IR 05000277/2022302

Operator Licensing Retake Examination Report 05000277/2022302 and 05000278/2022302

ML22010A177
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	01/10/2022
From:	Diane Jackson NRC/RGN-I/DORS
To:	Rhoades D Exelon Generation Co LLC, Exelon Nuclear
Jackson D
References
50-277/22-302, 50-278/22-302
Download: ML22010A177 (9)

Text

January 10, 2022

SUBJECT:

PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 - OPERATOR LICENSING RETAKE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000277/2022302 AND 05000278/2022302

Dear Mr. Rhoades:

On December 3, 2021, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed a retake examination at the Peach Bottom facility. The enclosed examination report documents the examination results, which were discussed on December 15, 2021, with Mr. Matthew Herr, Site Vice President, and other members of your staff.

The examination included the evaluation of one applicant for an instant senior reactor operator license. The operating examination was developed using NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 11. The license examiners determined the applicant satisfied the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 55, and the appropriate license was issued on December 15, 2021.

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, Digitally signed by Donald E.

Donald E. Jackson Date: 2022.01.10 14:03:38 Jackson -05'00'

Donald E. Jackson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 05000277 and 05000278 License Nos. DPR-44 and DPR-56 Enclosure:

Examination Report 05000277/2022302 and 05000278/2022302 w/Attachment: Supplementary Information cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServ

SUMMARY

ER 05000277/2022302 and 05000278/2022302; 12/03/2021 - 12/15/2021; Peach Bottom

Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3; Operator Licensing Retake Examination Report.

Two NRC examiners evaluated the competency of one applicant for an instant senior reactor operator license. The facility licensee developed the examination using NUREG-1021,

"Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Revision 11. NRC examiners administered the operating test on December 3, 2021. The NRC examiners determined that the applicant satisfied the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 55, and the appropriate license has been issued.

NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings

No findings were identified.

Licensee-Identified Violations

None.

REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other Activities (Initial Operator License Examination)

.1 License Applications

a. Scope

The examiners reviewed the license application submitted by the licensee to ensure the application reflected that the applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements.

The application was submitted on NRC Form 398, Personal Qualification Statement, and NRC Form 396, Certification of Medical Examination by Facility Licensee. The examiners also audited the license application to confirm that it 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 Operator Knowledge and Performance

a. Examination Scope

The applicant was granted an excusal for the written examination, the walk-through (overall), and administrative topics portions of the operating test for having previously passed these parts on the initial license examination. As a result, the applicant was required to retake only the simulator operating test portion of the license examination.

The NRC examination team administered the simulator operating test on December 3, 2021. The senior reactor operator applicant participated in two dynamic simulator scenarios with two surrogate operators.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

The applicant passed the simulator operating test, and as a result, has passed all parts of the license examination. The examination may be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession number noted in the Attachment. In accordance with current NRC policy, the release of the examination in ADAMS to the public will be delayed for two years.

.3 Initial Licensing Examination Development

a. Examination Scope

The facility licensee developed the examination in accordance with NUREG-1021, Revision 11. All licensee facility training and operations staff involved in examination preparation and validation were listed on a security agreement. The facility licensee submitted the operating examination outline and draft operating test scenarios on October 20, 2021. The chief examiner reviewed the outlines and draft examination against the requirements of NUREG-1021 and provided comments to the licensee.

An onsite validation was conducted on December 2, 2021.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

The examiners review of the operating test outlines and scenarios revealed that there were events repeated from the applicants audit tests, as well as missing Technical Specification Limiting Conditions for Operation (LCOs). Specifically, nine events in the three scenarios submitted for review overlapped with the applicants initial and/or retake certification (audit) examinations, and three LCO entries were missing from a scenario.

NUREG 1021, ES-301, D.1.a states, in part, that simulator events which are similar to those that were tested on the audit examination are permitted provided that the actions required to mitigate the transient or complete the task are significantly different from those required during the audit examination. The examiners determined that these events were not different than what was on the audit examinations; therefore, a rewrite of the scenario events was required to be completed.

The examiners evaluated the scenarios using NUREG 1021, ES 301-7, Operating Test Review Worksheet, and determined that the draft submittal was overall unsatisfactory based on the missing LCOs and event overlap with the applicants audit tests.

Therefore, the overall operating test submittal was outside the acceptable quality range expected by the NRC and future examination submittals should incorporate any lessons learned. The final examination submittal incorporated all the required changes and was determined to be satisfactory.

.4 Simulation Facility Performance

a. Examination Scope

The examiners observed simulator performance with regard to plant fidelity during the examination validation and administration.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

.5 Examination Security

a. Examination Scope

The examiners reviewed examination security for examination development and during the examination administration for compliance with NUREG-1021, Revision 11 requirements. Plans for simulator security and applicant control were reviewed and discussed with licensee personnel.

b. Findings

No findings were identified.

4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit

The chief examiner presented the examination results to Mr. Matthew Herr, Site Vice President, and other members of the licensee's staff on December 15, 2021.

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

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee Personnel

D. Adams, Lead Exam Author

M. Grohol, License Operator Training

ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

NONE