Sequoyah Employees Post 100-Percent Pass Rate on NRC Operator Exams
July 29, 2004
All 11 employees at TVA’s Sequoyah Nuclear Plant who took operator exams administered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission passed and will be awarded operator licenses.
“Each of these individuals has earned the confidence of TVA and the NRC,” said Sequoyah Vice President Randy Douet. “They are key players in providing safe, reliable and affordable power in the Tennessee Valley because they contribute directly to the safe operation of the nuclear portion of TVA’s mix of power-generation sources.”
Seven of the employees took exams to become reactor operators, while four others took exams to become senior reactor operators. Sequoyah employees who passed exams to become reactor operators were Chris Brooks, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.; Michelle Conner, Harrison, Tenn.; Stacy Harvey, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.; Casey Pfeiffer, Chattanooga; Tenn.; Ryan Radel, Hixson, Tenn.; Jimmy Thomas, Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.; and David Williams, Flintstone, Ga.
Sequoyah employees who previously held reactor operator licenses – Cecil Dyer and Debbie Travis of Hixson, Tenn., and Roscoe Putnam of Pikeville, Tenn. – passed exams to become senior reactor operators. Gary Garner, a Hixson, Tenn., resident who holds an engineering degree and has extensive plant experience, also passed exams to serve as a senior reactor operator at Sequoyah.
To earn an operator license under TVA’s program, employees must meet specific educational and experience requirements. They then must complete about 18 months of training in the classroom, in the plant and on the plant simulator, which is a replica of the control room.
At the end of the training program, the NRC administers exams to become licensed by the NRC, which oversees U.S. nuclear-power plants.
“These individuals have devoted a tremendous amount of time and effort to becoming highly trained nuclear-plant professionals,” said Sequoyah Plant Manager Dave Kulisek.
Kulisek said operators must complete at least 200 hours of training annually and take license re-examinations each year to ensure they maintain their expertise and level of knowledge.
Because years of training and on the job experience are required to become an assistant unit operator, reactor operator or senior reactor operator, TVA’s nuclear program must constantly look ahead and identify future staffing needs. Such attrition planning is vital to sustaining safe and reliable performance.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely selffinanced. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.5 million consumers in seven southeastern states.
Media Contact:
Kay Whittenburg, (423) 843-7839
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
