ML21195A140

Summary of Public Meeting on June 15,2021, Regarding Risk-informing Medical Exam Requirements for Research and Test Reactor (Rtr) Licensees

ML21195A140
Person / Time
Issue date:	09/02/2021
From:	Katie Wagner NRC/NRR/DANU/UARL
To:
Wagner K
References
Download: ML21195A140 (7)

Text

September 2, 2021 ORGANIZATION: National Organization of Test, Research, and Training Reactors

SUMMARY

OF PUBLIC MEETING ON JUNE 15, 2021, REGARDING RISK-INFORMING MEDICAL EXAM REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH AND TEST REACTOR LICENSEES On June 15, 2021, an Observation public meeting was held between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff and representatives of the National Organization of Test, Research, and Training Reactors (TRTR) via webinar. The purpose of this public meeting was to discuss with the research and test reactor (RTR) community the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) comment received regarding Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 55.33(a)(1) requirements for medical examinations for licensing of operators and possible options to risk-inform the medical examinations for licensing RTR operators. NEI provided the comment as part of the NRCs Retrospective Review of Administrative Requirements (RROAR) process. The meeting notice and agenda, dated May 27, 2021, are available in the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML21147A491. The NRC and TRTR presentation slides are also available in ADAMS at Accession Nos. ML21166A165 and ML21165A059, respectively. A list of meeting attendees is provided as an enclosure to this summary.

NRC staff opened the meeting by welcoming attendees and detailing the structure of the meeting. NRC staff also presented the NRCs current legislative authority and regulatory framework, and an overview of the NRCs RROAR process (including an NEI letter dated May 6, 2020 [ADAMS Accession No. ML20128J340] and the NRCs response in SECY-21-0056

[ADAMS Accession No. ML21012A439]).

TRTR representatives presented comments and recommendations on the RROAR process, NRC Principles of Good Regulation, and their RROAR input and feedback. An NEI representative discussed the NEI letter dated May 6, 2020. Subsequently, TRTR representatives detailed three primary issues identified by RTR licensees regarding medical qualifications reporting and processes: evaluation of therapeutic and medical device usage, operator health assurance by licensee management, and NRC Form 396, Certification of Medical Examination by Facility Licensee, submittal timelines. TRTR representatives presented their views on perceived training issues in interactions with the NRC, including issues with NRC residency requirements at the facility for applicants, NRC scrutiny on experience and education supplements for Senior Reactor Operator-Instant applicants, experience justifications required by the NRC, and the amount of time and required information for operator license renewals and new applicants. TRTR representatives also gave their views on perceived issues with the issuance of examination results and inspection reports from the NRC in a timely manner.

In closing their presentation, TRTR representatives emphasized that they viewed the RROAR initiative as a valuable route to change certain requirements, that the RTR operator licensing program is ready for transformation, and that they appreciated the opportunity to present observations and recommendations.

Overview of Discussion Topics To start the discussion portion of the meeting, NRC staff thanked the presenters for their words and explained that the scope of the discussion would be limited to the topics posted on the agenda, although the NRC recognized the importance of the other topics discussed by TRTR.

The significant themes during the discussion were:

1. American National Standard Institute/American Nuclear Society (ANSI/ANS) standards and the role of ANSI/ANS standards in regulation of RTR facilities;

2. Interest in the NRCs review process for NRC Form 396;

3. Concerns about the challenges RTR facilities and applicants are facing relating to the scheduling of reactor operator exams;

4. Impact concerning timeliness of examination results; and

5. Duplication of NRC medical review officer efforts after an individuals physician examination with facility certification.

At the end of the discussion period, NRC staff offered potential paths forward through TRTR adoption and NRC endorsement of ANSI/ANS-15.4 or possibly a combination of these and other options through further discussion and collaboration between TRTR and NRC efforts.

NRC staff closed the meeting by thanking everyone for the constructive conversations, reiterating that NRC management is committed to engaging on risk-informing the medical examinations for RTR operators and other topics.

Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-6202, or Katie.Wagner@nrc.gov.

/RA/

Katherine Wagner, Project Manager Advanced Reactor Licensing Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/enclosure: See next page

Research and Test Reactor Licensees cc:

Dr. David M. Slaughter, President Mr. Ethan Taber, Reactor Manager and Reactor Administrator Missouri University of Science Aerotest Operations Inc. and Technology 3455 Fostoria Way Nuclear Reactor Facility San Ramon, CA 94583 250 West 13th Street Rolla, MO 65409-0630 Mr. Paul J. OConnor, Ph.D. Mr. Andrew Kauffman, Associate Director Facility Director Ohio State University Dow Chemical TRIGA Research Reactor Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Dow Chemical Company 1298 Kinnear Road Building 1602 Columbus, OH 43212-1154 Midland, MI 48674 Mr. Matt Feyrer, Site Manager Dr. Steven R. Reese, Director GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Oregon State University Vallecitos Nuclear Center 100 Radiation Center 6705 Vallecitos Road Corvallis, OR 97331-5903 Sunol, CA 94586 Dr. Marylou Dunik-Gougar Dr. Kenan Unlu, Director Reactor Administrator Radiation Science and Engineering Center Idaho State University Breazeale Nuclear Reactor Professor of Nuclear Engineering Pennsylvania State University 921 S. 8th Avenue, MS 8065 University Park, PA 16802-2301 Pocatello, ID 83209-8060 Dr. Alan Cebula Dr. Thomas H. Newton, Deputy Director Nuclear Reactor Facility Manager National Institute of Standards Kansas State University and Technology 112 Ward Hall NIST Center for Neutron Research Manhattan, KS 66506-5204 U.S. Department of Commerce 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 6101 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-6101 Mr. Jerry Newhouse, Director Dr. Seungjin Kim, Reactor Director Reed College Purdue University Reed Research Reactor The School of Nuclear Engineering 3203 Southeast Woodstock Boulevard 516 Northwestern Avenue Portland, OR 97202-8199 West Lafayette, IN 47906

Dr. Wei Ji, Director Dr. Wesley D. Frey, Reactor Director Reactor Critical Facility McClellan Nuclear Research Center Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of California, Davis 110 8th Street 5335 Price Avenue, Building 258 JEC 5040 McClellan, CA 95652-2504 Troy, NY 12180 3590 Dr. Cameron Goodwin, Director Dr. George E. Miller, Reactor Supervisor Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center Nuclear Reactor Facility 16 Reactor Road Department of Chemistry Narragansett, RI 02882-1165 University of California 1102 Natural Sciences 2 Irvine, CA 92697-2025 Dr. Michael Nastasi, Department Head Dr. Donald Wall, Facility Director Texas A&M University University of Florida Training Reactor Nuclear Engineering Department P.O. Box 116400 3133 TAMU Gainesville, FL 32611 College Station, TX 77843-3133 Dr. Sean McDeavitt, Director Ms. Amber Johnson, Director Nuclear Science Center Nuclear Reactor and Radiation Facilities Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station University of Maryland 1095 Nuclear Science Road, MS 3575 Department of Materials Science and Engineering College Station, TX 77843-3575 4418 Stadium Drive, Room 1104 College Park, MD 20742-2115 Jonathan Wallick, Reactor Supervisor Mr. Leo Bobek, Reactor Supervisor U.S. Geological Survey University of Massachusetts Lowell P.O. Box 25046, MS 974 Nuclear Radiation Laboratory Denver Federal Center One University Avenue Denver, CO 80225 Lowell, MA 01854 Glenn E. Sjoden, Ph.D., P.E., Interim Director Dr. David J. Robertson, Reactor Facility Director Utah Nuclear Engineering Program University of Missouri-Columbia Professor, Energy Solutions Presidential Research Reactor Center Endowed Chair 1513 Research Park Drive Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering Columbia, MO 65211 University of Utah 110 Central Campus Dr., Rm 2000 Salt Lake City, UT 84112 Mr. Robert Agasie, Reactor Director Carl Willis, Chief Reactor Supervisor Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Nuclear Engineering Department University of Wisconsin - Madison 1 University of New Mexico, MSC-01-1120 1513 University Avenue, Room 1215 Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 Madison, WI 53706-1687

Mr. Corey Hines, Director Mr. Paul Whaley, Associate Director Washington State University Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory Nuclear Radiation Center The University of Texas at Austin 50 Roundtop Drive 10100 Burnet Road, Building 159 Pullman, WA 99164 1300 Austin, TX 78758 Mr. John P. Foster, Director Gregory Piefer, Ph.D.

of Reactor Operations Chief Executive Officer Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Shine Medical Technologies, LLC Massachusetts Institute of Technology 101 E. Milwaukee Street, Suite 600 138 Albany Street, MS NW12-110 Janesville, WI 53545 Cambridge, MA 02139 Mr. Scott Lassell, Manager Andrew Cook, Interim Reactor Facility Director of Engineering and Operations Chief, Reactor Division Nuclear Reactor Program Radiation Sciences Department Department of Nuclear Engineering Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute North Carolina State University 4555 South Palmer Road, Building Room 1110 Burlington Laboratory Bethesda, MD 20889-5648 2500 Stinson Drive Raleigh, NC 27695-7909

ML21195A140 NRC-001 OFFICE NRR/DANU/PM NRR/DANU/LA NRR/DANU NRR/DANU/BC NRR/DANU/PM NAME KWagner NParker MDeSouza TTate KWagner DATE 07/15/2021 07/15/2021 07/15/2021 09/01/2021 09/02/2021 LIST OF ATTENDEES JUNE 15, 2021, MEETING WITH NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF TEST, RESEARCH, AND TRAINING REACTORS REGARDING RISK-INFORMING MEDICAL EXAM REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH AND TEST REACTOR LICENSEES Name Organization Ayman Hawari TRTR/North Carolina State University Amber Johnson TRTR/University of Maryland Justin Hudson TRTR/National Institute of Standards and Technology Jonathan Wallick TRTR/U.S. Geological Survey Cameron Goodwin TRTR/Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission Edward Lau TRTR/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Jere Jenkins TRTR/Texas A&M University Scott Lassell TRTR/North Carolina State University Thomas Newton TRTR/National Institute of Standards and Technology Steven Reese TRTR/Oregon State University Corey Hines Washington State University Ethan Taber Missouri University of Science and Technology Hilary Lane Nuclear Energy Institute Kevin Herminghuysen Not Available John Keffer Not Available Clayton Manning Not Available Ryan Marcum Not Available Christopher Farwell Not Available Travis Tate U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission William Schuster U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Michele DeSouza U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission John Nguyen U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Daniel Mussatti* U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Sarah Lopas* U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Katie Wagner U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Amy Beasten U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Theresa Buchanan U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Skylar Cushing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Christian Cowdrey U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Hipolito Gonzalez U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Janelle Jessie U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Julie Ezell U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Note: Attendance list based on information from Microsoft Teams. List does not include at least three individuals that connected by phone.

• = Meeting Facilitator Enclosure