ML20211B492
| ML20211B492 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/06/1987 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Trivelpiece A ENERGY, DEPT. OF |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8702190427 | |
| Download: ML20211B492 (4) | |
Text
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February 6, 1987 DISTRIBUTION:
f"Gentral F11e / RCarter PBSS'Rei~dirig" JDosa NRC PDR AAdams Local PDR Dr. Alvin W. Trivelpiece VStello Director, Office of Energy Research HDenton Department of Energy FMiraglia Washington, D. C.
20585 HBerkow TDorian
Dear Dr. Trivelpiece:
0 Lynch As you know, the NRC rule in 10 CFR 950.64, which requires NRC-licensed non-power reactors to convert from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low enriched uranium (LEU), provides for an exemption from conversion to LEU upon demonstration by a licensee that its reactor has a unique purpose.
which cannot reasonably be accomplished without the use of HEU fuel. However, the rule also requires that any licensee granted such a unique purpose exemption by the Commi.ssion "must use HEU fuel of enrichment as close to 20%
as is available and acceptable to the Commission".
l We have received, and presently have under consideration, three applications for unique purpose exemptions. As part of our review, we must consider the availability and acceptability of medium enriched fuels to be used in these reactors if we grant the exemptions. Therefore, I would appreciate your infoming us of your plans regarding the development and availability of fuels with intermediate enrichments. Specifically, we need to know:
(1) the discrete enrichment levels or spectra of fuel enrichments which are or will be available, (2) the testing and/or analyses which have been completed or are required to " qualify" such fuels for licenseability to the same degree as the LEU fuel which you are providing, and (3) the most realistic schedule (s) for availability of " qualified" intemediate enrichment fuels.
We have discussed this issue with members of your staff.
I am enclosing for your information a copy of a recent letter from the Corrinittee to Bridge the Gap which addresses this subject.
I would appreciate this information as soon as possible so that we can complete our ongoing reviews expeditiously.
Sincerely, 8702190427 870206 I R-d g: rggy %
DR. ORg N uc.
g Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation b
Enclosure:
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1 DISTRIBUTION:
Central File RCarter PBSS Reading JDosa NRC PDR AAdams Local PDR Dr. Alvin W. Trivelpiece VStello Director, Office of Energy Research HDenton.
Department of Energy FMiraglia Washington, D. C.
20585 HBerkow-TDorian-
Dear Dr. Trivelpiece:
Olynch As you know, the NRC rule in 10 CFR $50.64, which requires.NRC-licensed.
non-power reactors to convert from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low enriched uranium (LEU), provides for an exemption from conversion to LEU upon demonstration by a licensee that its reactor has a unique purpose which cannot reasonably be accomplished without the use of HEU fuel. However, the rule also requires that any licensee granted such a unique purpose exemption by the Commission "must use HEU fuel of enrichment as close to 20%
as is available and acceptable to the Comission".
We have received, and presently have under consideration, three applications for unique purpose exemptions. As part of our review, we must consider the availability and acceptability of medium enriched fuels to be used in these reactors if we grant the exemptions. Therefore, I would appreciate your informing us of your plans regarding the development and availability of fuels with intermediate enrichments. Specifically, we need to know:
4 (1) the discrete enrichment levels or spectra of fuel enrichments which are or will be available, (2) the testing and/or analyses which have been completed or are required to " qualify" such fuels for licenseability to the same degree as the LEU fuel which you are providing, and (3) the most realistic schedule (s) for availability of " qualified" intemediate enrichment fuels.
I would appreciate this information as soon as possible so that we can complete our ongoing reviews expeditiously.
Sincerely, l
Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE SHEET PBSS*
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DISTRIBUTION:
Central File RCarter.
PBSS Reading JDosa NRC PDR AAdams Local PDR Dr. Alvin W. Trivelpiece VStello Director, Office of Energy Research HDenton Department of Energy FMiraglia Washington, D. C.
P0585 HBerkow TDorian Dear Dr. Trivelpiece 0 Lynch As you know, e NRC rule in 10 CFR 550.64, which requires NRC-licensed non-power r tors to convert from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to lo enriched uranium (LEU), provides for an exemption from conversio$upondemonstrationbyalicenseethatitsreactorhasaunique purpose wr ch cannot reasonably be accomplished without the use of HEU fuel. However, the rule also requires that any licensee granted such a unique purpose exemption by the Commission "must use HEU fuel of enrichment as close to 20% as is available and acceptable to the Comission".
We have received, and presently have under consideration, three applications for unique purpose exemptionf As part of our review we must consider the feasibility of medium enricAd fuels being used in tilese reactors S S: eV auent-est we grant the exemptions. Therefore, I would appreciate your informing us of your plans regarding the development and availability of fuels with intermediate enrichments. Specifically, we need to know:
(1) the discrete enrichment levels or spectr fuel enrichments which are or will be available, (2) the testing and/or analyses which have been completed or are required LEU fuel which you are providing, / ability to the same degree as the to " qualify" such fuels for licens and (3) the most realistic schedule (s) for availability of " qualified" intermediate enrichment fuels.
I would appreciate this information as soon as possible so that we can complete our ongoing reviews expeditiously.
Sincerely, Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation g.M PBS9 0
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UNITED STATES E
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February 6, 1987
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Dr. Alvin W. Trivelpiece Director, Office of Energy Research Department'of Energy Washington, D. C.
20585
Dear Dr. Trivelpiece:
As you know, the NRC rule in 10 CFR 550.64, which requires NRC-licensed non-power reactors to convert from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low enriched uranium (LEU), provides for an exemption from conversion to LEU upon demonstration by a licensee that its reactor has a unique purpose which cannot reasonably be accomplished without the use of HEU fuel. However, the rule also requires that any licensee granted such a unique purpose exenption by the Commission "must use HEU fuel of enrichment as close to 20%
as is available and acceptable to the Commission".
We have received, and presently have under consideration, three applications for unique purpose exemptions. As part of our review, we must consider the availability and acceptability of medium enriched fuels to be used in these reactors if we grant the exemptions. Therefore, I would appreciate your informing us of your plans regarding the development and availability of fuels with intermediate enrichments. Specifically, we need to know:
(1) the discrete enrichment levels or spectra of fuel enrichments which are or will be available, (2) the testing and/or analyses which have been completed or are required to " qualify" such fuels for licenseability to the same degree as the 1
l LEU fuel which you are providing, and (3) the most realistic schedule (s) for availability of " qualified" intermediate enrichment fuels.
We have discussed this issue with members of your staff.
I am enclosing I
for your information a copy of a recent letter from the Consnittee to Bridge j
the Gap which addresses this subject.
I would appreciate this information as soon as possible so that we can complete our ongoing reviews expeditiously.
Sincerely,
/
Y Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
As stated
1 COMMITTEE TO BRIDGE THE GAP 1637 BUTLER AVENUE =203 LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA 90025 (213) 478 0829 January 9, 1987 Harold R. Denton Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 RE: The " Unique Purpose" Exemption in 10 CFR 50.64
Dear Director Denton:
I am writing with regard to the NRC rule (10 CFR 50.64) limiting the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in NRC-licensed research and test reactors. We are concerned about the apparent misinterpretation of the
" unique purpose" exemption from conversion to low enriched uranium (LEU).
Some licensees appear to believe that the provisions for an exemption would allow continued use of fully enriched (93%) HEU.
This is of course not what the rule intends.
10 CFR 50.64(b)(3) states:
If not required by paragraphs (b)(1) and (2) of this section to use LEU fuel (because of an acceptable unique purpose requiring HEU}, the applicant or licensee must use HEU fuel of enrichment as close to 20% as is available and acceptable to the Commission.
Yet of the six licensees who applied for a unique purpose exemption, MIT dismisses the use of less than fully enriched uranium (MEU) in a single sentence, and the others (General Electric, Cintichem, National Bureau of Standards, University of Missouri at Columbia, and Westinghouse) do not address the question at all, nor do they even acknowledge the above-quoted section of the new rule. They appear to believe, despite the clear language of the rule, that exemption from conversion to LEU implies that continued use of 93% enriched HEU is permissible.
As for the availability of MEU fuels, our discussions with DOE and RERTR program officials indicate the following:
1.
Uranium of virtually any enrichment is available from the Department of Energy. Any "non-standard" enrichment desired can be obtained by blending fully enriched and low enriched uranium in suitable proportions. The NRC has on several occasions approved the export of 4,5% enriched uranium to Japan.
2.
NUKEM in the Federal Republic of Germany currently fabricates MEU.
3.
Babcock & Wilcox is today perfectly capable of fabricating MEU fuel plates of the same density as advanced LEU fuels that are fully qualified.
4.
It is likely that those reactors unable to operate on LEU would not even need 45% enriched fuel, but could function satisfactorily on perhaps 30%
enrichment.
N 3cr 87010 9 )f C
If our understanding is correct, then a fuel of medium enrichment would be the appropriate replacement fuel in the event that the Commission decides to grant any unique purpose exenptions.
We therefore request that the Commission inform the six applicants for exemption that they will be required to convert to a lower enrichment fuel (MEU or LEU, as the case may be), whether or not they are granted an exemption. Accordingly, we believe they are also obliged to meet the March 27, 1987, deadline for submission of a proposal for meeting the requirements of 10 CFR 50.64(b)(2) or (3).
Yours sincerely, Steven Aftergood Executive Director cc: Chairman Zech Commissioner Roberts Commissioner Bernthal Commissioner Asselstine Commissioner Carr I
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