May 12, 2010 

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 APRIL 15, 2010, MEETING WITH THE 

INDUSTRY FOCUS GROUP ON NEW REACTOR OPERATOR 

LICENSING 

On April 15, 2010, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a public meeting 

with the Industry Focus Group on New Reactor Operator Licensing to discuss potential changes 

to the licensed operator examination process. Enclosure 1 lists the attendees at the meeting. 

Enclosure 2 is the meeting agenda. This meeting was the latest in a series intended to promote 

efficient, effective, and consistent preparation and administration of new reactor operator 

licensing examinations. 

The AP1000 Owner’s Group training committee (APOG) provided a status update of the AP1000 

knowledge and abilities (K & A) catalog efforts. The APOG reported that NRC participation in 

the effort is appreciated and makes the K&A catalog a joint product. The APOG also reported 

that: 

• With the exception of the reactor coolant pumps and the main turbine system, system 

reviews are complete. 

• 4 – 6 of 20 abnormal operating procedures remain to be reviewed. 

• Emergency operating procedure reviews should be complete by the end of May. 

• System importance ratings are being determined by 19 – 21 reviewers. 

• Importance ratings will be reviewed at Westinghouse the first week in May. 

• Procedure ratings will be conducted in June and July. 

• Draft K&A catalog submittal is on schedule. 

The South Texas Project Units 3 and 4 Operations Training Manager (STP 3 & 4) provided a 

status update of the ABWR knowledge and abilities (K & A) catalog efforts. STP reported that: 

• System reviews are almost complete. 

• System importance ratings will be determined in June in Japan using Toshiba and Tokyo 

Electric Power Company subject matter experts. 

• Emergency operating procedure and abnormal operating procedure reviews will be 

conducted in August in Japan. 

• The final K&A catalog meeting will be held at the STP 3 & 4 training center in October. 

At that time, importance ratings will be reviewed. 

CONTACT: Rick Pelton, NRO/DCIP 

 (301) 415-1028
M. Junge - 2 - 

The benefits of conducting a mock examination prior to the operator licensing examination were 

discussed. Instructors would be utilized to test the examination process and to aid in 

determining examination techniques, especially instrument failures. 

In addition to a mock examination, it was agreed that a benchmarking observation trip to a 

facility using a digital control room would be appropriate and useful. Observations would focus 

on command and control, control room communication, and control room operations using a 

highly integrated digital interface. 

For those facilities conducting licensed operator examinations prior to certification of the plantreferenced simulator, increasing the time between the written examination and the operating test 

was discussed. NUREG-1021, “Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power 

Reactors,” revision 9, supplement 1 (NUREG-1021), states: 

The region shall not allow the written examination and operating test dates to diverge by 

more than 30 days without obtaining concurrence from the NRR operator licensing 

program office. 

The NRC has issued at least four waivers to allow divergence of more than 30 days between the 

written examination and the operating test. The maximum waiver allowed has been for one 

year. At the meeting, the NRC agreed to provide a summary of the compensatory actions taken 

by the facility that were necessary for approval of the divergence waivers. The NRC also agreed 

to determine whether it would be necessary for each applicant to submit a divergence waiver 

request or if one divergence waiver request for each examination would be acceptable. The 

NRC also stated that for any divergence greater than 30 days, compensatory actions would be 

necessary to ensure candidates remain proficient in all areas of plant operation. 

Other items discussed included developing a list of common design critical tasks, design of the 

written examination, delaying the date examinations are declared as publicly available in 

ADAMS. 

No final positions were taken during the meeting. The staff agreed that clarification and 

additions to NUREG-1021 or other regulatory documents to implement the modified operator 

licensing guidance would occur after the new reactor operator licensing examination process 

was finalized. The industry agreed to research multiple choice question distractors. 

Enclosures: As stated
M. Junge - 2 - 

The benefits of conducting a mock examination prior to the operator licensing examination were 

discussed. Instructors would be utilized to test the examination process and to aid in 

determining examination techniques, especially instrument failures. 

In addition to a mock examination, it was agreed that a benchmarking observation trip to a 

facility using a digital control room would be appropriate and useful. Observations would focus 

on command and control, control room communication, and control room operations using a 

highly integrated digital interface. 

For those facilities conducting licensed operator examinations prior to certification of the plantreferenced simulator, increasing the time between the written examination and the operating test 

was discussed. NUREG-1021, “Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power 

Reactors,” revision 9, supplement 1 (NUREG-1021), states: 

The region shall not allow the written examination and operating test dates to diverge by 

more than 30 days without obtaining concurrence from the NRR operator licensing 

program office. 

The NRC has issued at least four waivers to allow divergence of more than 30 days between the 

written examination and the operating test. The maximum waiver allowed has been for one 

year. At the meeting, the NRC agreed to provide a summary of the compensatory actions taken 

by the facility that were necessary for approval of the divergence waivers. The NRC also agreed 

to determine whether it would be necessary for each applicant to submit a divergence waiver 

request or if one divergence waiver request for each examination would be acceptable. The 

NRC also stated that for any divergence greater than 30 days, compensatory actions would be 

necessary to ensure candidates remain proficient in all areas of plant operation. 

Other items discussed included developing a list of common design critical tasks, design of the 

written examination, delaying the date examinations are declared as publicly available in 

ADAMS. 

No final positions were taken during the meeting. The staff agreed that clarification and 

additions to NUREG-1021 or other regulatory documents to implement the modified operator 

licensing guidance would occur after the new reactor operator licensing examination process 

was finalized. The industry agreed to research multiple choice question distractors. 

Enclosures: As stated 

DISTRIBUTION:

See next page 

ADAMS Accession No.:ML101320007 NRC-001 

OFFICE DCIP/COLP DCIP/COLP:BC 

NAME RPelton MJunge 

DATE 05/12/2010 05/12/2010 

 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 
DISTRIBUTION: Summary of April 15, 2010, Meeting with the Industry Focus Group on New 

Reactor Operator Licensing 

PUBLIC 

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Wes Sparkman (wasparkm@southernc0.com) 

Glenn MacDonald (gcmacdonald@stpegs.com) 

Tom Kuhar (kuharte@westinghouse.com) 

Al Koon (akoon@scana.com) 

Mark Paul (mark.paul@dom.com) 

Leonard Kabana (leonard_kabana@mnes-us.com) 

Paul Mothena (pmothena@scana.com) 
Nuclear Energy Institute Project No. 689 

cc (via email): 

Mr. Anthony Pietrangelo, Vice President 

Regulatory Affairs 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

arp@nei.org

Mr. Jack Roe 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

jwr@nei.org

Mike Melton, Senior Project Manager 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

man@nei.org

Alexander Marion, Executive Director 

Nuclear Operations & Engineering 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

am@nei.org

Mr. James H. Riley, Director 

Engineering 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

jhr@nei.org

Mr. Jay Thayer, Vice President 

Nuclear Operations 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

jkt@nei.org

Mr. John Butler, Director 

Safety-focused Regulation 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708 

jcb@nei.org
ENCLOSURE 1 

Meeting with the Industry Focus Group on 

New Reactor Operator Licensing 

April 15, 2010 

Meeting Attendees 

Name Organization 

Mike Junge NRC / NRO 

Rick Pelton NRC / NRO 

Jack McHale NRC / NRR 

Tim Kolb NRC / NRR 

Larry Vick NRC / NRR 

Mark Lintz NRC / NRO 

Malcolm Widmann NRC / RII 

Phil Capehart NRC / RII 

Hironori Peterson NRC/RIII via telephonic bridge 

Steve Garchow NRC / RIV via telephonic bridge 

Gary Callaway NRC / TTC via telephonic bridge 

Julia Longfellow GE - Hitachi via telephonic bridge 

Wes Sparkman Southern Nuclear Company 

Scott Bauer NEI 

Glenn MacDonald STPNOC 

Charles Sawyer Duke

Al Koon SCANA 

Michael Llewellyn INPO 

Tom Kuhar Westinghouse 

Paul Mothena SCANA 

Mark Paul Dominion 

Phil Polefrone Unistar 

Rick Hons Progress Energy 

Leonard Kabana MNES 

Ted Amundson Southern Nuclear Company 
ENCLOSURE 2 

AGENDA FOR THE CATEGORY 2 PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE 

INDUSTRY FOCUS GROUP ON NEW REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING ISSUES 

April 15, 2010 

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

One White Flint North 

11555 Rockville Pike -- Room O 7 B4 

Rockville, MD 20852 

TOPIC LEAD

Introductions and Opening Remarks NRC/Focus Group 

Public Input Public 

Changes to the operator licensing process Focus Group 

Public Questions and Answers Public 

Summary / Conclusion / Action Item Review NRC/ Focus Group