IR 05000373/2010301

Er 05000373/10-301(DRS), 05000374/10-301(DRS), 09/13/2010 - 09/23/2010, LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2. Initial License Examination Report

ML103050478
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	10/26/2010
From:	Hironori Peterson Operations Branch III
To:	Pacilio M Exelon Generation Co
References
50-373/10-301, 50-374/10-301
Download: ML103050478 (10)

Text

October 26, 2010

SUBJECT:

LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 NRC INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION REPORT 05000373/2010301(DRS);

05000374/2010301(DRS)

Dear Mr. Pacilio:

On September 30, 2010, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) examiners completed the initial operator licensing examination process at your LaSalle County Station. The enclosed report documents the results of the examination. Preliminary observations and findings were discussed on September 23, 2010, with Mr. D. Rhoades and other members of your staff. An exit meeting was conducted on September 30, 2010, between Mr. M. Entwhistle, LaSalle County Station examination author, and Mr. D. McNeil, Senior Operations Engineer. At the exit meeting, receipt and resolution of the station=s post examination comments were discussed and the grading key for the written examination was finalized.

The NRC examiners administered an initial license examination operating test during the weeks of September 13 and September 20, 2010. The written examination was administered by members of the LaSalle County Station Training Department staff on September 24, 2010.

Eleven Senior Reactor Operator and two Reactor Operator applicants were administered license examinations. The results of the examinations were finalized on October 20, 2010.

All applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations and ten Senior Reactor Operator and two Reactor Operator licenses were issued. One Senior Reactor Operator license was withheld pending completion of the applicants experience requirements. Upon completion of the applicants experience requirements and certification in writing by station management, the license will be issued.

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 NRC's document system (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room). We will gladly discuss any questions you have concerning this examination.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Hironori Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety

Docket Nos. 50-373; 50-374 License Nos. NPF-11; NPF-18

Enclosures:

1.

Operator Licensing Examination Report 05000373/2010301(DRS); 05000374/2010301(DRS)

w/Attachment: Supplemental Information 2.

Simulation Facility Report 3.

Written Examinations and Answer Keys (RO/SRO)

REGION III==

Docket Nos:

05000373; 05000374

License Nos:

NPF-11; NPF-18

Report No:

05000373/2010301(DRS); 05000374/2010301(DRS)

Licensee:

Exelon Generation Company, LLC

Facility:

LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2

Location:

Marseilles, Illinois

Dates:

September 13 - 23, 2010

Examiners:

D. McNeil, Senior Operations Engineer C. Moore, Operations Engineer C. Phillips, Senior Resident Inspector, Dresden

Approved by:

Hironori Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety

Enclosure 1

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

ER 05000373/2010301(DRS), 05000374/2010301(DRS); 09/13/2010 - 09/23/2010; Exelon

Generation Company, LLC, LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2. Initial License Examination Report.

The announced initial operator licensing examination was conducted by regional Nuclear Regulatory Commission examiners in accordance with the guidance of NUREG-1021, AOperator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors,@ Revision 9, Supplement 1.

Examination Summary:

$

Thirteen applicants passed all sections of their respective examinations. Ten applicants were issued Senior Reactor Operator licenses and two applicants were issued Reactor Operator licenses. One Senior Reactor Operator license was withheld pending completion of the applicants experience requirements. (Section 4OA5.1)

REPORT DETAILS

4OA5 Other

.1 Initial Licensing Examinations

a. Examination Scope

The LaSalle County Station Training Department prepared the examination outline and developed the written examination and operating test. The NRC examiners validated the proposed examination during the week of August 30, 2010, at the LaSalle County Station Training Building with the assistance of members of the licensee training staff.

During the on-site validation week, the examiners audited four license applications for accuracy. The NRC examiners conducted the operating portion of the initial license examination during the weeks of September 13, 2010 and September 20, 2010.

Members of the LaSalle County Station Training Department staff administered the written examination on September 24, 2010. The NRC examiners used the guidance established in NUREG-1021, AOperator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors,@ Revision 9, Supplement 1, to prepare, validate, revise, administer, and grade the examination.

b. Findings

Written Examination

The proposed written examination was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination. However, during the validation of the written examination several questions were modified or replaced. Changes made to the written examination were documented on Form ES-401-9, AWritten Examination Review Worksheet@ which is available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). The licensee submitted a letter stating there were no written examination post-examination comments. A copy of the letter stating there were no post-examination comments and documenting questions asked during written examination administration is available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from ADAMS. The NRC examiners graded the written examination on October 1, 2010, and conducted a review of each missed question to determine the accuracy and validity of the examination questions. In accordance with a verbal request from the LaSalle County Station Training Director, the public release of the written examination will be delayed until October 2012.

Operating Test

The proposed operating test was within the range of acceptability expected for a proposed examination. However, during the validation of the operating test, several Job Performance Measures (JPMs) were enhanced. Some minor modifications were made to the dynamic simulator scenarios. Changes made to the operating test were documented in a document titled, AOperating Test Comments,@ which is available electronically in the NRC Public Document Room or from ADAMS. The NRC examiners completed operating test grading on October 19, 2010.

Examination Results

Eleven applicants at the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) level and two applicants at the Reactor Operator (RO) level were administered written and operating tests. All 13 applicants passed all portions of their examinations. Ten SRO applicants were issued SRO licenses and two RO applicants were issued RO licenses. One SRO license was withheld pending completion of the applicants experience requirements.

Upon completion of the applicants experience and certification by the stations management in writing that the experience is completed, the license will be issued.

.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 10 CFR 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.

b. Findings

No examination security issues were found by the inspectors.

4OA6 Meetings

Debrief

The chief examiner presented the examination team's preliminary observations and findings on September 23, 2010, to D. Rhoades and other members of the LaSalle County Station Operations and Training Department staffs.

Exit Meeting

The chief examiner conducted an exit meeting on September 30, 2010, with Mr. M. Entwhistle, LaSalle County Station examination author at the NRC Region III office. A letter documenting no post examination comments was provided by Mr. Entwhistle and the written examination key was finalized during the meeting. 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

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

D. Rhoades, LaSalle Site Vice President

K. Taber, LaSalle Operations Manager (Acting Plant Manager)

J. Houston, LaSalle RA

K. Ihnen, LaSalle NOS Manager

T. Simpkin, LaSalle Regulatory Assurance Manager

B. Rash, LaSalle Maintenance Director

P. Soenksen, LaSalle Work Control

J. White, LaSalle Training Director

K. Lyons, LaSalle Chemistry Manager

K. Hedgspeth, LaSalle Rad Protection Manager

L. Blunk, LaSalle Training Manager

T. Granlund, LaSalle Operations, Facility Rep

M. Entwistle, LaSalle Training, Exam Author

R.J. Frederes, LaSalle Training, ILT Group Lead

B. Trafton, LaSalle Shift Operations Superintendant

NRC

D. McNeil, Senior Operations Engineer

C. Moore, Operations Engineer

C. Phillips, Senior Resident Inspector, Dresden Station

ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed, and Discussed

None