ML20077D381

Advises of Scheduled Transfer of Irradiated Triga Fuel to Anl West Triga Facility in Idaho Falls,Id During Wk of 830822.Description of Fuel Loading for Each Shipping Package Submitted

ML20077D381
Person / Time
Site:	05000128
Issue date:	07/20/1983
From:	Feltz D TEXAS A&M UNIV., COLLEGE STATION, TX
To:	Bernard H Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8307260500
Download: ML20077D381 (3)

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TEXAS ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 77843 q/

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20 July 1983 NUCLEAR SCIENCECENTER 4 09/845-7551 Mr. Hal Bernard Standardization and Special

' Projects Branch Division of Licensing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.

20555 Mail Stop: Phillips Bldg. 340

Reference:

Nuclear Science Center Reactor (NSCR)

Docket 50-128, R-83 Transfer of Irradiated TRIGA Fuel Elements to Argonne National Laboratory / West, TRIGA Reactor Facility

Dear Mr. Bernard:

The Nuclear Science Center (NSC) of the Texas A&M University System is sending this letter to inform the NRC of the scheduled transfer of irradiated TRIGA fuel to the ANL/ West - TRIGA facility in Idaho Falls, Idaho. ANL/ West is a prime contractor of the U.S. Department of Energy (D0E) and the fuel is for use in'their Hot Fuel Examination Facilities / Neutron Radiography Reactor (HFER/N-RAD). Shipments are scheduled for the week of August 22nd with Tri State Motor Transit-Company, a certified carrier of nuclear fuel, contracted by DOE to transport.the fuel.

The TRIGA fuel to be transferred is currently the property of the DOE and was provided to the NSCR under DOE fuel Contract-No. DE-AC05-76ER04207 By letter dated 23 November 1982 Mr. Harold H. Young, Chief, Laboratory Programs Branch, Division of. University and Industry Programs of the USD0E was informed of the proposed fuel transfer. The HFIR handling and movement will be a DOE to DOE operation and the T-2 handling and movement will be in accordance with NRC regula tions. The NSCR is a registered user of the T-2 shipping cask under Certificate of Compliance No. 5607 and conducts fuel shipping activities under an approved Quality Assurance Program (Approval No. 0398 issued December 9,1980).

8307260500 830720 PDR ADOCR 05000128

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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR MANKIND

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.Mr. Hal B:rnard.

Page 2 Transfer of the irradiated TRIGA fuel is a' cooperative effort of the NSCR and ANL/ West.

Procedures for fuel handling and' cask handling were developed by the NSC and approved locally by the Reactor Safety Board. These procedures were then reviewed by ANL/ West and concurrence obtained from them with their suggested changes being integrated into the-procedures. Both parties are in agreement on fuel and shipping package handling procedures. The fuel transfer involves 41 Standard TRIGA fuel elements and 10 FLIP TRIGA fuel elements. A description of the fuel loading for each shipping package and the responsibility for the fuel is as follows:

HFIR Cask The NSCR agrees to be responsible for the fuel handling and loading of 40 Standard TRIGA and 4 FLIP TRIGA elements into the HFIR shipping cask and to

. provide personnel and equipment for handling the HFIR cask. Health Physics support will also be provided by the NSCR in the DOE to DOE fuel. transfer involving the HFIR cask.. Responsibility for the fuel and inventory transfer from the NSCR to' ANL/ West will occur at the time the fuel is in the cask and the cask is ready for closure. DOE representatives will be present at the NSC to verify the. identification and loading of fuel into the HFIR baskets and to assure that the handling of the HFIR and compliance with shipping regulations are proper. The HFIR is scheduled to arrive at the NSCR on August 22,.1983 and depart August 23, 1983. DOE will provide funds for the transportation of the HFIR shipping package.

T-2 Casks The NSCR agrees to be responsible for the handling of the T-2-1 and T-2-2 casks for the shipment of 3 FLIP TRIGA fuel followed control rods in the T-2-1 cask and 3 FLIP TRIGA instrumented elements and 1 Standard TRIGA instrumented element in the T-2-2 shipping cask. These shipments will be conducted under NRC licensed agreements and an approved QA program for the handling of licensed shipping packages. The NSCR will provide personnel and equipment for the handling and fuel loading of the T-2 casks. The NSCR will be responsible for Health Physics support and for meeting shipping regulation requirements. The T-2-1 and T-2-2 shipping packages are scheduled to arrive at the NSC on August 24, 1983 and depart on August 25, 1983. DOE will provide

-funds for the transportation of the T-2 shipping packages.

l The transfer of NSCR irradiated TRIGA fuel to ANL/ West is mutually beneficial to both parties.

It provides needed fuel for power upgrade of the ANL/ West Hot Fuel Examination Facilities / Neutron Radiography Reactor and it conveniently relieves the NSCR administration of future financial and regulatory burdens.

The movement of FLIP TRIGA' fuel in 1977 from the Puerto Rico Nuclear Center to each of our facilities was performed under a similar joint effort and was a great asset to the research reactor program of each facility.

I am confident this joint effort will be just as rewarding.

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Mr. Hal-Bernard

!Page 3 If you have 'any questions' concerning the scheduled fuel transfer please contact me or Dale Rogers at the NSCR or Wade Richards at ANL/ West.

Sincerely, Donald E. Feltz.

Director-DEF/ym cc: Mr. Wade Richards, ANL/ West' Mr. Harold Young, Department of Energy, Washington Mr.' Robert _Edler, Department of Energy, Chicago Mr. Max Geisler, ANL/ West Dr. Carl Erdman, Texas A&M University Mr. Feenan Jennings, Texas A&M University Mr. Bill Crossman, Region IV, USNRC Mr. Les Constable, Region IV, USNRC

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