ML20042D209
| ML20042D209 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000128 |
| Issue date: | 01/02/1990 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20042D207 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9001050303 | |
| Download: ML20042D209 (2) | |
Text
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SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION SUPPORTING AMENDMENT NO. 12 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R.13 t
TEXAS ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION /
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM DOCKET NO. 50-128
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Dy letter dated September 4, 1989, Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) requested a change in the Technical Specifications (TS) for the Nuclear Science Center Reactor. The changes alter the licensee's organizational structure.
Also, by letter dated October 24, 1989, the licensee requested that the title of the facility, and therefore the license, be changed to read as the Texas Engineering Experiment Station / Texas A&M University System instead of the Texas A&M University.
2.0 EVALUATION The changes made to the licensee's organizational structure will enhance the licensee's management of the facility. The salient changes are as follow:
- 1) the reactor's health physicist will be responsible to the Level 1 management of the facility i.e., the Deputy Director of the Texas Ergineering Experiment Station (TEES). This arrangement provides the line management of the TEES with more direct control of the radiological safety of the facility. Previously,
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the health physicist rf.perted to the Radiological Safety Office which was outside the direct line responsibility of the TEES. This proposed change is consistent with the organizational structure outlined in the research reactor standard ANSI /ANS 15.1 The Development of Technical Specifications for Research Reactors," Section 6.1.1 and 6.1.2; 2) An intermediate level in the line management of the TEES was eliminated. The Director of the Nuclear Science Center (NSC) will now report to the Deputy Director of the TEES who is now responsible for the facility license.
Previously the Director of the NSC reported to the Director Nuclear Research Reactor Programs. The new structure eliminates a tier of management in the chain of command and should prove to be more efficient in the management of the facility; 3) The Deputy Director of the TEES will be responsible for the license rather than the Director of the TEES.
Assigorent of the license to the Deputy Director of the TEES does not change the financial comitment and responsibilities made to the NRC by the TEES in support of the NSC reactor activities; 4) The auditing of the radiation protection program is explicitly included in the Reactor Safety Boards audit function; and
- 5) Anyone whose normal job function is within the NSC reactor is excluded from auditing the ALARA program.
The staff concludes that these manastrent and auditing changes should iriprove the radiological safety of the facility.
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The other action regarding this amendment is to change the name of the licensee from the Texas A&M University to the Texas Engineering Experiment Station / Texas A&M University System. Requests for this change were originally made on 1
October 20,1980, in a letter from Charles H. Samson (Texas A&M) to James R.
Miller (NRC) (Accession #8011040)
The TEES, under whose jurisdiction the Nuclear Science Center (NSC)and 1989.
l licensed 1acility where the reactor resides) falls, is part of the Texas A&M University System identifiable for legislative appropriation purposes as a state agency. The funds for operating the NSC are cbtained primarily from i
General Revenue monies appropriated by the State supplemented by revenues l
obtained from University and other users of NSC irradiation services.
The General Revenue monies appropriated by the State for the TEES are highlighted as a specific line item in the annual budget and the funds for the NSC are also I
included as a separate line item.
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The TS, since the license has been renewed in 1983, show that the TEES has direct operating responsibility for the reactor. Therefore, since the TEES has direct operating and financial responsibility for the NSC, and has been operating under this mode since 1980, and since funds are appropriated directly to the TEES it is considered that the TEES / Texas A&M University System should be offically called the licensee. Moreover, Texas A&M University is not a correct I
designation as the licensee, since it and TEES are both separate entities under the Texas A&M University System.
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL. CONSIDERATION This amendment involves a change to administrative requirements. Accordingly, j
this amendment meets the eli forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(10)gibility criteria for categorical exclusion set i
Pursuantto10CFR51.22(b),noenvironmental impact statement or environmental 6ssessment need be prepared in connection with t
the issuance of this amendment.
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4.0 CONCLUSION
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The staff has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that:
i (1) because the amendment does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of accidents previously evaluated, or create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated, and does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety, the amendment does not involve a significant hazards consideration, (2) there j
is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by the proposed activities, and (3) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Comission's regulations and the issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or the health l
and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor: Theodore S. Michaels Dated:
January 2, 1990 i
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