IR 05000354/2025301
| ML25309A141 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Hope Creek  |
| Issue date: | 11/06/2025 |
| From: | Sarah Elkhiamy NRC/RGN-I/DORS/OB |
| To: | Mcfeaters C Public Service Enterprise Group |
| References | |
| 50-354/25-301, EPID L-2025-OLL-0014 50-354/OL-25 | |
| Download: ML25309A141 (1) | |
Text
November 6, 2025
SUBJECT:
HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION - INITIAL OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION REPORT 05000354/2025301
Dear Charles McFeaters:
On August 20, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an examination at the Hope Creek Generating station. The enclosed examination report documents the examination results, which were discussed on October 1, 2025, with E. Larson, Site Vice President, and other members of your staff.
The examination included the evaluation of two applicants for reactor operator licenses, eight applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses, and two applicants for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses. The written examination and operating tests were developed using NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 12.
The license examiners determined that ten of the twelve applicants satisfied the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 55, and the appropriate licenses were issued to nine of the ten applicants on October 1, 2025. Issuance of the license for one reactor operator applicant has been deferred pending the completion of specific eligibility requirements.
One applicant for an instant senior reactor operator license failed the written examination portion of the exam and was denied a license. Another applicant for an instant senior reactor operator license failed the written examination portion of the exam and requested that the NRC staff conduct an informal review of the preliminary results.
The written examination, administered operating test, and documents related to the development and review (outlines, review comments and resolution, etc.) of the examination will be withheld from public disclosure until August 20, 2027. However, because two applicants received Preliminary Results Letters due to receiving a non-passing grade on the written examination, the applicants were provided copies of the written examination material. For examination security purposes, your staff should therefore consider the written examination material uncontrolled and exposed to the public.
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 electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC website http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
Sincerely, Sarah Elkhiamy, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety
Docket No. 50-354 License No. NPF-57
Enclosure:
Examination Report 05000354/2025301 w/Attachment 1: Supplementary Information and Attachment 2: Simulator Fidelity Report
REGION I==
Docket No.
05000354
License No.
Enterprise Identifier:
Report No.
Licensee:
Facility:
Hope Creek Generating Station
Location:
Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038
Dates:
August 11-15, 2025 (Operating Test Administration)
August 20, 2025 (Written Examination Administration)
September 3, 2025 (Facility Submitted Post-Exam Package)
August 18-September 29, 2025 (NRC Examination Grading)
October 1, 2025 (Licenses Issued)
Examiners:
J. DeMarshall, Senior Operations Engineer (CE)
T. Fish, Senior Operations Engineer L. Sinclair, Operations Engineer J. Morgan, Operations Engineer P. Breidenbach, Operations Engineer (RGN-IV)
Approved By:
Sarah Elkhiamy, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety
SUMMARY
ER 05000354/2025301; August 11-20, 2025; Hope Creek Generating Station; Initial Operator
Licensing Examination Report.
Five NRC examiners evaluated the competency of two applicants for reactor operator licenses, eight applicants for instant senior reactor operator licenses, and two applicants for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses. The facility licensee developed the examinations using NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors, Revision 12.
The written examination was administered by the facility on August 20, 2025. NRC examiners administered the operating test on August 11-15, 2025. The NRC examiners determined that ten of the twelve applicants satisfied the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 55, and the appropriate licenses have been issued to nine of the ten applicants. Issuance of the license for one reactor operator applicant has been deferred pending the completion of specific eligibility requirements. One applicant for an instant senior reactor operator license failed the written examination portion of the exam and was denied a license.
Another applicant for an instant senior reactor operator license failed the written examination portion of the exam and requested that the NRC staff conduct an informal review of the preliminary results.
NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings
No findings were identified.
Licensee-Identified Violations
None.
REPORT DETAILS
4.
OTHER ACTIVITIES (OA)
4OA5 Other Activities (Initial Operator License Examination)
.1 License Applications
a. Scope
The examiners reviewed all license applications submitted by the licensee to ensure the applications reflected that each applicant satisfied relevant license eligibility requirements. The applications were submitted on NRC Form 398, Personal Qualification Statement, and NRC Form 396, Certification of Medical Examination by Facility Licensee. In addition, the examiners audited 100 percent of the license applications during conduct of the onsite validation activity the week of July 14, 2025, to confirm that the applications 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.
One reactor operator applicant did not meet the requirements for 18 months of total power plant experience for a nuclear facility as required in ACAD 10-001, Guidelines for Initial Training and Qualifications of Licensed Operators, Revision 2, Figure 4-1:
Reactor Operator Eligibility. A Deferral was granted in accordance with NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," Section ES-2.2, for 8.2 months of the total power plant experience requirement.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
.2 Operator Knowledge and Performance
a. Examination Scope
On August 20, 2025, the licensee proctored administration of the written examinations to all applicants. The licensee staff graded the written examinations, analyzed the results, and presented their analysis to the NRC on September 3, 2025.
The NRC examination team administered the various portions of the operating test to all applicants on August 11-15, 2025. The two applicants for reactor operator licenses participated in at least two dynamic simulator scenarios, in a control room and facilities walkthrough test consisting of eleven system tasks, and an administrative test consisting of four administrative tasks. The eight applicants seeking an instant senior reactor operator license participated in at least two dynamic simulator scenarios, a control room and facilities walkthrough test consisting of ten system tasks, and an administrative test consisting of five administrative tasks. The two applicants for upgrade senior reactor operator licenses participated in at least one dynamic simulator scenario, a control room and facilities walkthrough test consisting of five system tasks, and an administrative test consisting of five administrative tasks.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
All twelve of the applicants passed the operating test. However, two instant senior reactor operator applicants failed the written examination. For the written examinations, the reactor operator applicants average score was 81.3 percent and ranged from 80.0 to 82.6 percent. The senior operator applicants average score was 84.0 percent and ranged from 71.0 to 92.0 percent. The text of the examination questions may be accessed in the ADAMS system under the accession number noted in Attachment 1.
ES-4.4 of NUREG-1021 instructs the licensee to evaluate the overall group performance of each written examination question to identify any indications of a problem with the question or a deficiency in the facility licensee training program. The licensee conducted this analysis and submitted the results to the Chief Examiner. The performance analysis revealed that seven questions (33, 36, 40, 72, 87, 89, and 99) were missed by more than 50 percent of the applicants. The licensee determined that the seven questions were not flawed and attributed applicant performance on each of these to knowledge gaps. The licensee addressed the associated knowledge deficiencies by remediating the applicants during the examination review session conducted on August 21, 2025.
ES-4.4 of NUREG-1021 also instructs the licensee to submit all post-examination comments made by the facility licensee and the applicants. No post-examination comments were submitted by the licensee. In accordance with current NRC policy, release of the written 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 examinations and operating test outline in accordance with NUREG-1021, Revision 12. The NRC provided the licensee with the written exam outline on November 15, 2024. The facility licensee submitted the operating test outline on March 14, 2025. The Chief Examiner reviewed the outline against the requirements of NUREG-1021 and provided comments to the licensee on March 31, 2025. The facility licensee submitted the draft examination package on May 28, 2025. The Chief Examiner reviewed the draft examination package against the requirements of NUREG-1021 and provided comments to the licensee on June 20, 2025. The NRC conducted an onsite validation of the operating test and provided further comments during the week of July 14, 2025. Operating test comment resolution was satisfactorily completed on August 1, 2025, and written exam comment resolution was satisfactorily completed on August 15, 2025. All licensee facility training and operations staff involved in examination preparation and validation were listed on the security agreement.
The examiners determined that the written exam and operating test initially submitted by the licensee were within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
.4 Simulation Facility Performance
a. Examination Scope
The examiners observed simulator performance with regard to plant fidelity during the onsite validation and exam administration activities.
b. Findings
No findings were identified.
.5 Examination Security
a. Examination Scope
The examiners reviewed examination security for the developmental phase of the exam and during the onsite validation and exam administration weeks, for compliance with NUREG-1021, Revision 12 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 E. Larson, Site Vice President, and other members of the licensee's staff on October 1, 2025.
The licensee did not identify any information or materials used during the examination as proprietary.
ATTACHMENT 1:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Licensee Personnel
Brian Balzer, Operations Training Manager
Tim Catalano, Exam Author
Steve Dennis, Exam Author
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
NONE
ADAMS DOCUMENTS REFERENCED
Accession No. ML25281A201 -
- FINAL-Written Exam (Note: In accordance with current NRC
policy, the release of this examination in ADAMS to the public will be delayed for two years.)
- Accession No. ML25281A206 -
- FINAL-Operating Test (Note: In accordance with current NRC
policy, the release of this test in ADAMS to the public will be delayed for two years.)