ML20059J124

Confirms That DOE Suspended Use of Ornl/Bnl/Nbs Fresh Fuel Package Under Certificate of Compliance 9853,pending Further Evaluation of Potential Problem on Design

ML20059J124
Person / Time
Site:	07109853
Issue date:	09/14/1990
From:	Read J ENERGY, DEPT. OF
To:	Macdonald C NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
References
NUDOCS 9009190182
Download: ML20059J124 (2)

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Del artment of Energy?

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4 Mr. Charles E. NacDonald.

Chief. Transportation Branch Division of Safeguards and Transportation, MSS Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, DC-20555

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References:

• 1) L'etter, Leonard to_.MacDonald,' dated June 20,:1990

2) Rev. 5 Certificate'of Compliance USA /9853/B(i)F -

Cated September 15, 1989 In. followup to our verbal notification on 8/29/90 (Leonard, D0ELto MacDonald, NRC) this letter formally documents =that the DOE has suspended. all use of the ORN'sBNL/NBS. Fresh Fuel. Package, DOE /NRC Certificate of Compliance USA /985?/8( )F, pending further evaluation of a a

potential problem on the design.

The basis for this' a.: tion is the discovery, during a certif.icate= renewal-review,: that during a _30-foot drop on its side,4 the fuel: basket crushes the foam dunnage and comes to rest against the, side of the drum.' This.

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. displacement of the fuel-. basket-from its -normaliposition 'can n

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. potentially:

(1) affect fuel' meltingland possible releases of-

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v radioactivity in the transportation fires and,'(2)< affect criticality

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concerns.

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However, we believe that the current design is conservative and

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additional analysis will most likely show that the displacementifalls within the safety envelope of the package' design certification.?For,.,

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this reason -it is anticipated that< as soon as the. additional;analysisLisi s,

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received, evaluated, approved, and documented.1the packages canibec y

1 returned to service in the near future without withdrawal ofsD0E/NRC' certificates. Work is currently

analysis for documentation purposunderway to provide.the additional 4 ',4 es. -We.will forward the analysis"and ji>p"E

3 documentation'to'you as

soon as it,isj available.-

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c et Presently, only one of the reactors serviced by this' package.is 1

operational, the NBS, which has been renamed the NationalcInstitute.of

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.l Standards and Technology (NIST), reactor.. The P853' package,is needed to r**'ipply the.NIST reactor. Oak Ridge is evaluating _various options? fore a

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rning-this package to service.. Among these are:'

a)

L complete the SARP,with the displac'est' fuel' basket,'

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reduce the load:sufficiently to avoid crushing the foam,f ort 7

I c) reducetthe load 'sufficiently so that'.there.is less than a A21 value in the--package and load.only one package on sny one; 1

vehicle.

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- Whatever option is selected it wil_1-be analyzed and documented by Oak '

Ridge and the analysis confirmed.by EH-321 before DOE's suspend use'.

order is' rescinded.

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DOE has'previously! requested.(Reference'1):thatlthe NRC. Certificate'of1 j

Compliance'be extended another year past its present expiration date of; October 31,11990.

(NRC previously granted a.one-year, extension ~beyond:

the five-year expiration datefof. October:31, 19896 Reference 2.) ;Wo; anticipate that the requested:second; year's. extension will'be requireds

. to finish revising the SARP and_toicomplete D0Efsiconfirmatory review.

Therefore, DOE requests,that-the NRC grant another one-yearfextension :to ^

S Certificate of Compliance 9853*after'D0E!s stop use? order _isirescinded.-

J DOE will supply:any informatio'n'that. the NRC considers necessary to.

support this requested action, i '

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Should you require any further 'information on.this! situation, please!

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call Jim Leonard J(353-5394)' or Bob Towell'(353-3954) of, my staff.

Sincerely,q:w f [L, 'f'

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JadqbesR di t,

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V Actin'g Director

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Transportation. Safety Q q

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O J.-Leonard, EH-321 V

J. Cannon, NE-473 T. Raby, NIST w

i N. Bennett. OR G. Popper, ANL a

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