
In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 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
System (PARS) component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management
System (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-
rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
Sincerely,
/RA/ By Dell R. McNeil Acting For/
Hironori Peterson, Chief
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos. 50-237, 50-249;72-037
Enclosures:
1. Operator Licensing Examination Report 05000237/2012301;
05000249/2012301 w/Attachment: Supplemental Information
2. Simulation Facility Report
cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServ'
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION III
Docket Nos: 05000237; 05000249
Report No: 05000237/2012301; 05000249/2012301
Licensee: Exelon Generation Company, LLC
Facility: Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 2 and 3
Location: Morris, IL
Dates: August 6 through 27, 2012
Inspectors: D. Reeser, Chief Examiner
M. Bielby, Examiner
P. Young, Examiner
Approved by: H. Peterson, Chief
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Enclosure
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ER 05000237/2012301; 05000249/2012301; 08/06/2012 - 08/27/2012; Exelon Generation
Company, LLC; Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 2 and 3; Initial License Examination
Report.
The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021,
AOperator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors,@ Revision 9, Supplement 1.
Examination Summary
Eight of ten applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Four applicants
were issued senior operator licenses and one applicant was issued an operator license.
Two applicants failed one or more sections of the administered examination and were issued
proposed license denials. The license for one Reactor Operator (RO) applicant is being
withheld pending written certification that the applicant has completed the required on-the-job
training requirements of the Initial Licensed Operator Training Program. The licenses for two
RO applicants are being held and may be issued pending the outcome of any written
examination appeal. (Section 4OA5.1).
1 Enclosure 1
REPORT DETAILS
4OA5 Other Activities
.1 Initial Licensing Examinations
a. Examination Scope
The NRC examiners and members of the facility licensees staff used the guidance
prescribed in NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power
Reactors, Revision 9, Supplement 1, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the
written examination and operating test. Members of the facility licensees staff prepared
the outline and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC
examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of July 16, 2012, with
the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation
week, the examiners audited one license application for accuracy. The NRC examiners,
with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff, administered the operating
test, consisting of job performance measures and dynamic simulator scenarios, during
the period of August 6 through 14, 2012. The facility licensee administered the written
examination on August 17, 2012.
b. Findings
(1) Written Examination
The NRC examiners determined that the written examination, as proposed by the
licensee, was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.
Less than 20 percent of the proposed examination questions were determined to be
unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement. All changes made to the
proposed written examination were made in accordance with NUREG-1021,
"Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on
Form ES-401-9, Written Examination Review Worksheet, which will be available in
24 months electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly
Available Records component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS).
On August 27, 2012, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were six
post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the
written examination. The post-examination comments and the NRC resolution for the
post-examination comments, as well as the final as-administered examination and
answer key (ADAMS Accession Number ML12283A450), will be available in 24 months
electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records
component of NRC's ADAMS.
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on September 26, 2012, and
conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and validity of
the examination questions.
(2) Operating Test
The NRC examiners determined that the operating test, as originally proposed by the
licensee, was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.
2 Enclosure 1
During the validation of the operating test, several Job Performance Measures (JPMs)
were modified. An administrative JPM for Reactor Operator (RO) applicants related to
work hour limitations was revised to increase the level of difficulty so that the applicants
were required to address the requirements needed to work beyond the prescribed work
hour limits, after determining that the limits would be exceeded. The grading standard
for a Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) administrative JPM had to be corrected to remove
an incorrect Technical Specification action requirement. Several control room/in-plant
systems JPMs required changes to the identification of critical steps (changes from non-
critical to critical and vice versa). The cues in several JPMs were revised to require the
applicant to earn the specified information rather than to simply supply the information
at a predefined moment. During validation, one of the dynamic simulator scenarios
was identified as being overly simplistic and was replaced by the more challenging
previously identified spare scenario. Although the number of operating test items
determined to be unsatisfactory did not exceed 20 percent of the total number of
operating test items submitted, and was, therefore, within the range of acceptability,
the number and type of changes made indicate that additional attention in this area was
warranted. Changes made to the operating test are documented in a document titled,
AOperating Test Comments.@ That document as well as the final as-administered
dynamic simulator scenarios and JPMs are available electronically in the NRC Public
Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS.
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on August 14, 2012.
(3) Examination Results
Four applicants at the SRO level and six applicants at the RO level were administered
written examinations and operating tests. Five applicants passed all portions of their
examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses. Two applicants failed
one or more sections of the administered examination and were issued proposed license
denials. One applicant passed all portions of the license examination, but the applicants
license is being withheld pending written certification that the applicant has completed
the on-the-job training requirements of the Initial Licensed Operator Training Program.
Two applicants passed all portions of the license examination, but received a written test
grade less than or equal to 82 percent. In accordance with NRC policy, the applicants=
licenses will be withheld until any written examination appeal possibilities by other
applicants have been resolved. If the applicant=s grade is still equal to or greater than 80
percent after any appeal resolution, the applicant will be issued an operating license. If
the applicant=s grade has declined below 80 percent, the applicant will be issued a
proposed license denial letter and offered the opportunity to appeal any questions the
applicant feels were graded incorrectly.
.2 Examination Security
a. Scope
The NRC examiners 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,
AIntegrity 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.
3 Enclosure 1
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
4OA6 Management Meetings
.1 Debrief
The Chief Examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and
findings on August 14, 2012, to Mr. D. Czufin, Site Vice President and other members of
the Dresden Nuclear Power Station Operations and Training Department staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The Chief Examiner conducted an exit meeting on September 25, 2012, with
Mr. P. DiGiovanna, Training Director, by telephone. The NRC=s final disposition of
the station=s post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed with
Mr. DiGiovanna during the telephone discussion. The examiners 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 debrief/exit meetings.
ATTACHMENT: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
4 Enclosure 1
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee
D. Czufin, Site Vice President
G. Graff, Nuclear Oversight Manager
H. Dodd, Regulator Assurance Manager
P. DiGiovanna, Training Director
M. Otten, Operations Training Manager
J. Nelson, ILT Examination Coordinator
M. Schimanski, ILT Lead Instructor
G. Morrow, Senior Operations Supervisor
T. Ditchfield, Shift Manager/Facility Representative
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
G. Roach, Senior Resident Inspector
D. Melendez, Resident Inspector
D. Reeser, Chief Examiner
M. Bielby, Examiner
P. Young, Examiner
LIST OF ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened/Closed
None
1 Attachment
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
ADAMS Agencywide Document Access and Management System
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
DRS Division of Reactor Safety
MMI Minor Maintenance Item (Simulator)
NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
PARS Publicly Available Records System
RO Reactor Operator
SRO Senior Reactor Operator
2 Attachment
SIMULATION FACILITY REPORT
Facility Licensee: Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 2 and 3
Facility Docket Nos: 05000237; 05000249
Operating Tests Administered: August 6 through 14, 2012
The following documents observations made by the NRC examination team during the initial
operator license examination. These observations do not constitute audit or inspection findings
and are not, without further verification and review, indicative of non-compliance with 10 CFR 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
During JPM to Lower Torus Water Level, the Controls for LCV 2-3301,
MMI #8603
NORMAL M-U VLV, Behaved Erratically.
Enclosure 2
M. Pacilio -2-
security purposes, your staff should consider that written examination is uncontrolled and
exposed to the public.
In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 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
System (PARS) component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management
System (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-
rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
Sincerely,
/RA/ By Dell R. McNeil Acting For/
Hironori Peterson, Chief
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Docket Nos. 50-237, 50-249;72-037
Enclosures:
1. Operator Licensing Examination Report 05000237/2012301;
05000249/2012301 w/Attachment: Supplemental Information
2. Simulation Facility Report
cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServ'
DISTRIBUTION w/encl:
Cayetano Santos Christine Lipa
RidsNrrDorlLpl3-2 Resource Carole Ariano
RidsNrrPMDresden Resource Linda Linn
RidsNrrDirsIrib Resource DRPIII
Chuck Casto DRSIII
Cynthia Pederson Patricia Buckley
Jared Heck John McHale, NRR
Allan Barker Janet Kweiser, DRS
DOCUMENT NAME: DRE 2012 301.docx
Publicly Available Non-Publicly Available Sensitive Non-Sensitive
To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the concurrence box "C" = Copy without attach/encl "E" = Copy with
attach/encl "N" = No copy
OFFICE RIII RIII RIII RIII
NAME DReeser:cs DMcNeil for
HPeterson
DATE 10/12/12 10/12/12
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY