Expertise - Biography

Bill Fountain

Mr. Bill Fountain is a nuclear power plant professional with a broad range of managerial and implementation experience in the area of Licensing, Quality Assurance/Controls and Engineering.  Bill has a proven record managing/performing licensing projects and QA/QC activities as well as providing regulatory strategies for responses/submittals to the NRC and advising senior site/corporate leadership.  Mr. Fountain is proficient at interfacing with regulators and other outside agencies.  His principle strengths are his considerable hands-on experiences, his attention to detail, and his transferable passion/commitment to excellence.

 Corporate/Plant Experience

• 2014-Present - Consultant, NWI Consulting, LLC, Knoxville, TN.
• 1994-2013 - Technical Specialist IV/Sr. Licensing Specialist in the River Bend Licensing Department, Entergy's River Bend Station, St. Francisville, LA. .Licensing functions (reportabilities; inspection support/coordination (Nuclear Security in particular), correspondence preparation, verification, review, approval, issuance, and closeout). My responsibilities also included the initial creation and roll-outs of controlled electronic versions of the RBS Operation Licensing Manual (Technical Specifications) and Updated Safety Analysis Report (USAR / FSAR), as well as various USAR/TS maintenance activities. Beginning in 2002, I assumed responsibility for generating/issuing the various River Bend responses to the events of September 11, 2001, commonly referred to as B5B. I was heavily involved in coordinating and tracking River Bend’s implementation of the many actions to implement the B5B strategies, including primary responsibility during the NRC’s B5B Compliance Inspection (clean inspection). After the Fukushima event, I became responsible for generating/issuing the River Bend Fukushima responses, and continued heavy involvement in various Fukushima activities until retirement in December 2013.
• 1985-1994 - Senior Quality Assurance Engineer, River Bend Licensing Department, Entergy's River Bend Station, St. Francisville, LA. As a Quality Specialist IV, I worked in the Quality Assurance Department in both the Quality Systems (audits) and Operations Quality Assurance (surveillances) groups; planning, leading/participating in, and reporting audits and surveillances of the QA program. Responsibilities include leading audits of the RBS Physical Security Program, the Fire Protection Program and the Emergency Preparedness Program. Acquired additional responsibility as the QS Audit Coordinator (audit team personnel assignments and scheduling for RBS audits). Audit experience also includes being Project Manager for the first two River Bend Safety System Functional Inspections (SSFls), which were conducted with mixed teams of utility and contract personnel on the Instrument Air System and on the Standby Liquid Control System. Also functioned as the OQA Surveillance Coordinator - responsible for reviewing the completed surveillances of other personnel prior to the supervisor’s review/approval. An integral part of the surveillance process was the identification, tracking, and resolution of deficiencies, including interface with all levels of company management and regulatory agencies.
• 1980-1985 - Senior QC Inspector, Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation (SWEC), Field Quality Control Department, Mechanical Discipline. Responsibilities included establishing and maintaining the surveillance programs on the subcontractors installing the Control Rod Drive System and the internals of the Standby Cooling Tower. To a lesser degree, the Primary Cooling Towers and the Fire Protection System were also included in the subcontractor surveillances. Performed inspections of mechanical equipment installations, pressure tests, ASME NF supports, fuel pool liners, and all phases of construction welding.
• 1977-1980
  • LARCHMONT DIVISION OF KELLWOOD, SUMMIT, MS. (SEPTEMBER 1980 TO MARCH 1982)
    As Senior Project Engineer, worked out of division offices at various plants in motivation, work place layout and flow, work balancing, incentive rates, cost analyzation and reduction, equipment justification, work method analysis and improvement, time study, production study, and standard time analysis.
  • VASSARETTE, DIVISION OF MUNSINGWEAR, AT WINNFIELD, LA. (AUGUST 1977 TO SEPTEMBER 1980
    As Resident Engineer from October 1979 to September 1980, as Plant Engineer from July 1978 to October 1979, and as Engineer from August 1977 to July 1978; was heavily involved in the construction phases of a new plant. Work included contractor coordination, final departmental layout, analyzing and procuring various equipment needed in the setup of the new plant, and coordinating deliveries of items. After plant construction was completed in 1978, assumed responsibility for the incentive rate system; building maintenance; work area layout, flow, and balancing; and worked with operators and inspectors on work methods. Became responsible for all industrial engineering functions at the plant in 1979. Supervised one Junior Engineer and one Time-study Clerk. Performed several administrative functions normally handled by an Assistant Plant Manager.

  Education

• Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, B. S. Industrial Management – 1971

  Academic Credentials and Qualifications

• Quality Assurance/Quality Control Certifications/Qualifications
• ANSI Certified Lead Auditor
• American Society for Quality Control, Certified Quality Engineer (ASQC-CQE)
• American Welding Society -Certified Welding Inspector (AWS-CWI)
• Level II SNT-TC-1A certifications in MT, PT, & ASME XI Visual
• Level II qualifications in contract monitoring, weld inspection, pressure testing, drilled-in-anchors, piping supports, piping installation, pipe welding, mechanical equipment, bubble testing, and rigging & handling.
• Requested speaker at the nuclear industry’s Corrective Action Program Owner’s Group (2004)
• Chief Nuclear Officer’s Exceptional Service Award 2003 – Exelon Corporate (Exelon’s highest award)
• Distinguished Performance Award 2003 - Clinton Power Station (Station’s highest award)
• Advanced Prevention and Reduction of Organizational & Programmatic Failures - Performance Improvement International (PII)
• Observation and Human Error Reduction Techniques - Performance Improvement International
• TapRoot Advanced Investigation Team Leader - System Improvement Inc.
• Equifactor Equipment Reliability Troubleshooting & TapRoot Root Cause Analysis – System Improvement Inc.
• Computer Literate (Microsoft Word, Excel, Lotus Notes, PassPort, Event & Causal Factor Charting)