ML092150326
| ML092150326 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of New Mexico |
| Issue date: | 08/11/2009 |
| From: | Doyle P Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch |
| To: | Busch R Univ of New Mexico |
| Doyle P, NRC/NRR/DPR/PRT, 415-1058 | |
| References | |
| TAC ME1590 | |
| Download: ML092150326 (7) | |
Text
August 11, 2009 Dr. Robert D. Busch, Chief Reactor Supervisor Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department University of New Mexico 209 Farris Engineering Department Albuquerque, NM 87131-1341
SUBJECT:
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE AGN-201M REACTOR APPLICATION FOR LICENSE RENEWAL (TAC NO. ME1590)
Dear Dr. Busch:
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is reviewing your application to renew Facility Operating License R-102 for the University of New Mexico AGN-201M Research Reactor, which you submitted on February 21, 2007. As a result of our review of your Technical Specifications we have identified areas where we require additional information. Please provide either responses or a schedule to respond to the enclosed request for additional information within 30 days of the date of this letter. You must execute your response in a signed original under oath of affirmation according to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 50.30(b). While waiting for receipt of the additional information, we will continue our review of other documents covered by your license renewal amendment request, and the preparation of NRC documents required to renew your license.
If you have any questions regarding this review, please contact me at (301) 415-1058 or Paul.Doyle@nrc.gov, or Linh Tran at (301) 415-4103, or Linh.Tran@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Paul V, Doyle Jr., Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Branch A Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-252
Enclosure:
As stated cc: w/enclosure: See next page
August 11, 2009 Dr. Robert D. Busch, Chief Reactor Supervisor Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department University of New Mexico 209 Farris Engineering Department Albuquerque, NM 87131-1341
SUBJECT:
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE AGN-201M REACTOR APPLICATION FOR LICENSE RENEWAL (TAC NO. ME1590)
Dear Dr. Busch:
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is reviewing your application to renew Facility Operating License R-102 for the University of New Mexico AGN-201M Research Reactor, which you submitted on February 21, 2007. As a result of our review of your Technical Specifications we have identified areas where we require additional information. Please provide either responses or a schedule to respond to the enclosed request for additional information within 30 days of the date of this letter. You must execute your response in a signed original under oath of affirmation according to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 50.30(b). While waiting for receipt of the additional information, we will continue our review of other documents covered by your license renewal amendment request, and the preparation of NRC documents required to renew your license.
If you have any questions regarding this review, please contact me at (301) 415-1058 or Paul.Doyle@nrc.gov, or Linh Tran at (301) 415-4103, or Linh.Tran@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Paul V. Doyle Jr., Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Branch A Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-252
Enclosure:
As stated cc: w/enclosure: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RidsNrrDpr RidsNrrDprPrta RidsNrrDprPrtb GLappert, NRR PDoyle, NRR LTran, NRR ACCESSION NO: ML092150326 TEMPLATE #: NRR-088 OFFICE PRTA:CE PRTA:PM PRTA:LA PRTA:BC NAME PDoyle LTran, (WSchuster for)
GLappert KBrock (DHardesty for)
DATE 08/11/2009 08/04/2009 08/05/2009 08/06/2009 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
University of New Mexico Docket No. 50-252 cc:
City Manager City of Albuquerque City Hall Albuquerque, NM 87101 Robert D. Busch, Ph.D, P.E.
Chief Reactor Supervisor Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Dept, FEC 209 MSC01 1120 1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 Dr. Anil Prinja, Reactor Administrator Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department University of New Mexico 209 Farris Engineering, MSC 01-1120 Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 Mr. James De Zetter, Radiation Safety Officer Safety, Health, Environmental Affairs University of New Mexico 1801 Tucker NE, Bldg. 233MSC 07-4100 Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 Chief, Radiation Control Bureau Field Operations Division Environment Department Harold S. Runnels Bldg.
1190 St. Francis Drive, Rm S2100 Santa Fe, NM 87505-4173 Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary New Mexico State Environment Dept.
1190 St. Francis Drive, Suite 4050N Sante Fe, NM 87502-6110 Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGUALTION REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO AGN-201M REACTOR DOCKET NO. 50-252 A.
Technical Specifications - In general, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff finds the revised Technical Specifications submitted by letter dated February 21, 2007 to be well written. However, the reviewer has identified issues requiring clarification.
- 1.
Technical Specifications 2.2, Limiting Safety System Setting specification b, and Technical Specification 5.0 DESIGN FEATURES specification 5.1, Reactor, paragraph a, both refer to the thermal fuse melting at a temperature of 120EC vice 120°C, as stated in the bases for each specification. Please modify these paragraphs to correct the typographical error.
- 2.
Technical Specifications paragraphs 6.4.2.a, 6.4.2.b, 6.4.2.b, and 6.9.1.6, all refer to the term unreviewed safety question as defined in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.59. Regulation 10 CFR 50.59 no longer refers to the term unreviewed safety question. Please modify these paragraphs to conform to the wording of the regulation as it is written now.
- 3.
The outline format for Technical Specification section 6.9.1 is not consistent with the rest of the document. Most likely, the line Each Annual operating report shall include: should have an a. preceding it. Alternately all of the numbered paragraphs should become letters, and all of the lettered paragraphs should become numbers. In either case, please modify the formatting of this section of the technical specifications to bring it in line with rest of the document.
B.
Safety Analysis Report - Please submit additional information to clarify the following issues:
- 1.
Section II.C.3, describes the Low Power Interlock as preventing rod insertion if Channel #2 power is # 1 H 10-12 amps, while Technical Specification 3.2.d.4 gives a value of 50 H 10-6 watts. Are these numbers equivalent?
- 2.
Section V.A describes the Maximum Credible Accident (MCA). In the first paragraph, the facility states that as part of the hazards analysis a step increase of 2% is analyzed. However, the facility goes on to state that this number is arbitrary, and that if 2% could be added, then 20% could be added. Every reference the NRC has been able to find shows that the 2% is a reasonable value for the amount of reactivity which could be added to the glory hole. Does the facility management believe that the MCA should be changed to 20%? If so, please provide an analysis for the 20% accident. If the 20% number is not
correct, please provide the actual number which should be used for the MCA and the reason you chose this number. Also if the number you chose is different than 2%, please send an updated analysis of the transient (section V.E Evaluation of the Hypothetical Nuclear Runaway) using the new value.
- 3.
Section V.D states that the volume of the glory hole is 15 cm, and the typical loading volume is 0.15 gm/cm. These units are obviously incorrect. Please supply a corrected copy of this section of the Safety Analysis Report, for our review.
- 4.
The third paragraph of Section V.B, refers to figure 19, there is no reference to a figure 18, and figure 19 seems to be missing. Please supply a copy of the missing figure.
C.
Financial Qualifications - Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.33(f)(2), applicants to renew or extend the term of an operating license for a nonpower reactor shall include financial information that is required for an initial license. To comply with this requirement, please provide the following updated and supplemental information to the February 21, 2007, University of New Mexico (UNM) application (the application) for a renewed license for the University of New Mexico AGN-201 reactor (UNM AGN-201).
- 1.
The NRC staff will analyze the financial statements for the current year, which are required by 10 CFR 50.71(b), to determine if the applicant is financially qualified to operate the UNM AGN-201. Since UNMs financial statements submitted with the application in 2007 are currently out of date, please provide a copy of the latest financial statement.
- 2.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.33(f)(2), The applicant shall submit estimates for total annual operating costs for each of the first five years of operation of the facility.
Since the information included in the application is outdated, please provide the following additional information:
(a)
The estimated operating costs (2013 dollars) for each of the years FY2013 thru FY2017 (the first five-year period after the projected license renewal date).
(b)
UNMs source(s) of funding to cover the operating costs for the above fiscal years (e.g., state-funded budget, DOE grants, etc.).
- 3.
The application, dated February 21, 2007, states that the estimated costs to decommission the UNM AGN-201 reactor would be no more than $50,000 in 2007 dollars. In order for the NRC staff to complete its review of the decommissioning cost estimate, please update the application by including the following information:
(a)
A current cost estimate (2013 dollars) for the UNM AGN-201 to meet the NRCs radiological release criteria for decommissioning the facility for unrestricted use to comply with 10 CFR 50.75(d)(2). Accordingly, describe the basis on how the cost estimate was developed, show costs specifically broken down into the categories of labor, waste disposal, other items (such as energy, equipment, and supplies), and include a contingency factor of at least 25%.
(b)
A statement of the decommissioning method to be used (e.g., DECON or other method).
(c)
A description of the means of adjusting the cost estimate and associated funding level periodically over the life of the facility, to comply with 10 CFR 50.75(d)(2)(iii). Since the application does not provide this information, please update the application to include a full description of the method to be used as the means of adjusting the cost estimate and associated funding level periodically over the life of the facility.
(d)
A numerical example showing how the 2013 decommissioning cost estimate will be updated periodically in the future.
- 4.
The application states UNM has more than sufficient funds necessary to decommission the UNM AGN-201. The NRC staff understands that UNM plans to use a self-guarantee to provide decommissioning funding assurance for the UNM AGN-201. For renewal of the UNM AGN-201 license, please submit all of the applicable documentation for a self-guarantee as described in Section A.14 of Appendix A of NUREG-1757, Vol. 3, Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning Guidance. The documentation should be based on a 2013 license renewal date.