October 8, 2014 

MEMORANDUM TO: Michael Junge, Chief 

Operator Licensing and Human Performance Branch 

Division of Construction Inspection 

 & Operational Programs 

Office of New Reactors 

FROM: Jim Kellum /RA/ 

Operator Licensing and Human Performance Branch 

Division of Construction, Inspection 

 & Operational Programs 

Office of New Reactors 

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF September 9, 2014, PUBLIC MEETING WITH 

THE NEI OPERATOR LICENSING FOCUS GROUP FOR NEW 

REACTORS 

On September 9, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a category 2 

public meeting with the NEI Operator Licensing Focus Group on New Reactor Operator 

Licensing at the NRC Region II offices in Atlanta, GA. This meeting is held on a quarterly basis 

to discuss scheduling and the ongoing issues and challenges to administering licensed operator 

examinations for new AP-1000 units. Enclosure 1 lists the attendees at the meeting. Enclosure 

2 is the meeting agenda. 

The NRC staff discussed with the NEI Focus group the future examination schedule and 

potential issues that may impact completing the exams. Vogtle and Summer personnel 

discussed actions they are taking to have the plant reference simulator (PRS) available when 

needed to support the exam schedule. The industry is continuously evaluating the examination 

schedule and will inform the NRC as far in advance as possible of any potential schedule 

adjustments. 

The licensees commented that in a few cases the simulators were responding differently. The 

NRC staff reiterated that the reason the Integrated System Validation (ISV), to be done at the 

Westinghouse facility and the licensees allowed to take credit for it, was that their simulators 

and design were the same and should respond identically; if that isn’t the case each site would 

need to perform their own ISV. This also applies to the operator licensing exams. The path to 

completion of ISV and a PRS was discussed and will be delineated in a subsequent meeting 

summary. 

Vogtle and Summer requested a sample plan for the first operator licensing examination, 

scheduled for May 2105. The sample plan was provided to them in July, 2014. Based on that 

sample plan, the development of the written examination is underway. 
M. Junge - 2 - 

The NRC staff stated the revision (Rev. 10) to NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination 

Standard for Power Reactors public comments have been incorporated and Rev. 10 is now with 

the Office of General Counsel for review. 

An agreement list has been generated that delineates agreed upon resolution of items regarding 

the licensing of operators on first of a kind new reactors. This list has been agreed upon by the 

Staff and the licensees. It is included as Enclosure 3. 

The next quarterly meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 21st, 2015 at the NRC Region II 

offices in Atlanta, GA. 

Questions and comments raised by meeting participants will be evaluated by the NRC staff. 

CONTACT: Jim Kellum, NRO/DCIP 

 (301) 415-5305
M. Junge - 2 - 

The NRC staff stated the revision (Rev. 10) to NUREG-1021, Operator Licensing Examination 

Standard for Power Reactors public comments have been incorporated and Rev. 10 is now with 

the Office of General Counsel for review. 

An agreement list has been generated that delineates agreed upon resolution of items regarding 

the licensing of operators on first of a kind new reactors. This list has been agreed upon by the 

Staff and the licensees. It is included as Enclosure 3. 

The next quarterly meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 21st, 2015 at the NRC Region II 

offices in Atlanta, GA. 

Questions and comments raised by meeting participants will be evaluated by the NRC staff. 

CONTACT: Jim Kellum, NRO/DCIP 

 (301) 415-5305 

Enclosures: 

1. NRC/APOG AP-1000 owners group on 

 New reactor operator licensing 

2. Agenda for the category 2 public meeting with the 

 NEI licensed operator focus group for new reactors 

3. Agreement List 

DISTRIBUTION: 

See next page 

ADAMS Accession Number: ML14275A385 NRO-001 

OFFICE DCIP/COLP DCIP/COLP 

NAME JKellum MJunge 

DATE 10/7/2014 10/8/2014 

 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 
Summary of September 9, 2014 meeting with the AP-1000 Owners Group on New Reactor 

Operator Licensing 

DISTRIBUTION: 

Region II Receptionist (hard copy) 

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TReis, RII 

MMiller, RII 

MWidmann, RII 

EGuthrie, RII 

LWert, RII 

FBrown, RII 

JYerokun, RII 

HPeterson, RIII 

GShear, RIII 

DRoberts, RIII 

JGiessner, RIII 

JClark, RIV 

TBlount, RIV 

VGaddy, RIV 

SReynolds, RIV 

SRutledge, TTC 

SCochrum, TTC 

REgli, TTC 

Charles Sawyer (charles.sawyer@duke-energy.com) 
Enclosure 1 

NRC/APOG AP-1000 OWNERS GROUP ON 

NEW REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING 

September 9, 2014 

Name Organization 

Gene Guthrie NRC / R-II 

Jim Kellum NRC / NRO 

Charles Sawyer Duke Energy 

Mike Junge NRC / NRO 

Mark Verbeck SNC 

Leon Ray SNC 

Melinda Bogart GEH 

Dick Sweigart Duke 

Terry McCool FPL 

Gary Callaway NRC/TTC 

Malcolm Widmann NRC / R-II 

Al Harris SCE & G 

Mark Bates NRC/ R-II 

Keith Pope SNC 

Paul Mothena SCANA 

Jason Weathersby SCANA 

Tom Kuhar Westinghouse 

David Lanyi NRC / R-II 

Andy Barbee SCANA 

Bob Hirmanpour SNC 

Dan Bacon NRC / R-II 

Rick Connolly SCANA 

Greg Crosby SNC 

Wes Sparkman SNC 

Tim Nellenbeck INPO 

Marvin Lewis Member of public 

Larry Nutt GEH 

Nick Pappas NEI 

Gary Olmstead SNC 

Richard Grumbir APOG 

Pat Leary SCANA 
Enclosure 2 

AGENDA FOR THE CATEGORY 2 PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE 

NEI LICENSED OPERATOR FOCUS GROUP FOR NEW REACTORS 

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 

8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

Marquis One Tower 

245 Peachtree Center Avenue N.E. 

Conference Room R2-945-30P (9th Floor) 

Atlanta, GA 30303-1257 

 Bridge Line Information: Phone: 888-324-2612, Passcode 29892

TOPIC LEAD 

Introductions and opening remarks NRC 

Public input Public 

• Written exam NRC/APOG 

- Simulator NRC/APOG 

Southern/SCANA 

Leon Ray 

• Update from monthly APOG meetings APOG 

• NUREG 1021 revision status update NRC 

• Miscellaneous/Emergent topics NRC/APOG 

Public input Public 

Summary / Conclusion / Action item review NRC
Enclosure 3 

Agreements between the NRC and AP-1000 Owners Group (APOG) for the initial Vogtle and VC 

Summer AP-1000 licensed operator examinations 

The following list of agreements have been discussed and agreed upon by the NRC staff and the 

APOG. These agreements do not impact NUREG 1021 and are in place for the first three license 

examinations only. These agreements are necessary to implement first of a kind licensed operator 

examinations without a complete power plant in place. 
- 2 - 

Agreement List 

1. If a license candidate has been previously licensed but has never taken a modern era 

Generic Fundamentals Examination (GFE) then they will have to take and pass a utility 

administered GFE examination, as described in NUREG 1021, ED-204, section D, step 

1.k(2). 

2. Training material and the simulator software load will be frozen for first three 

examinations— this gap (gap covers changes made to the plant and procedures during 

the freeze) will be closed during continuing training / gap training and an examination 

administered on this training. The first license examination on updated information will 

be the 4th NRC examination. 

3. NRC examination candidates have one year to complete the license examination—if the 

examination is not completed in one year, the candidate will have to complete another 

NRC examination in its entirety. 

4. NEI-06-13A/licensee’s Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) requires 240 

hours of observation activities to familiarize the candidate with operational interfaces 

encountered by licensed operators. The 240 hours shall be after systems training. The 

training could be at the Initial License Operator candidate level and could be 

accomplished at a different plant. Navy training does not preclude having to complete 

the 240 hours. These activities can include control room observation as well as activities 

outside the control room such as the work control center, operator walk downs, etc. 

5. NUREG 1021, ES-301-2 outline can be submitted without the field Job Performance 

Measures (JPMs) listed on the form. When the plant has been sufficiently completed the 

outline will include the field JPMs. 

6. Waivers are allowed for a group of candidates if all candidates have the same request. 

The utility will write one letter and the NRC will put a copy in each person’s file. If a 

candidate's waiver request is only for that individual then a waiver for that person must 

be done separately. 

7. Candidates who pass the initial examination will have conditions/restrictions placed on 

the license. Approximately six months prior to fuel load NRC will inspect gap training 

and examinations on the gap training and if satisfactory will remove 

restriction/conditions. The condition/restriction process will be in place for the first three 

NRC examinations. 

8. NUREG 1021 Form 398 has a signature for training complete—the Site VP can sign the 

398 after the waivers are approved by the NRC. 

9. Single unit or dual unit license - see NUREG-204 for guidance. 

10. The Knowledge and Abilities (KA) catalog will remain a draft until after the first refueling. 

After the first refueling a team will be formed to re-evaluate the contents of the KA 

catalog and re-rate the KAs. 

11. A separate security agreement for the three in-plant JPMs can be utilized and standalone from the security agreement for the other parts of the same examination. 

12. The quality of the examination submittal will not be judged as satisfactory or 

unsatisfactory for the first two NRC examinations since they will be developed in 

collaboration with the NRC.