ML20198E752

Informs of Ongoing Staff Initiative to Improve Certificate Amend Request Review Process.Goal Initiative Provides More Timely Processing of Amend Requests

ML20198E752
Person / Time
Site:	Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, 07007001
Issue date:	12/17/1998
From:	Pierson R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	Toelle S UNITED STATES ENRICHMENT CORP. (USEC)
References
NUDOCS 9812240137
Download: ML20198E752 (2)

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i + 8[ December 17, 1$98 Mr. Steven A. Toelle, Manager Nuclear Regulatory Assurance and Policy U.S. Enrichment Corporation 2 Democracy Center 6903 Rockledge Drive Bethesda, MD 20817

SUBJECT:

IMPROVING THE CERTIFICATE AMENDMENT REQUEST PROCESS

Dear Mr. Toelle:

This letter is to inform you of an ongoing staff initiative to improve the certificate amendment request (CAR) review process. The goal of our initiative is to provide more timely processing of your amendment requests. In the past, one obstacle for timely reviews of amendment requests has been the need for the NRC staff to request additional information (RAl) to obtain sufficient information to determine the acceptability for the proposed activity identified in the CAR. To help limit the extent of RAls, the NRC staff will, early in the review process, determine whether the CAR contains sufficient technical information and analysis to meet the requirement in 10 i CFR 76.45 that the amendment application "contain sufficient information for the Director to 1 make findings of compliance or acceptability for the proposed activity." If the NRC staff determines that this standard has not been met, the CAR will not be processed for further action and will be returned to USEC.

To provide you some perspective for our expectations, had this standard been rigorously applied in the past, several of your submitted CARS would not have met the requirements for providing sufficient technical analysis. A current example of an in-process amendment is the CAR to provide operational flexibility at the Tails Withdrawal Station at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (criticality accident alarm system exemptions). In processing this CAR, NRC staff has performed analyses more appropriately performed by USEC and presented as part of your initial submittal supporting your CAR.

To help us improve the timeliness of processing your CARS, both the NRC staff and your staff will need to apply greater discipline to the submittal and review process. The comments above are intended as feedback for you and your staff. We hope that future CARS that you submit will contain a level of detail and quality supporting an efficient review process such that the NRC is both able to continue to meet your needs and to improve our timeliness.

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S. A. Toelle, USEC 2 i i

r Should you require additional assistance in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact Melanie Galloway at (301) 415-7266.  ;

i Sincerely, wima .w & l Robert C. Pierson, Chief Special Projects Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS Dockets 70-7001& 70-7002 DisTRIDuTION:

Dockets 70-7001 & 70-7002 NMC File Center ** PUBLIC NMss r/f FCss r/f sPB r/l l WTroskoski, FCOB

( OFC SPB E sPB [ NAPkI SM NAME x[v JMus2 alloway R rson DATE 12N9 12/l 7/98 12/[ 7/98 12/ b /98 C = COVER' E = COVER & ENCLOSURE N = NO COPY Toeller2.wpd OFFICIAL RECORD COPY I

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