Information Notice 2016-06, Uranium Hexafluoride Cylinders with Potentially Defective 1-Inch Valves

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Uranium Hexafluoride Cylinders with Potentially Defective 1-Inch Valves
ML15303A504
Person / Time
Issue date: 05/12/2016
From: Dan Collins
Spent Fuel Licensing Branch
To:
Vera J
References
IN-16-006
Download: ML15303A504 (6)
v • d • e


UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS

WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 May 12, 2016 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2016-06: URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE CYLINDERS WITH

POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE 1-INCH VALVES

ADDRESSEES

All licensees authorized to possess and use source material or special nuclear material for the

heating, emptying, filling, or shipping of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) in 30- and 48-inch cylinders.

All holders of, and applicants for, a specific source material license under Title 10 of the Code of

Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 40, Domestic Licensing of Source Material.

All holders of, and applicants for, a fuel cycle facility license under 10 CFR Part 70, Domestic

Licensing of Special Nuclear Material.

Registered users of certificates of compliance for enriched (fissile) UF6 packages under

10 CFR Part 71, Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material.

Holders of Certificates of Compliance for enriched (fissile) UF6 packages under 10 CFR Part 71, Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material.

All State Radiation Control Program Directors.

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

U.S. Department of Energy.

PURPOSE

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice (IN) to remind

addressees, including more recent NRC licensees, of performance and safety concerns

regarding UF6 cylinders with 1-inch valves manufactured by the Hunt Valve Company of Salem, OH. The NRC expects the recipients to review the information within this IN and consider

actions, as appropriate, for cylinders in their possession or that they expect to receive.

However, suggestions contained in this IN are not NRC requirements; therefore, no specific

action or written response is required.

DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES

This section describes events involving transportation of cylinders fitted with Hunt valves that

have occurred within the past 5 years:

ML15303A504 * During 2014, as part of the shutdown of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant operated

by the former United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC)1, four 48G cylinders

containing natural UF6 were shipped to Honeywell. These cylinders were fitted with Hunt

valves. Two of the cylinders were received and inspected by Honeywell and discovered

to have Hunt valves installed. The other two cylinders were returned to USEC Paducah

before they were received.

  • During late 2012 through early 2013, to support the Mixed Oxide Fuel Facility (MOX)

project, MOX shipped eight 48G cylinders containing depleted UF6 to AREVA. Six of

these cylinders were fitted with Hunt valves. Although shipment of depleted UF6 is not

within the NRCs purview, the NRC is concerned about the transportation of cylinders

containing Hunt valves because these cylinders may be used in NRC-regulated

activities.

  • During 2011, to support the Chinese AP1000 project, the China Nuclear Energy Industry

Corporation sent five 30B cylinders containing enriched UF6 cylinders to Westinghouse

Electric Company, Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (Westinghouse). These cylinders

were fitted with Hunt valves. Westinghouse changed out the Hunt valves with

acceptable cylinder valves.

BACKGROUND

Several provisions of the NRCs regulations, license conditions, and certificates of compliance

address the adequacy of equipment, facilities, and procedures to protect health and minimize

danger to life or property. These include regulations in 10 CFR 70.23(a)(3) and (a)(4);

10 CFR 71.43, General Standards for All Packages; and 10 CFR 71.85, Preliminary

Determinations. These provisions also address the packaging and transportation of radioactive

material. The manufacture, testing, and use of UF6 cylinder valves consistent with the

provisions of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N14.1 standard, Uranium

HexafluoridePackaging for Transport, provides an adequate level of assurance that the

health and safety of the public and workers are protected, both for onsite operations and during

transportation. The NRC has specified the use of the ANSI N14.1 standard through the NRC

certificates of compliance for fissile UF6 transportation packages. The 10 CFR Part 71, Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material, regulation applies to any licensee

authorized by a specific or general license to receive, possess, use, or transfer licensed

material. The regulations in 10 CFR 71.5, Transportation of Licensed Material, invoke DOT

requirements under 10 CFR Parts 107, 171 through 180, and 390 through 397.

The DOT requirements at 49 CFR 173.420, Uranium Hexafluoride (Fissile, Fissile Excepted, and Non-Fissile) require, in part, that packages containing UF6 be designed, fabricated, and

inspected in accordance with the ANSI N14.1 standard in effect at the time the packaging was

manufactured. Material used to manufacture cylinder valves must meet the material

stress-relief specifications stated in ANSI N14.1.

1 The NRC terminated USECs certificate of compliance for the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant on

October 12, 2011, and the certificate of compliance for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant on

February 2, 2015, per USECs requests, after USEC decided to end NRC-regulated activities at those sites. In addition, Section 5.4.6, One-inch Valves-Defect of USEC-651, The UF6 Manual, Good

Handling Practices for Uranium Hexafluoride, provides a listing of various manufacturers whose

valves are considered unacceptable for use. The section further states that Hunt valves are not

acceptable for shipment of cylinders that contain greater than a heel quantity of UF6. The intent

is that the valve will be replaced before re-filling.

NRC has previously identified performance and safety concerns with 1-inch valves for UF6 cylinders manufactured by Hunt. These safety concerns have been previously documented in

the following:

  • NRC Inspection Report 99902011-2001-201, issued October 25, 2001, identified a

number of significant deficiencies with Hunts compliance with quality assurance

requirements.

  • NRC IN 2002-31, Potentially Defective UF6 Cylinder Valves (1-Inch), issued on

October 31, 2002, discussed safety concerns related to UF6 cylinder valves

manufactured by Hunt. Those safety concerns involved: (1) cracked packing nuts, and

(2) the loss of material traceability and failure to conduct hardness testing, for a series of

heat codes, for valve stems purchased by USEC.

  • NRC IN 2002-31, Supplement 1, Potentially Defective UF6 Cylinder Valves (1-Inch),

issued on March 24, 2003, discussed additional safety concerns related to UF6 cylinder

valves manufactured by Hunt. USEC conducted a testing program, on a sample of

valves, to demonstrate that the 1-inch UF6 Hunt valves would be able to perform their

intended safety function. Because of those tests, several 1-inch valves manufactured by

Hunt for UF6 cylinders failed the pressurized seat leakage acceptance criteria of the

ANSI N14.1 standard. All failed valves were from Hunt valve Vendor Lot 200027-85.

Cylinders, was issued on August 29, 2003.

  • NRC Inspection Report 70-1113/2005-001, issued March 11, 2005, identified a notice of

deviation for the failure to replace all Hunt valves on the cylinders owned by the

licensee.

DISCUSSION

In 2003, the NRC issued Bulletin 2003-03 for the following reasons:

  • To advise addressees of the performance and safety concerns with 1-inch valves for

UF6 cylinders manufactured by Hunt.

  • To request that action addressees take specific actions intended to identify potentially

defective Hunt valves under their control. * To ensure cylinders with Hunt valves already installed were safely used and transported

during a transition period.

  • To ensure that only valves verified to be compliant with NRC regulations, NRC licenses

and certificates, and DOT regulations were in use by the end of a transition period.

All action addressees were required to provide the NRC with a written response to the bulletin, detailing their plans to address their stock of Hunt valves and cylinders with Hunt valves.

In accordance with the bulletins instructions, licensees submitted their plans, which were

approved by the NRC as detailed in the following table.

Table 1: Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession

Numbers for Licensee Responses to Bulletin 2003-03 and NRC Approvals

Licensee Docket ADAMS Accession Nos. ADAMS Accession

for Licensee Nos. for

Responses NRC Approvals

Framatome

ANP, Inc. 07001257 ML032810214 ML040850633 (Richland)

Global

Nuclear Fuel - ML032720331 ML032810007

07000113 Americas, LLC ML15272A386 ML041030378 (Wilmington)

Honeywell ML032751379

04003392 ML041030416 (Metropolis) ML041890276 USEC ML032880118 ML040770043

07007001 (Paducah, ML041560120 ML041910540

07007002 Portsmouth) ML051230301 ML051370588 Westinghouse

Electric ML032810122 ML041040537

07001151 Company

(Columbia)

Nuclear Fuel No NRC response

Services, Inc. 07000143 ML032720710 possessed no Hunt

(Erwin) valves In general, most licensees had a limited number of Hunt valves installed or in inventory, with the

exception of USEC. Most of the approved plans in response to NRC Bulletin 2003-03 allowed

use of the valves for purposes of storage, but required replacement of the valves before

transportation. The events and circumstances previously highlighted in this IN demonstrate that

some users of UF6 cylinders may lack awareness of the issue. Users of UF6 cylinders should

consider the information outlined in the Background section of this IN with respect to cylinders

they possess or may receive.

CONTACT

This IN requires no specific action or written response. Please direct any questions about this

matter to the technical contact listed below.

/RA/

Daniel S. Collins, Director

Division of Material, Safety, State, Tribal

and Rulemaking Programs

Office of Nuclear Material Safety

and Safeguards

Technical Contact:

John Vera, NMSS/DSFM

301-415-5790

Email: john.vera@nrc.gov

Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, under Electronic Reading Room/Document Collections.

ML15303A504 *concurred via email

OFFICE NMSS/DSFM/SFLB NMSS/FCSE/ECB

  • NMSS/MSTR RII/DFFI/PB1 NMSS/FCSE/ECB

NAME JVera OSiurano AMcIntosh OLopez-Santiago TGrice

DATE 09/29/2015 11/09/2015 09/30/2015 11/03/2015 11/09/2015 OFFICE NMSS/DSFM/SFLB *TECH EDITOR NMSS/DSFM NMSS/FCSE NMSS/MSTR

NAME MSampson JDougherty MLombard CErlanger DCollins

DATE 10/16/2015 3/14/2016 3/31/2016 3/28/2016 5/12/16


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