ML19290H593

Kansas State University, Response to Request for Extension of Time to Respond to Request for Additional Information Regarding License Amendment Request for the Use of 12 Weight Percent Uranium Fuel Elements, and Acknowledgement of Operation

ML19290H593
Person / Time
Site:	Kansas State University
Issue date:	10/24/2019
From:	Edward Helvenston Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Cebula A Kansas State University, Manhattan
References
EPID L 2019 LLA 0092
Download: ML19290H593 (4)

Text

October 24, 2019 Dr. Alan Cebula Nuclear Reactor Facility Manager Kansas State University 112 Ward Hall Manhattan, KS 66506-5204

SUBJECT:

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY - RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF TIME TO RESPOND TO REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR THE USE OF 12 WEIGHT PERCENT URANIUM FUEL ELEMENTS, AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OPERATIONAL PRACTICES (EPID NO. L-2019-LLA-0092)

Dear Dr. Cebula:

By letter dated April 9, 2012 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML12109A063), as supplemented by letter(s) dated April 28, 2014; October 5, 2016; May 2, 2017; September 23, 2017; and November 30, 2018 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML16200A317, ML16291A498, ML17139C979, ML17319A305, and ML18347A209, respectively), Kansas State University (KSU) applied for an amendment to Facility Operating License No. R-88 for the KSU Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) Mark-II Nuclear Reactor Facility. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRCs) approval of the license amendment request (LAR) would allow KSU to add up to four fuel elements that are 12 percent by weight uranium to its reactor core.

On June 5, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19128A342), the NRC staff sent KSU a letter enclosing a request for additional information (RAI) identifying additional information needed for the NRC staff to continue its review of KSUs LAR. The NRC staffs June 5, 2019, letter requested that KSU provide responses to the RAIs by October 7, 2019. Additionally, based on this RAI response date, the NRC staff provided KSU with an estimated LAR review completion date of December 31, 2020.

During teleconferences on September 3 and September 16, 2019, KSU and NRC staff discussed the status of the LAR review and the timeframe for KSUs response to the NRC staffs RAI letter dated June 5, 2019, and KSU indicated that it expected to need additional time beyond the October 7, 2019, response date. KSUs current and planned reactor operations were also discussed during the teleconferences. The NRC staff summarized the information discussed during the teleconferences in a letter to KSU dated September 18, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19248C834). In its September 18, 2019, letter, the NRC staff stated that based on the information discussed during the teleconferences, it could consider an extension to the October 7, 2019, RAI response date reasonable if KSU submitted an RAI response date extension request letter which (1) included certain operational practices discussed during the teleconferences and described in the NRC staffs September 18, 2019, letter, (2) confirmed KSUs plans to adhere to these operational practices until completion of the LAR review, and

A. Cebula (3) indicated that KSU would provide advance notification to the NRC if it later planned to change these operational practices prior to completion of the LAR review.

By letter dated October 7, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19295D727), KSU requested an extension until January 7, 2020, to respond to the NRC staffs June 5, 2019, RAI. KSU stated that the additional time will allow it to refine simulation models and provide adequate computation time for benchmarking. Additionally, KSU stated that it is administratively imposing the following reactor operating restrictions (which it stated had been discussed during the teleconferences on September 3 and September 16, 2019) for the remainder of the LAR review, and will provide advance notification to the NRC if it plans to change these operational practices prior to completion of the LAR review:

1. No reactor operation with core excess reactivity significantly greater than its current value (i.e., more than $0.15 above the current core excess reactivity), except low power reactor operation that may be necessary to make measurements needed to determine excess reactivity.i

2. No reactor operation when the bulk pool temperature is above 50 °C (1[2]2 °F).ii

3. No reactor operation when experiments or other objects are inserted in interstitial flux wire ports in the grid plate and the bulk pool temperature is above 37 °C (98.6 °F).

4. No reactor operation when one or more control rods is inoperable.

The NRC staff acknowledges KSUs administrative operating restrictions, and understands the administrative operating restrictions to be consistent with the operational practices discussed during the teleconferences and summarized in the NRC staffs September 18, 2019, letter.

The NRC staff also accepts KSUs extension request dated October 7, 2019.

Based on the new RAI response date of January 7, 2020, the NRC staff is providing a revised date of March 31, 2021, by which it expects to complete its review and make a final determination on the LAR. This date could change due to several factors including a need for further RAIs, unanticipated changes to the scope of the review, unsolicited supplements to the application for amendment, and others. If the forecasted date changes, the NRC staff will notify you in writing of the new date and an explanation of the reason for the change.

i As summarized in the NRC staffs September 18, 2019, letter, KSU stated during the teleconferences on September 3 and September 16, 2019, that its current excess reactivity is approximately $2.35, and that its current excess reactivity allows its reactor to be operated at steady-state power levels up to approximately 550 kilowatts-thermal.

ii By electronic mail dated October 8, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19290H516), KSU corrected a typographical error in reactor operating restriction No. 2 listed in its October 7, 2019, letter in that 50 °C (112 °F) should have read 50 °C (122 °F).

A. Cebula If you have any questions or need additional time to respond to the NRC staffs original June 5, 2019, request, please contact me at 301-415-4067 or by electronic mail at Edward.Helvenston@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Edward Helvenston, Project Manager Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Licensing Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-188 License No. R-88 cc:

Office of the Governor State of Kansas 300 SW 10th Avenue, Suite 212 S Topeka, KS 66612-1590 Kim Steves Radiation Control Section Kansas Department of Health and Environment 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 330 Topeka, KS 66612-1365 Mayor of Manhattan City Hall 1101 Poyntz Avenue Manhattan, KS 66502 Test, Research and Training Reactor Newsletter Attention: Ms. Amber Johnson Dept of Materials Science and Engineering University of Maryland 4418 Stadium Drive College Park, MD 20742-2115 Robert Seymour, Reactor Supervisor Kansas State University 117 Ward Hall Manhattan, KS 66506

ML19290H593*concurrence via e-mail NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM* NRR/DANU/UNPL/LA* NRR/DANU/UNPL/BC NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NAME EHelvenston NParker GCasto EHelvenston DATE 1023/19 10/22/19 10/24/19 10/24/19