IR 05000454/2023301
| ML23326A126 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Byron  |
| Issue date: | 11/27/2023 |
| From: | April Nguyen NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB |
| To: | Rhoades D Constellation Energy Generation, Constellation Nuclear |
| Iskierka-Boggs T | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML22122A026 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-454/23-301, 50-455/23-301 50-454/OL-23, 50-455/OL-23 | |
| Download: ML23326A126 (11) | |
Text
SUBJECT:
BYRON STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000454/2023301; 05000455/2023301
Dear David Rhoades:
On November 6, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Byron Station, Units 1 and 2. The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on October 23, 2023, with Brian Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training, and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted by Teams meeting on November 13, 2023, between Brian Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training, of your staff and Travis Iskierka-Boggs, Senior Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the license applicants.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the week of October 16, 2023. The written examination was administered by Byron Station training department personnel on October 25, 2023. Four Senior Reactor Operator and six Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on November 17, 2023. Ten applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Four were issued senior operator licenses and six were issued operator licenses.
The as-administered written examination and operating test, as well as documents related to the development and review (outlines, review comments and resolution, etc.) of the examination will be withheld from public disclosure until November 6, 2025. The enclosure contains details of this report.November 27, 2023 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, Part 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Sincerely, April M. Nguyen, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket Nos.: 50-454; 50-455 License Nos.: NPF-37; NPF-66 Enclosure:
1. Examination Report 05000454/2023301; 05000455/2023301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV B. Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training Signed by Nguyen, April on 11/27/23
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ER 05000454/2023301; 05000455/2023301; 10/16/2023-11/06/2023; Constellation Energy
Generation, LLC, Byron Station, Units 1 and 2 Initial License Examination Report.
The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021,
Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 12.
Examination Summary:
Ten of ten applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Four applicants were issued senior operator licenses, and six applicants were issued operator licenses.
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 12, to develop, validate, administer, and grade the written examination and operating test. The written examination outlines were prepared by the NRC staff and were transmitted to the facility licensees staff. Members of the facility licensees staff developed the operating test outlines and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of September 4, 2023, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited all license applications 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 October 16, 2023, through October 20, 2023. The facility licensee administered the written examination on October 25, 2023.
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.
During validation of the written examination, several questions were modified or replaced. 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 2.3-5, Written Examination Review Worksheet.
The Form 2.3-5, the written examination outlines, and both the proposed and final written examinations, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) on November 6, 2025, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML22122A031, ML22122A028, ML22122A027, ML22122A029 respectively).
The NRC examiners graded the written examination on November 6, 2023, and conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and validity of the examination questions. Post-examination analysis revealed generic weaknesses in applicant performance with two Emergency and Abnormal Plant Evolutions, one Plant Systems, and one Fundamentals Knowledge questions with 50 percent or more of applicants answering incorrectly.
- (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.
Less than 20 percent of the proposed operating test portion of the examination was determined to be unsatisfactory and required modification or replacement.
During the validation of the operating test, several Job Performance Measures (JPMs)were modified or replaced, and some modifications were made to the dynamic simulator scenarios. Changes made to the operating test portion of the examination, were made in accordance with NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, and documented on Form 2.3-3, Operating Test Review Worksheet. The Form 2.3-3, the operating test outlines, and both the proposed and final as administered dynamic simulator scenarios and JPMs, will be available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's ADAMS on November 6, 2025, (ADAMS Accession Numbers ML22122A031, ML22122A028, ML22122A027, ML22122A029 respectively).
The examination team noted multiple deficiencies associated with the administrative, control room systems, and in-plant JPMs during validation and administration of the operating test. Additionally, the examination team noted multiple deficiencies associated with the scenario guides that were developed for exam administration. The deficiencies identified did not lead to unsatisfactory evaluation of the products, or overall exam quality. Most deficiencies were associated with a lack of attention to detail when developing the scenario and JPM guides for the exam. While the deficiencies did not lead to unsatisfactory evaluation of the exam, these types of discrepancies were repeat from previous exams and will require additional attention from the Byron Station personnel to correct for future exams.
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on November 17, 2023.
- (3) Examination Results
Four applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and six applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Ten applicants passed all portions of their examinations and were issued their respective operating licenses on November 20, 2023.
The examination team noted three generic weaknesses associated with the senior operator license candidates performance on the scenario section of the operating test.
The applicants displayed weaknesses in the areas of technical specification identification and technical specification implementation. Additionally, senior operator license candidates displayed weakness in critical safety function status tree monitoring and implementation without the use of Shift Technical Advisor input from the training crew.
The examination team noted one generic weakness associated with applicant performance on the simulator JPM section of the operating test. The applicants displayed weakness in the ability to implement procedural requirements to check all bus phases prior to breaker syncing and closure by all licensed candidates.
.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 ensure compliance with Title10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR)
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 licensees examination security activities.
b. Findings
None
4OA6 Meetings
.1 Debrief
The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on October 23, 2023, to Brian Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training and other members of the Byron Station Operations and Training Department staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on November 13, 2023, with Brian Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training, by Teams meeting. The NRCs final disposition of the stations grading of the written examination and post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed during the meeting. The chief examiner asked the licensee whether any of the retained submitted 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
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee
Dan More, Corporate Regulatory Exam Expert
Brian Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training
Barry Mingus, Exam Author
Bill Hines, Exam Author Under Instruction
Chuck Dawson, Initial License Training Lead
Brent Waller, Initial License Training Instructor
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
John Robbins, Senior Resident Inspector
Ashley Demeter, Resident Inspector
Travis Iskierka-Boggs, Chief Examiner
Bryan Bergeon, Senior Operations Engineer
Troy Henning, Senior Operations Engineer
Kevin Kirchbaum, Operations Engineer, Region II
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened, Closed, and Discussed
None
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
ADAMS Agencywide Document Access and Management System
MST Master Simulator Tasking
NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
RO Reactor Operator
SRO Senior Reactor Operator
SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee: Byron Station, Units 1 and 2
Facility Docket No: 50-454; 50-455
Operating Tests Administered: October 16, 2023 - October 20, 2023
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
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
AR# 4398558 -27 During a simulator JPM, the Master Simulator Tasking (MST) system
caused the simulator to stop running computing processes and caused
components to not operate as expected. This unexpected malfunction
prevented the applicants from performing the JPM. A different JPM
was created as a replacement JPM, validated, and administered to the
candidates in lieu of the JPM that was causing the MST system to
malfunction. No other simulator issues were identified during the
administration of the operating test.
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