March 4, 2009 

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 FEBRUARY 4, 2009, MEETING WITH THE INDUSTRY 

FOCUS GROUP ON NEW REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING 

On February 4, 2009, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a public 

meeting with the Industry Focus Group on new reactor operator licensing to discuss the project 

plan for the revision of the knowledge and abilities catalogs (K&A catalogs). Enclosure 1 lists 

the attendees at the meeting. Enclosure 2 is the agenda for the meeting. 

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 industry 

provided the status of the plan to update the existing K&A catalogs. Four design-centered 

working groups will be working on the K&A catalogs. The K&A working groups are: ABWR, 

composed of representatives from South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company 

(STPNOC), Toshiba, and GE Hitachi; ESBWR, composed of representatives from GE Hitachi; 

AP1000, composed of representatives from Southern Nuclear Operating Company, South 

Carolina Electric & Gas, Duke Energy, Progress Energy, and Westinghouse; and EPR/APWR, 

composed of representatives from Luminant Generation Company LLC, Unistar Nuclear 

Energy, Ameren UE, PPL Bell Bend, LLC, and Mitsubishi. 

The NRC agreed to attend design centered K&A catalog meetings to provide feedback, to 

review K&A sections as work progresses, and to participate in surveys as subject matter experts 

(SME). The NRC will also attempt to provide consistent NRC examiners/SMEs to each of the 

design center working groups. 

It was decided that the use international SMEs and experiences for Section Three, “Plant 

Systems,” and Section 4, “Emergency and Abnormal Plant Evolutions,” of the new and revised 

K&A catalogs would be acceptable. Use of international SMEs on the remaining sections might 

not be possible due to differences in operating philosophies. 

The NRC estimated that approval of each K&A catalog would occur about six months after 

presentation of the catalog to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS). The 

time between submittal and approval includes time for the ACRS to review, and then meet to 

discuss the catalog, the public comment period, incorporation of public comments, additional 

ACRS meetings, and concurrent Committee to Review Generic Requirements (CRGR). 

Catalogs delivered to ACRS for review should highlight changes (additions, deletions, 
modifications) with an explanation of the reason for the change and provide a description of the 

process used to identify the changes. 

Individual design centers provided the following information: 

AP1000: AP1000 will use Vision software for development of the catalog. The group plans 

to meet in March to begin evaluation of the CVCS system. To improve the efficiency of the 

review process, the group plans to evaluate and deliver systems in blocks 20 systems. A new 

K&A catalog is planned. 

ABWR: STPNOC and Toshiba have been working to develop a catalog since December 

2008. The project plan identifies that STPNOC will evaluate all systems and review the 

changes with Toshiba and representatives from Japanese utilities using ABWR technology. To 

date, the list of plant systems has been reviewed with deletions made and K&A statements 

added. The group provided examples of two ABWR systems (ML090500697). GE Hitachi 

stated that they plan is to work with STPNOC and Toshiba to create one ABWR K&A catalog. 

The ABWR catalog will no longer be an addendum to NUREG-1123, “Knowledge and Abilities 

Catalog for Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Boiling Water Reactors” as originally planned, but 

a separate catalog. A meeting has been requested in the early summer timeframe. 

ESBWR: GE Hitachi reported that work involving training has been placed on hold until 

certification of the ESBWR design. K&A catalog efforts are on hold. 

EPR/APWR: The group reported that the addendums to current K&A catalogs will be worked 

between June 2009 and June 2010, delivery of draft addendums is expected between June 

2010 and November 2010, with NRC approval by November 2012 rather than January 2012 as 

stated in the original K&A catalog plan. During the course of the project, 6 – 8 meetings 

involving SMEs are planned. The SMEs will be previously licensed, operations trainers, 

engineers, or designers. It is still expected that EPR/APWR K&A statements will be separate 

addendums to NUREG-1122, “Knowledge and Abilities Catalog for Nuclear Power Plant 

Operators: Pressurized Water Reactors.” 

The NRC stated that use of draft K&A catalogs for exam development is still being researched. 

The industry would like to use the draft catalogs in the development of several examinations. 

In closing, it was decided that the next meeting related to the licensing and examination of 

reactor operators should be held in June, 2009 and the group would like to meet with the NRC 

three times per year. No final positions were taken during the meeting. 

Enclosures: As stated 

CONTACT: Rick Pelton, NRO/DCIP 

 (301) 415-1028 
Individual design centers provided the following information: 

AP1000: AP1000 will use Vision software for development of the catalog. The group plans 

to meet next month to begin evaluation of the CVCS system. To improve the efficiency of the 

review process, the group plans to evaluate and deliver 20 systems at a time for review. A new 

K&A catalog is planned. 

ABWR: STPNOC and Toshiba have been working on the catalog since December 2008. 

 The project plan is for STPNOC to evaluate all systems and review the changes with Toshiba 

and representatives for Japanese utilities using ABWR technology. To date, the list of plant 

systems has been reviewed with deletions made and K&A statements have been added. The 

group provided examples of two ABWR systems (ML090500697). GE Hitachi stated that the 

plan is to work with STPNOC and Toshiba to create one ABWR K&A catalog. The ABWR 

catalog will no longer be an addendum to NUREG-1123, “Knowledge and Abilities Catalog for 

Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Boiling Water Reactors” but a separate catalog. A meeting 

has been requested in the early summer timeframe. 

ESBWR: GE Hitachi reported that work involving training has been placed on hold until 

certification of the ESBWR design. K&A catalog efforts are on hold. 

EPR/APWR: The group reported that the addendums will be worked between June 2009 and 

June 2010, delivery of draft addendums is expected between June 2010 and November 2010, 

with NRC approval by November 2012 rather than January 2012. During the course of the 

project, 6 – 8 meetings involving SMEs are planned. The SMEs will be previously licensed, 

operations trainers, engineers, or designers. It is still expected that EPR/APWR K&A 

statements will be separate addendums to NUREG-1122, “Knowledge and Abilities Catalog for 

Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Pressurized Water Reactors.” 

The NRC stated that use of draft K&A catalogs for exam development is still being researched 

with the intent of using the draft catalogs to develop several examinations. 

In closing, it was decided that the next meeting related to the licensing and examination of 

reactor operators should be held in June, 2009 and the group would like to meet with the NRC 

three times per year. No final positions were taken during the meeting. 

Enclosures: As stated 

CONTACT: Rick Pelton, NRO/DCIP 

 (301) 415-1028 

ADAMS Package Accession Number: ML090630290 

Meeting Notice Accession Number: ML090080601 

Meeting Handout Accession Number: ML090500697 

Meeting Summary Accession Number: ML090630034 

OFFICE DCIP/COLP DCIP/COLP 

NAME R Pelton M Junge 

DATE 03/04/09 03/04/09 

 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 
Meeting with the Industry Focus Group on 

New Reactor Operator Licensing 

February 4, 2009 

Meeting Attendees 

Name Organization 

Mike Junge NRC / HQ 

Rick Pelton NRC / HQ 

John Munro NRC / HQ 

Nancy Salgado NRC / HQ 

Fred Guenther NRC / HQ 

Jim Kellum NRC / HQ 

Sarah Price NRC / HQ 

Mark Lintz NRC / HQ 

Sean Currie NRC / HQ 

Russell Smith NEI 

Satoshi Hanada MNES 

Walt Shura Dominion 

Tom Kuhar Westinghouse 

Charles Sawyer Duke 

Michael Marler STPNOC 

Al Koon SCANA 

Tim Clouser Luminant Power 

Julia Longfellow General Electric 

Mike Llewellyn INPO 

Phil Polefrone UNISTAR 

William Jump STPNOC 

Mike Wagner STP 

Greg Sparks Entergy 

Todd Newkirk IBEW 

Jeremy Quinn Toshiba America Nuclear Energy 

Yasuo Ohea Toshiba America Nuclear Energy 
ENCLOSURE 2

AGENDA FOR THE CATEGORY 2 PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE 

INDUSTRY FOCUS GROUP ON NEW REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING ISSUES 

February 4, 2009; 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

Executive Boulevard Building 

6003 Executive Boulevard, Room EBB1B15 

Rockville, MD 20852 

TOPIC LEAD

Introductions and Opening Remarks NRC/Focus Group 

Public Input Public 

Knowledge and Abilities Catalog Revision Plan Focus Group 

Public Questions and Answers Public 

Summary / Conclusion / Action Item Review NRC/ Focus Group 
 

Memo to Michael Junge from Richard Pelton dated 

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF FEBRUARY 4, 2009, MEETING WITH THE INDUSTRY FOCUS 

GROUP ON NEW REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING 

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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 

P. O. 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 St., N.W., Suite 1100 

Washington, DC 20005 

Mr. Gary Welsh 

Institute of Nuclear Power Operations 

Suite 100 

700 Galleria Parkway, SE 

Atlanta, GA 30339-5957 

Mr. James H. Riley, Director 

Engineering 

Nuclear Energy Institute 

1776 I Street, NW, Suite 400 

Washington, DC 20006-3708