January 15, 1997
Mr. George Usova
USNRC
Washington, DC 20555
Dear Sir:
Thank you for your call on January 13, 1997, concerning a necessary requirement for correcting erroneous test items in The INPO Generic Fundamentals Test Item Catalog. You reemphasized a criterion that was included in an NRC letter dated December 23, 1996. This criterion is as follows:
" Concerns about training problems (including erroneous test items and errors in a General Electric BWR manual) must be supported by specific instances of a documentable link to a safety significant event that has occurred in a U.S. nuclear plant ."
As I indicated, I do not consider this to be a valid criterion. First, because existing error, in and of itself, is full and sufficient reason for correcting both the test items and a GE BWR manual used in training. And secondly, since I do not have access to the NRC/INPO safety significant events record, it is impossible to provide the required linkage so as to meet this criteria. In addition, if the NRC really believes it possible for training problems, including error in INPO test items, to cause reactor accidents, as this particular requirement certainly indicates, then all the more reason to ensure that errors are not contained in this Catalog.
Sincerely yours,
Robert G. Stater