IR 05000454/2025301
| ML25071A074 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Byron  |
| Issue date: | 03/12/2025 |
| From: | Paul Zurawski NRC/RGN-III/DORS/OB |
| To: | Rhoades D Constellation Energy Generation, Constellation Nuclear |
| Bergeon B. | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML23202A119 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-454/25-301, 50-455/25-301 50-454/OL-25, 50-455/OL-25 | |
| Download: ML25071A074 (1) | |
Text
SUBJECT:
BYRON STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000454/2025301; 05000455/2025301
Dear David Rhoades:
On February 24, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed the initial operator licensing examination process for license applicants employed at your Byron Station.
The enclosed report documents the results of those examinations. Preliminary observations noted during the examination process were discussed on February 13, 2025, with Brian Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training, and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted via Microsoft Teams on March 10, 2025, between Harris Welt, Site Vice President, of your staff and Bryan Bergeon, Senior Operator Licensing Examiner, to review the proposed final grading of the written examination for the license applicants. During the virtual meeting, the NRC resolutions of any post-examination comments submitted by the facility, initially received by the NRC on February 24, 2025, were discussed.
The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the week of February 10, 2025. The written examination was administered by Byron Station training department personnel on February 19, 2025. Six Senior Reactor Operator and two Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on February 26, 2025. Eight applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Five were issued senior operator licenses and two were issued operator licenses, effective February 27, 2025. Issuance of the license for one SRO applicant has been deferred pending the receipt of additional information. This SRO applicant was issued a Notification Letter providing the details associated with the need for additional information pertaining to the completion of deferred items.
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 February 24, 2027. The enclosure contains details of this report.
March 12, 2025 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, Paul J. Zurawski, Chief Operations Branch Division of Operating Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-454, 50-455 License Nos. NPF-37, NPF-66 Enclosure:
1. Examination Report 05000454/2025301; 05000455/2025301 2. Simulator Fidelity Report cc: Distribution via LISTSERV B. Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training Signed by Zurawski, Paul on 03/12/25
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
ER 05000454/2025301; 05000455/2025301; 02/10/2025-02/24/2025; 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:
Eight of eight applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Five applicants were issued senior operator licenses, and two applicants were issued operator licenses.
Issuance of the license for one SRO applicant has been delayed pending the receipt of additional information. (Section 4OA5.1).
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 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 January 13, 2025, with the assistance of members of the facility licensees staff. During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited all eight 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 February 10, 2025, through February 13, 2025. The facility licensee administered the written examination on February 19, 2025.
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 February 24, 2027, (ADAMS Accession Numbers for the following: administrative files ML23202A118, examination outlines ML23202A122, proposed exam ML23202A124, and as-administered exam ML23202A117, respectively).
On February 24, 2025, the licensee submitted documentation noting that there were no post-examination comments for consideration by the NRC examiners when grading the written examination. The NRC examiners graded the written examination on February 24, 2025, and conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and validity of the examination questions. Post-examination analysis revealed no generic weaknesses in applicant performance.
- (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 February 24, 2027, (ADAMS Accession Numbers for the following: Administrative Files ML23202A118, examination outlines ML23202A122, Proposed Exam ML23202A124, and As-Administered Exam ML23202A117, respectively).
The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on February 26, 2025.
Post-examination analysis revealed generic weaknesses in precise manual control of plant equipment and reportability requirements for federal and state reportable conditions. The licensee documented these general weaknesses in their corrective action program under Issue Report 4840796.
- (3) Examination Results Six applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and two applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written examinations and operating tests. Eight applicants passed all portions of their examinations, and seven applicants were issued their respective operating licenses on February 27, 2025. One SRO applicant was issued a Notification Letter pending the receipt of additional information pertaining to the completion of deferred items.
.2 Examination Security
a. Scope
The NRC examiners reviewed and observed the licensees 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, 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 February 13, 2025, to Brian Lewin, Senior Manager Site Training and other members of the Byron Stations Operations and Training Department staff.
.2 Exit Meeting
The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on March 10, 2025, with Harris Welt, Site Vice President, via Microsoft Teams. The NRCs final disposition of the stations grading of the written examination and post-examination comments were disclosed and discussed. 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
- H. Welt, Site Vice President
- S. Harvey, Plant Manager
- B. Lewin, Senior Manager, Training
- Z. Cox, Regulatory Assurance Manager
- J. Armstrong, Regulatory Engineer
- B. Gapinski, Operations Director
- A. Passmore, Senior Manager Operations Support
- K. Wilson, Operations Training Manager
- B. Mingus, Senior Operations Training Instructor
- W. Hines, Senior Operations Training Instructor
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- A. Demeter, Senior Resident Inspector
- N. Bolling, Resident Inspector
- B. Bergeon, Chief Examiner
- G. Roach, Examiner
- B. Jebbia, Examiner
- P. Gresh, Examiner
ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED
Opened, Closed, and Discussed
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED
Agencywide Document Access and Management System
IR
Issue Report
NRC
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Reactor Operator
Senior Reactor Operator
SIMULATION FACILITY FIDELITY REPORT
Facility Licensee:
Byron Station
Facility Docket No:
50-454; 50-455
Operating Tests Administered:
February 10, 2025 through February 24, 2025
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
None
N/A