IR 05000326/2025201
| ML25059A183 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of California - Irvine (R-116) |
| Issue date: | 03/03/2025 |
| From: | Tony Brown NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPO |
| To: | Stern H University of California - Irvine |
| Arellano J | |
| References | |
| IR 2025201 | |
| Download: ML25059A183 (1) | |
Text
SUBJECT:
BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION SAFETY INSPECTION REPORT NO. 05000326/2025201
Dear Dr. Stern:
From January 22-24, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff conducted an inspection at the University of California, Irvine, Nuclear Reactor Facility. The enclosed report documents the inspection results, which were discussed on January 24, 2025, with you and members of your staff.
The inspection examined activities conducted under your license as they relate to safety and compliance with the Commissions rules and regulations and with the conditions of your license.
The inspector reviewed selected procedures and records, observed various activities, and interviewed personnel. Based on the results of this inspection, no findings of significance were identified. No response to this letter is required.
In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding, a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs document system (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC website at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
March 3, 2025 If you have any questions concerning this inspection, please contact Juan Arellano at (301) 415-0477, or by email to Juan.Arellano@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Tony Brown, Chief Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Oversight Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-326 License No. R-116 Enclosure:
As stated cc: w/enclosure: GovDelivery Subscribers Signed by Brown, Tony on 03/03/25
ML25059A183 NRC-002 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPO NRR/DANU/UNPO/LA NRR/DANU/UNPO/BC NAME JArellano NParker TBrown DATE 2/28/2025 2/28/2025 3/3/2025
Enclosure U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION Docket No.:
50-326 License No.:
R-116 Report No.:
05000326/2025201 Licensee:
Board of Regents of the University of California Facility:
University of California, Irvine, Nuclear Reactor Facility Location:
Irvine, CA Dates:
January 22-24, 2025 Inspector:
Juan Arellano Approved by:
Tony Brown, Chief Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Oversight Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
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SUMMARY The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) continued monitoring the licensees performance by conducting an inspection at the University of California - Irvine, Nuclear Reactor Facility (UCINRF), in accordance with the research and test reactor inspection program. This is the NRCs program for overseeing the safe operation of licensed research and test reactors. Refer to https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/non-power.html for more information.
List of Violations No violations of more than minor significance were identified.
Additional Tracking Items None.
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REPORT DETAILS Facility Status The UCIRNF 250-kilowatt TRIGA Mark I research reactor operates in support of experiments, training, and periodic equipment surveillances. During the inspection, the reactor was not operated and shutdown.
Inspection Scopes Inspections were conducted using the appropriate portions of the inspection procedures (IPs) in effect at the beginning of the inspection unless otherwise noted. Currently approved IPs with their attached revision histories are located on the public website at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/insp-manual/inspection-procedure/index.html.
Inspections were declared complete when the IP requirements most appropriate to the inspection activity were met consistent with Inspection Manual Chapter 2545, Research and Test Reactor Inspection Program. The inspector reviewed selected procedures and records, observed activities, and interviewed personnel to assess licensee performance and compliance with Commission rules and regulations, license conditions, site procedures, and standards.
69001 - Class II Non-Power Reactors This inspection included a review of selected aspects of the research and test reactor since the last inspection, to verify activities were conducted safely and in accordance with regulatory requirements and licensee commitments.
Procedures (IP Section 02.03)
This inspection included a review of selected licensee procedures to verify: that the administrative controls were in accordance with the technical specifications (TSs), license requirements, and licensee commitments; the procedures in use were current and reviewed and approved, as required by the TSs; procedures were implemented as intended; and reactor personnel were observing administrative controls and TS requirements relative to procedural adherence. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:
select facility procedures
observation of a fuel temperature channel calibration
Reactor Operations Committee (ROC) meeting minutes, dated 2023-present Experiments (IP Section 02.06)
This inspection included a review of selected experiments and procedures to verify licensee experiments were reviewed, approved, and conducted in accordance with TS requirements, licensee procedures, and the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.59, Changes, tests and experiments. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:
select irradiation request forms from 2023 - present
select irradiation performance forms performed from 2023 - present
experimental review report for 2024
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ROC meeting minutes, dated 2023-present
select experiment procedures
select experiment approvals Health Physics (IP Section 02.07)
This inspection included a review of the licensees health physics program to verify that the provisions of 10 CFR Part 19, Notices, Instructions and Reports to Workers: Inspection and Investigations, and 10 CFR Part 20, Standards for Protection against Radiation, the TSs, and the licensees procedural requirements were met. The inspector reviewed: licensees dose limits; required radiation surveys, sampling, and monitoring; calibration of radiological instruments; the personnel dosimetry program; effluent releases; posting requirements; training requirements; the implementation of as low as is reasonably achievable principles; and the radiation protection programs review and approval requirements. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:
annual operating report for 2022 - 2023
annual operating report for 2023 - 2024
select Emergency Health & Safety (EH&S) radiation survey and swipes performed from 2023 - present
select UCIRNF radiation swipes performed from 2023 - present
select EH&S summary inspection reports performed from 2023 - present
select EH&S checklists for UCINRF performed from 2023 - present
select UCINRF dosimetry review cover pages performed from 2023 - present
select UCIRNF personnel dosimetry records from 2023 - present
environmental dosimetry records from 2023 - present
select calibration records for handheld detectors from 2023 - present
select calibration records for area radiation monitors and continuous air monitors from 2023 - present
select reactor electronic dosimeter calibration records from 2023 - present
select radiation training records from 2024 - present
observation of postings
select health physics procedures Design Changes (IP Section 02.08)
This inspection included a review of design changes to determine whether they were reviewed, approved, and implemented in accordance with 10 CFR 50.59, the TSs, and the licensees administrative procedures. The inspector verified that modified equipment would continue to meet regulatory and procedural requirements and licensee commitments. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:
10 CFR 50.59 evaluations, dated 2023 - present
ROC meeting minutes, dated 2023-present Committees, Audits and Reviews (IP Section 02.09)
This inspection included a review of the licensees committees, audits and reviews to verify the ROC and independent audits were conducted in accordance with the TSs. The inspector
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verified issues identified from reviews were resolved in accordance with the TSs requirements and the licensees procedures. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:
ROC meeting minutes, dated 2023-present
audits performed by TS 6.2.4
list of ROC members 86740 - Inspection of Transportation Activities This inspection included a review of the licensees transportation activities to verify they established and maintained an effective management-controlled program, to ensure radiological and nuclear safety in the receipt, packaging, and delivery of licensed radioactive materials.
Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:
select transportation procedures
select shipment records dated from 2023-present
select radioactive shipping label checklist performed from 2023-present
transfer of radioactive material forms 2023 - present Inspection Results No violations of more than minor significance were identified.
Exit Meeting and Debriefs The inspector verified no proprietary information was retained or documented in this report.
- On January 24, 2025, the inspector presented the NRC inspection results to members of licensee management and staff.
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Documents Reviewed Inspection Procedure Type Designation Description or Title Revision or Date 2.
Experiments 3.3b 4.
Normal and Unusual Reactor Operating Procedures 3.3b 69001.03 Standard Operating Procedure 5.
UCIRNF Radiological Safety Program (RSP)
3.3b
Assigned Experiment Number February 23, 2024 Experiment Approval
Assigned Experiment Number July 21, 2023 69001.06 Standard Operating Procedure N/A Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis February 2, 2022 N/A Annual UCI Nuclear Reactor Facility Radiation Safety Review for 2022 May 15, 2023 N/A Annual UCI Nuclear Reactor Facility Radiation Safety Review for 2021 August 4, 2022 Review N/A 2023 Annual Review of the Radiation Safety Program UC Irvine Campus June 10, 2024 N/A Radiation Safety Manual University of California Irvine July 2019 7001 Radiation Use Authorization October 21, 2023 N/A RUA Renewal October 9, 2023 Radiation Safety N/A RUA Survey Worksheet January 21, 2025 69001.07 Safety Analysis Report ADAMS Accession No.
ML11255A073 Response to request for additional information August 1, 2011
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2024-01 UCIRNF Change Documentation Form February 22, 2024 2024-02 UCIRNF Change Documentation Form March 22, 2024 2024-03 UCIRNF Change Documentation Form July 11, 2024 2024-04 UCIRNF Change Documentation Form December 11, 2023 2023-03 amended UCIRNF Change Documentation Form August 14, 2023 2023-03 UCIRNF Change Documentation Form August 2, 2023 2023-02 UCIRNF Change Documentation Form June 16, 2023 69001.08 Design Change 2023-01 UCIRNF Change Documentation Form February 24, 2023 128 UCI Nuclear Reactor Facility March 4, 2022 129 Notice of Regular Meeting April 21, 2023 Meeting Minutes 130 Notice of Regular Meeting April 18, 2024 N/A Health Physics Report and ROC Audit March 3, 2022 N/A Health Physics Report and ROC Audit April 17, 2023 Audit N/A Health Physics Report and ROC Audit March 22, 2024 69001.09 Manual GA-9389 TRIGA MARK I 250-K Pulsing Reactor Mechanical Maintenance and Operating Manual June 1, 1969