ML20314A362

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Board of the Curators of the University of Missouri - Issuance of Amendment No. 22 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79 to Extend the Period to Perform Visual Inspections of the Shim/Safety Rods
ML20314A362
Person / Time
Site: University of Missouri-Rolla
Issue date: 11/12/2020
From: William Kennedy
NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPL
To: Taber E
Missouri Univ of Science & Technology
Kennedy W, NRR/DANU/UNPL, 301-415-2313
References
EPID L-2018-LLA-0096
Download: ML20314A362 (17)
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Text

November 12, 2020 Mr. Ethan Taber, Reactor Manager Missouri University of Science and Technology Nuclear Reactor Facility 250 West 13th Street Rolla, MO 65409-0630

SUBJECT:

BOARD OF CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI- ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT NO. 22 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-79, FOR THE MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH REACTOR TO EXTEND THE PERIOD TO PERFORM VISUAL INSPECTIONS OF THE SHIM/SAFETY RODS (EPID NO. L-2020-NFA-0011)

Dear Mr. Taber:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 22 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79 for the Missouri University of Science and Technology Research Reactor. The amendment modifies Technical Specification 4.2.1, Shim/Safety Rods, in response to the application dated November 4, 2020 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML20309A676), as supplemented on November 10, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20317A101). The amendment provides a one-time extension up to November 11, 2021, to perform visual inspections of the shim/safety rods.

E. Taber 2 A copy of the NRC staffs safety evaluation is enclosed. If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-2313 or by electronic mail at William.Kennedy@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

William B. Kennedy, Project Manager Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Licensing Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-123 License No. R-79

Enclosures:

1. Amendment No. 22 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79
2. Safety Evaluation cc: w/enclosures: See next page

Board of Curators of the University of Missouri Docket No. 50-123 cc:

Homeland Security Coordinator Test, Research and Training Missouri Office of Homeland Security Reactor Newsletter P.O. Box 749 Attention: Amber Johnson Jefferson City, MO 65102 Dept of Materials Science and Engineering University of Maryland Planner, Dept of Health and Senior Services 4418 Stadium Drive Section for Environmental Public Health College Park, MD 20742-2115 930 Wildwood Drive Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570 Dr. Ayodeji Alajo, Interim Program Director Missouri of Science and Technology Deputy Director for Policy Nuclear Engineering Department of Natural Resources 222 Fulton Hall 1101 Riverside Drive Rolla, MO 65409- 0630 Fourth Floor East Jefferson City, MO 65101 Dr. Joseph Graham, Director Nuclear Reactor Facility A-95 Coordinator Missouri University of Science Commissioners Office and Technology Office of Administration Mining and Nuclear Engineering P.O. Box 809 228 Fulton Hall State Capitol Building, Room 125 Rolla, MO 65409-0170 Jefferson City, MO 65101 Planning Coordinator Missouri Department of Natural Resources 1101 Riverside Drive Jefferson City, MO 65101

ML20314A362 *concurred via e-mail NRR-058 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM* NRR/DANU/UNPL/LA* OGC/NLO* NRR/DANU/UNPL/BC* NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM*

NAME WKennedy NParker MYoung GCasto WKennedy DATE 11/10/2020 11/10/2020 11/12/2020 11/12/2020 11/12/2020 BOARD OF CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI DOCKET NO. 50-123 MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH REACTOR AMENDMENT TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 22 License No. R-79

1. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A. The application for an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79, filed by the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri (the licensee) on November 4, 2020, as supplemented on November 10, 2020, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commissions rules and regulations set forth in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Chapter I; B. The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C. There is reasonable assurance that (i) the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commissions regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; D. The issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; E. The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions, of the Commissions regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied; and F. Prior notice of this amendment was not required by 10 CFR 2.105, Notice of proposed action, and publication of a notice of issuance for this amendment is not required by 10 CFR 2.106, Notice of issuance.

Enclosure 1

2. Accordingly, the license is amended as described in Attachment 1 to this license amendment and by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in Attachment 2. Paragraph II.C.2 of Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79 is hereby amended to read as follows:

II.C.2. Technical Specifications The technical specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised by Amendment No. 22, are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the facility in accordance with the technical specifications.

3. This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/RA/

Greg A. Casto, Chief Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Licensing Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Attachments:

1. Changes to Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79
2. Changes to Appendix A, Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: November 12, 2020

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 22 RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-79 DOCKET NO. 50-123 Replace the following page of Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79 with the attached revised page. The revised page is identified by amendment number and contains lines in the margin indicating the areas of change.

Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79 Remove Insert 3 3 Attachment 1

C. This renewed operating license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in the Commission regulations in 10 CFR Parts 20, 30, 50, 51, 55, 70, and 73; is subject to all applicable provisions of the Act and to the rules, regulations and, orders of the Commission now, or hereafter, in effect; and is subject to the additional conditions specified or incorporated below:

1. Maximum Power Level The licensee is authorized to operate the reactor at steady-state power levels up to a maximum of 200 kilowatts (thermal).
2. Technical Specifications The technical specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised by Amendment No. 22, are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the facility in accordance with the technical specifications.

D. This license is effective as of the date of issuance and shall expire at midnight 20 years from its date of issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/RA/

Eric J. Leeds, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

Appendix A, Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: March 30, 2009 3

Amendment No. 22 November 12, 2020

ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 22 RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-79 DOCKET NO. 50-123 Replace the following page of Appendix A, Technical Specifications, with the attached revised page The revised page is identified by amendment number and contains vertical lines in the margin to indicate the areas of change.

Technical Specifications Remove Insert 18 18 Attachment 2

b) the shutdown margin shall be determined.

3) The regulating rod worth shall be measured whenever the rod is installed in a new core configuration.

Bases:

1) Visual inspection of the reactor core is the most reliable way to ensure that all internal positions are occupied and that no space exists for rapid insertion of a fuel element (see Chapter 13, Section 13.1.2, of the SAR).
2) An experimental determination of the excess reactivity and shutdown margin is necessary to preclude operating the reactor without adequate shutdown capability.
3) The determination of the regulating rod worth is to make certain that its value does not exceed the delayed neutron fraction.

4.2 Reactor Control and Safety Systems 4.2.1 Shim/Safety Rods Applicability: This specification applies to the surveillance requirements for the shim/safety rods.

Objectives: To ensure that the control rods are capable of performing their function and to establish that no significant physical degradation in the rods has occurred.

Specifications:

1) Shim/safety rod drop times shall be measured as follows:

a) semiannually b) for a particular control rod, whenever the magnet assembly is disassembled or reassembled, or if the control assembly is moved to a new grid position

2) The shim/safety rods shall be visually inspected annually* for pitting and cracking and whenever rod drop times exceed the LCOs (Section 3.2.3 of these specifications).
  • The visual inspection due by November 12, 2020, shall be conducted before November 12, 2021.

Bases:

1) Rod drop-time measurements are required to ensure the reactor can be quickly shut down.
2) The visual inspection of the shim/safety rods and measurement of their drop times are made 18 Amendment No. 22 November 12, 2020

SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 22 RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE R-79 BOARD OF CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH REACTOR DOCKET NO. 50-123

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By letter dated November 4, 2020 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML20309A676), as supplemented on November 10, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20317A101), the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri (the licensee) applied for an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79 for the Missouri University of Science and Technology Research Reactor (MSTR). The license amendment request (LAR) proposed a change to technical specification (TS) 4.2.1, Shim/Safety Rods, to provide a one-time extension up to November 11, 2021, to perform visual inspections of the shim/safety rods required by Specification 2 of TS 4.2.1. According to the licensee, it currently cannot perform the surveillance because the fission chamber detector that is required to monitor subcritical neutron multiplication in the core during the visual inspections is inoperable and it may not be possible to repair or replace the detector and complete the surveillance by November 12, 2020, which is the due date for the current annual interval specified in TS 4.2.1.

2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

The NRC staff reviewed the LAR and evaluated the proposed change to TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, based on the following regulations and guidance:

  • Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, Section 50.36, Technical specifications, which provides the requirements for TSs to be included in facility operating licenses, including research reactor licenses. Per 10 CFR 50.36(c)(3), TSs must include requirements to test, calibrate, or inspect to ensure that the necessary quality of systems and components is maintained, that facility operation will be within safety limits (SLs), and that the limiting conditions for operation (LCOs) will be met.

Enclosure 2

  • Section 51.22, Criterion for categorical exclusion; identification of licensing and regulatory actions eligible for categorical exclusion or otherwise not requiring environmental review, of 10 CFR, which identifies licensing, regulatory, and administrative actions eligible for categorical exclusion from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
  • NUREG-1537, Part 1, Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors: Format and Content, Appendix 14.1, Format and Content of Technical Specifications for Non-Power Reactors (ADAMS Accession No. ML042430055), which provides guidance to applicants and licensees on preparing research reactor license applications and TSs.
  • NUREG-1537, Part 2, Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors: Standard Review Plan and Acceptance Criteria, Chapter 14, Technical Specifications, (ADAMS Accession No. ML042430048), which provides guidance to the NRC staff for reviewing LARs.
  • American National Standards Institute/American Nuclear Society (ANSI/ANS)-15.1 2007, The Development of Technical Specifications for Research Reactors (ANSI/ANS-15.1),

Section 4, Surveillance Requirements, provides guidance used by the NRC staff, applicants, and licensees, including the allowable surveillance intervals that should be included in the TSs. The 2007 version is a revision of the ANSI/ANS-15.1-1990 standard cited in NUREG-1537 that was issued in 1996, and retains the annual and biennial surveillance intervals specified in ANSI/ANS-15.1-1990 and discussed in this safety evaluation.

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

The MSTR is a pool-type research reactor licensed to operate at a steady-state thermal power level of up to 200 kilowatts thermal. The reactor core is cooled by natural circulation of light water and uses aluminum-clad plate-type fuel enriched to less than 20 percent isotopic enrichment of uranium-235. The MSTR uses three shim/safety rods to provide reactivity control during reactor startup and shutdown and in the event of a reactor scram. The poison sections of the three shim/safety rods are made of stainless steel containing boron.

The MSTR is currently shut down because the inoperable fission chamber is a component of the startup count rate channel. TS 3.2.1, Reactor Control Systems, requires that the reactor not be operated unless the startup count rate channel is operable with a minimum detected count rate of 2 counts per second.

The licensee proposed a one-time extension of the period to perform visual inspections of the shim/safety rods required by TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, from November 12, 2020, until November 11, 2021.

The current TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, states:

The shim/safety rods shall be visually inspected annually for pitting and cracking and whenever rod drop times exceed the LCOs (Section 3.2.3 of these specifications).

The proposed TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, states:

The shim/safety rods shall be visually inspected annually* for pitting and cracking and whenever rod drop times exceed the LCOs (Section 3.2.3 of these specifications).

  • The visual inspection due November 12, 2020, shall be conducted before November 12, 2021.

The NRC staff evaluated proposed TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, using the MSTR TSs; information in the licensees annual reports from 2015-2020; the guidance in NUREG-1537, Part 1, Appendix 14.1, Section 4.2, Paragraph (9); and ANSI/ANS-15.1, Section 4. The guidance in NUREG-1537 states, in part:

The poison sections of control and safety rods should be inspected biennially for indications of deterioration or damage. This can be a visual inspection or an inspection that requires the rod to pass through a measuring device which detects swelling.

Also, NUREG-1537 (by reference to ANSI/ANS-15.1) defines biennially as an interval not to exceed 2 1/2 years.

According to the licensees annual report covering the period April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20169A649), the licensee last completed the visual inspection of the control rods on August 12, 2019. Because the TS 1.2 definition of surveillance time intervals states that annually is in an interval not to exceed 15 months, the current control rod visual inspection is due by November 12, 2020. The licensee proposes to add footnote *, which would extend, on a one-time basis, the due date by one year, resulting in a 27-month surveillance interval. The NRC staff finds that the proposed extension of the current one-year surveillance interval to a total of 27 months is consistent with the 30-month biennial surveillance interval recommended by the guidance in NUREG-1537.

The NRC staff also considered whether the licensees past operating history raises any safety concerns about the one time, one-year surveillance extension. According to the LAR, previous annual shim/safety rod visual inspections revealed minimal pitting/fretting and no cracking. The licensee stated that thermal power generation since the last inspection has been low, and therefore potential radiation damage to the control rods should not be significant. The licensee also stated that it is unlikely that significant degradation of any of the shim/safety rods has occurred since the last inspection that could lead to a reactivity insertion while the reactor is in a shutdown condition. The licensee also stated that, until the fission chamber is repaired or replaced, the reactor will continue to remain in a shutdown condition and therefore no further irradiation of or significant manipulation of the control rods will occur.

The NRC staff reviewed the licensees annual report for the period covering April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020, and verified that the reactor produced about 6,500 kilowatt hours of thermal energy. In addition, the licensees annual reports covering the period 2015-2019 indicated that the reactor operated an average of approximately 13,000 kilowatt hours per year and, according to the licensee, the results of past visual inspections revealed minimal pitting/fretting and no cracking. Based on the low thermal power generation and materials of construction of the shim/safety rods, the NRC staff finds the licensees assertion that it is unlikely that the shim/safety rods have experienced significant degradation that would prevent them from

maintaining the reactor in a shutdown state is acceptable. In addition, as for licensees statement that it will not resume operations until repair or replacement of the fission chamber, the NRC staff notes that TS 3.2.1 requires that the reactor not be operated unless the startup channel is operable. The NRC staff finds that the required reactor shutdown provides assurance that the shim/safety rods will not experience any significant changes that would prevent the rods from maintaining the reactor in a shutdown state until the licensee can complete the required surveillance. However, the licensee could resume operations before completion of the postponed visual inspection provided that all TS requirements for operation are satisfied, including the availability of an operable startup channel. Given that a biennial inspection period is recommended in NUREG-1537, the results of past inspections have identified little degradation, and the operating history of the facility, the NRC staff finds that operation of the reactor during the extended surveillance interval (and in accordance with the TSs) would not likely result in any changes to the shim/safety rods that would adversely impact either safe operation or safe shutdown of the reactor.

The NRC staff also finds that safety basis for finding the LAR acceptable is consistent with that in Amendment No. 14 to Facility Operating License R-79, dated August 28, 1995 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML20091M754, ML20091M761, and ML20091M769), which previously authorized a one-time, one-year extension of the interval to perform the visual inspection of the shim/safety rods at the MSTR. In its safety evaluation related to Amendment No. 14, the staff concluded that the change in the surveillance frequency would not change the physical function of the shim/safety rods and the reactor safety margins would not be reduced. The NRC staff based its conclusion on the low thermal power generation, results of previous visual inspections that indicated no significant degradation, a limit on primary coolant resistivity required by TS 3.3(2), and shim/safety rod functional checks, such as semiannual measurement of control rod drop times and reactivity checks required by the TSs. The current TS 3.3, Coolant System, TS 4.1.1, Excess Reactivity, Rod Worth, and Shutdown Margin Measurements, and TS 4.2.1 specify the same requirements and limits as those relied on in the safety evaluation for Amendment 14. Therefore, the NRC staff finds that the conclusions supporting issuance of Amendment No. 14 are applicable to the review of the current LAR.

Based on the above information, the NRC staff finds that the proposed revision to TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, provides reasonable assurance that the shim/safety rods will not significantly change in ways that would prevent them from maintaining the reactor in a shutdown state during the extended surveillance interval and operation of the reactor is acceptable during the extended surveillance interval. The NRC staff also finds that the proposed revision to TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, meets the 10 CFR 50.36(c)(3) requirement that inspections assure that the necessary quality of systems and components is maintained, that facility operation will be within safety limits, and that the limiting conditions for operation will be met. Therefore, the NRC staff finds that the proposed change to TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, is acceptable.

4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental assessment or environmental impact statement is required for any action within the category of actions listed in 10 CFR 51.22(c). The Commission has declared these actions to be a categorical exclusion as the action does not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment.

An amendment authorizing revision of TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, involves a change to a requirement in the installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area, as defined in 10 CFR Part 20, Standards for Protection against Radiation. The issuance of the

proposed amendment is subject to the categorical exclusion in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9) if it meets each of the criteria below:

(i) The amendment involves no significant hazards consideration [10 CFR 51.22(c)(9)(i)];

The NRCs regulations in 10 CFR 50.92(c) state that a license amendment involves no significant hazards consideration if operation of the facility, in accordance with the proposed amendment, would not (1) Involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated [10 CFR 50.92(c)(1)];

The amendment would revise TS 4.2.1, Specification 2, to extend for an additional year and on a one-time basis, the interval to perform a visual inspection of the shim/safety rods. Chapter 13 of the MSTR safety analysis report (SAR), as supplemented, and reviewed by the NRC staff in Chapter 13, Accident Analysis, of the safety evaluation report supporting issuance of Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79 (ADAMS Accession No. ML090890015), previously evaluated a postulated maximum hypothetical accident that bounds all accidents at the facility, including ramp and rapid reactivity insertion events, and assumes that the release of fission products from a fuel element to the unrestricted environment results in radiological consequences. The proposed change does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated because, as stated in the technical evaluation, the 27-month surveillance interval will not result in any change to the shim/safety rods that would adversely impact reactor operation or the capability of the shim/safety rods to shut down the reactor in the case of an accident and maintain it in a safe shutdown condition. Also, no changes are being proposed to reactor design or hardware, or to structures, systems, and components (SSCs) that are relied upon for accident detection, mitigation, or response. In addition, the proposed LAR does not change the licensed power level of the reactor, the amount of special nuclear material or byproduct material authorized to be possessed and used at the facility, or any potential release paths from the facility. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that there is no significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.

(2) Create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated [10 CFR 50.92(c)(2)]; and The one-time, one-year extension of the interval to perform a visual inspection of shim/safety rods does not create any new or different accident from any accident previously evaluated. The amendment does not involve any design or hardware changes to SSCs that are relied upon for accident detection, mitigation, or response and the extension of the interval to inspect the shim/safety rods results in a 27-month inspection interval that is consistent with the biennial interval in the guidance in NUREG-1537. In addition, the proposed change would not introduce any new accident scenarios, transient precursors, failure mechanisms, or limiting single failures, and there would be no adverse effect or challenges to any reactor safety related systems as a result of the proposed amendment. Therefore, the

amendment does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated.

(3) Involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety [10 CFR 50.92(c)(3)].

The one-time extension of the interval to perform a visual inspection of shim/safety rods for an additional year does not authorize any changes in the design, function, or operation of SSCs, or change the authorized steady-state reactor power level. The proposed amendment does not alter how SLs or limiting safety system settings are determined, change the LCOs, or adversely affect the reliability of equipment assumed to mitigate accidents in the facility. In addition, the proposed change does not adversely affect equipment required to safely shut down the reactor and required to maintain it in a safe shutdown condition. Therefore, the NRC staff finds that this amendment does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.

(ii) There is no significant change in the types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite [10 CFR 51.22(c)(9)(ii)].

The one-time, one-year extension of the interval to perform a visual inspection of the shim/safety rods would not result in a significant change in the types or a significant increase in the amounts of fission products and effluents generated by operation of the reactor. License Condition II.C.1 of Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-79 would continue to limit MSTR operation to a steady-state maximum power level of 200 kilowatts thermal power and the proposed amendment would not change potential release paths from the facility or the amount of nuclear materials authorized to be possessed and used at the reactor. The operation of the confinement building and ventilation system, as required by TS 3.4, Confinement, and TS 3.5, Ventilation System, respectively, will continue to control the amounts of effluents that may be released off site and provide reasonable assurance that releases do not exceed limits in 10 CFR Part 20 and Table 2 of 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B. Therefore, the NRC staff finds that there is no significant change in the types or increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released off site.

(iii) There is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure [10 CFR 51.22(c)(9)(iii)].

The proposed extension of the interval to perform a visual inspection of the shim/safety rods does not significantly affect individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The amendment would not change the amount of nuclear material possessed and used at the reactor, the maximum power level, or postulated accident doses.

Occupational and individual doses would remain below the limits in 10 CFR 20.1201, Occupational dose limits for adults, and 10 CFR 20.1301, Dose limits for individual members of the public, respectively. Additionally, existing TS 6.4, Operating Procedures, requires administrative controls for operating procedures that would continue to help ensure the adequacy of the radiation protection program during visual inspection of the shim/safety rods, helping to limit individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. Furthermore, per TS 6.3, Radiation Protection Program, the licensee must implement a radiation protection program at the facility, which is required by 10 CFR Part 20. Therefore, the NRC staff finds that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.

4.1 Conclusion Accordingly, the NRC staff determined that issuance of this amendment changes a requirement with respect to the installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area under 10 CFR Part 50. The NRC staff further determined that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration, there is no significant change in the types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released off site, and there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. Therefore, this amendment meets the eligibility criteria for a categorical exclusion stated in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9).

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of this amendment.

5.0 CONCLUSION

The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) there is reasonable assurance that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commissions regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.

Principal Contributor: W. Kennedy, NRR Date: November 12, 2020

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