October 11, 2007 

MEMORANDUM TO: Michael Junge, Chief 

Operator Licensing and Human Performance Branch 

Division of Construction and Operational Programs 

Office of New Reactors 

FROM: Richard Pelton /RA/ 

Operator Licensing and Human Performance Branch 

Division of Construction and Operational Programs 

Office of New Reactors 

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF SEPTEMBER 13, 2007, CATEGORY 2 PUBLIC 

MEETING WITH THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE (NEI) TO 

DISCUSS NEW REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING INITIATIVES 

On September 13, 2007, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a public 

meeting with NEI, industry representatives, and vendors to discuss the operator licensing white 

papers (ADAMS Accession No. ML072420450) submitted by NEI on August 21, 2007. 

Enclosure 1 lists the attendees at the meeting and individuals who participated via 

teleconference; no members of the general public were present. Enclosure 2 is the meeting 

agenda. Information presented by NEI and industry at the meeting is available in Agencywide 

Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession number ML072630415. 

The new reactor operator licensing white papers discuss cold licensing and training of the 

estimated 450 licensed operators that will be necessary to operate the new nuclear power 

plants. Cold licensing is a process used prior to fuel load that provides a method for operations 

personnel to acquire the knowledge and experience required for licensed operator duties 

following construction. 

Meeting participants agreed that existing regulatory guidance addresses the training and 

qualification needs of licensed operator candidates for operating reactors but does not address 

the situation in which the plant is not operational (i.e., under construction). In addition, regulatory 

guidance related to the cold licensing of operators needs to be developed so that clear, 

appropriate, and achievable training commitments can be documented in each facility's 

combined operating license (COL) application. 

It was also agreed that the cold licensing process should follow current operator licensing 

guidance for operating plants with additional guidance in the areas of experience requirements, 

training program implementation, job performance measurements (JPM) and on-shift on the job 

training (OJT) during construction, simulator training using a limited scope simulator, continuing 

training for license candidates, and licensing examinations. 

CONTACT: Richard Pelton, NRO/DCIP/COLP 

 301-415-1028 

Issues raised by the NRC included: 
M. Junge - 2 - 

• documentation of experience, for each individual, used to meet the Acold license@

eligibility guidance, 

• documentation of experience obtained while an individual is in a training status, 

• time spent obtaining experience prior to licensing must be consistently calculated, 

• activities counted toward meeting the experience guidelines must be meaningful, 

• and, operating crew experience levels. 

The NRC asked if responses to Regulatory Issue Summaries (RIS) 07-17, “Preparation and 

Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” included losses and gains resulting from 

licensing of new reactor operators. The industry representatives present stated that it was not 

known if the responses to RIS 07-17 included the effects of licensing new reactor operators. 

The information collected helps the NRC more effectively budget, allocate, and manage its 

resources. Options to determine the effects of licensing new reactor operators were discussed 

and included issuing a supplement to RIS 07-17, issuing a new RIS to determine the number of 

new applicants, or have NEI contact the utilities. NEI agreed to contact licensees regarding the 

effects of new reactor operator licensing. The purpose of the contact is to determine if the 

information provided in the responses to RIS 07-17 from operating reactors included the new 

licensed operators needed to operate the new reactors, the effects of the new operators on 

operating reactors, whether the licensee or the NRC will prepare the operator licensing 

examination, and to make adjustments to the response as necessary. NEI recently reported that 

a November 5, 2007, response has been requested. 

In closing, NEI agreed to provide additional information pertaining to new plant experience 

requirements, simulator training for new plants, and cold licensing of operators for the operator 

licensing white papers. NEI also stated that, based on acceptance of the modified white papers, 

an operator licensing supplement to NEI 06-13, ATemplate for an Industry Training Program,@

would be prepared for NRC review. NRC agreed to review the industry submittals. NRC and 

NEI agreed to work together to develop a New Rector Operator Licensing action plan. No final 

positions were taken during the meeting. Additional public meetings may be held after NRC has 

reviewed the submittals being prepared by NEI. 

Enclosure 1: List of Attendees 

Enclosure 2: Meeting Agenda 
M. Junge - 2 - 

Issues raised by the NRC included: 

• documentation of experience, for each individual, used to meet the Acold license@

eligibility guidance, 

• documentation of experience obtained while an individual is in a training status, 

• time spent obtaining experience prior to licensing must be consistently calculated, 

• activities counted toward meeting the experience guidelines must be meaningful, 

• and, operating crew experience levels. 

The NRC asked if responses to Regulatory Issue Summaries (RIS) 07-17, “Preparation and 

Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations,” included losses and gains resulting from 

licensing of new reactor operators. The industry representatives present stated that it was not 

known if the responses to RIS 07-17 included the effects of licensing new reactor operators. 

The information collected helps the NRC more effectively budget, allocate, and manage its 

resources. Options to determine the effects of licensing new reactor operators were discussed 

and included issuing a supplement to RIS 07-17, issuing a new RIS to determine the number of 

new applicants, or have NEI contact the utilities. NEI agreed to contact licensees regarding the 

effects of new reactor operator licensing. The purpose of the contact is to determine if the 

information provided in the responses to RIS 07-17 from operating reactors included the new 

licensed operators needed to operate the new reactors, the effects of the new operators on 

operating reactors, whether the licensee or the NRC will prepare the operator licensing 

examination, and to make adjustments to the response as necessary. NEI recently reported that 

a November 5, 2007, response has been requested. 

In closing, NEI agreed to provide additional information pertaining to new plant experience 

requirements, simulator training for new plants, and cold licensing of operators for the operator 

licensing white papers. NEI also stated that, based on acceptance of the modified white papers, 

an operator licensing supplement to NEI 06-13, ATemplate for an Industry Training Program,@

would be prepared for NRC review. NRC agreed to review the industry submittals. NRC and 

NEI agreed to work together to develop a New Rector Operator Licensing action plan. No final 

positions were taken during the meeting. Additional public meetings may be held after NRC has 

reviewed the submittals being prepared by NEI. 

Enclosure 1: List of Attendees 

Enclosure 2: Meeting Agenda 

Distribution: 

See next page 

ADAMS Package Accession #: ML072400062 

Meeting Summary Accession #: ML072770067 

Meeting Notice Accession #: ML072390049 

Meeting Handout Accession #: ML072630415 

OFFICE NRO/DCIP/COLP NRO/DCIP/COLP:BC 

NAME RPelton MJunge 

DATE 10/11/07 10/11/07 

 Official Record Copy 
Memo to Michael Junge from Richard Pelton dated _______________________ 

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF SEPTEMBER 13, 2007, CATEGORY 2 PUBLIC MEETING WITH 

THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE TO DISCUSS NEW REACTOR 

OPERATOR LICENSING INITIATIVES 

DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC 

COLP Reading File 

RidsNroOd 

RidsNroDcip 

RidsNroDcipColp 

RidsNroDcipCtsb 

RidsEDOMailCenter 

RidsOgcMailCenter 

RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter 

RidsNroDnrl 

DWilliams 

RidsNrrDirs 

RidsNrrDirsIolb 

SGuenther 

RRihm 

MGamberoni, RI 

MDapas, RI 

DRoberts, RI 

MSykes. RI 

JShea, RII 

KKennedy, RII 

LPlisco, RII 

RidsRgn1MailCenter 

RidsRgn2MailCenter 

RidsRgn3MailCenter 

RidsRgn4MailCenter 

MWidmann, RII 

VMcCree, RII 

RHaag, RII 

FEhrhardt, RII 

ABoland, RIII 

HPeterson, RIII 

SWest, RIII 

MSatorius, RIII 

DChamberlain, RIV 

RCaniano, RIV 

PGwynn, RIV 

AGody, RIV 

KO=Donohue, TTC 
ENCLOSURE 1 

Public Meeting with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 

Discussion of New Reactor Operator Licensing Initiatives 

September 13, 2007 

Meeting Attendees 

Name Organization

Glenn Tracy NRC 

Mike Junge NRC 

Nancy Salgado NRC 

Rick Pelton NRC 

Fred Guenther NRC 

Mark Lintz NRC 

Susan Uttal NRC 

Brett Klukan NRC 

Brian Fuller (per telcom) NRC 

Frank Ehrhardt (per telcom) NRC 

Kathleen O=Donohue (per telcom) NRC 

Timothy Dennis ANS Standards Committee 

Andy Barbee Dominion 

Charles Sawyer Duke Energy 

Gregory Sparks ETR 

Julia Longfellow General Electric 

Mike Llewellyn INPO 

John Brabec Luminant Power 

Jack Roe NEI 

Chris Earls NEI 

Hamer Carter Progress Energy 

Steven Furstenberg SCANA 

Mike Simpson SCANA 
Name Organization 

Ted Amundson Southern Nuclear 

Tom Ryan TVA 

Ray Schiele UNISTAR 

Paul Hippely Westinghouse 

Deann Raleigh Scientech 
ENCLOSURE 2 

PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE

ON NEW REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING

AGENDA 

TOPIC WHO TIME 

Meeting Introductions: 

Opening comments 

Junge 15 

Experience Requirements for License Candidates 

Understanding of level of experience required 

NEI 90 

Training Program Accreditation 

Understanding of Accreditation timing and 

expectations 

NRC 30 

JPM’s and OJT During Construction Phase 

Understanding of the use of JPM’s and OJT during the 

construction phase 

NRC 20 

Simulator Training using Part Task/Limited Scope Simulator 

Understanding of the use of Limited Scope and PlantReferenced Simulators 

NRC 20 

Continuing Training 

Understanding of the continuing training plans 

NRC 15 

Scheduling of NRC License Examinations 

Understanding of licensed operator examination plans 

NRC 15 

Knowledge and Ability Catalog Revision 

Agree on method to develop K&A catalogs 

NEI 20 

Review of agenda and action items NRC 30 

Next Steps Junge 10 
 Nuclear Energy Institute 

cc: 

Mr. Anthony Pietrangelo, Senior Director 

Risk Regulation 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

Mr. H. A. Sepp, Manager 

Regulatory and Licensing Engineering 

Westinghouse Electric Company 

PO Box 355 

Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0355 

Mr. Jack Roe 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

Mr. Charles B. Brinkman 

Washington Operations 

ABB-Combustion Engineering, Inc. 

12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 330 

Rockville, MD 20852 

Mr. Gary L. Vine, Executive Director 

Federal and Industry Activities, Nuclear 

 Sector 

EPRI 

2000 L Street NW, Suite 805 

Washington, DC 20036 

Mr. Pedro Salas 

Regulatory Assurance Manager - Dresden 

Exelon Generation Company, LLC 

6500 N. Dresden Road 

Morris, IL 60450-9765 

Ms. Barbara Lewis 

Assistant Editor 

Platts, Principal Editorial Office 

1200 G Street, NW, Suite 1100 

Washington, DC 20005 

Mr. Gary Welsh 

Institute of 

 Nuclear Power Operations 

700 Galleria Parkway, SE, Suite 100 

Atlanta, GA 30339-5957 

Mr. James H. Riley, Director 

Engineering 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708