ML23052A171

University of Texas at Austin - Report on the Regulatory Audit Renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-129; Docket No. 50-602

ML23052A171
Person / Time
Site:	University of Texas at Austin
Issue date:	03/07/2023
From:	Geoffrey Wertz NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPL
To:	Charlton W University of Texas at Austin
References
EPID L-2017-RNW-0032
Download: ML23052A171 (5)

Text

March 7, 2023 Dr. William Charlton, Director Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory The University of Texas at Austin Pickle Research Campus, Building 159 10100 Burnet Road Austin, TX 78758

SUBJECT:

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - REPORT ON THE REGULATORY AUDIT RE: RENEWAL OF FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-129 (EPID NO. L-2017-RNW-0032)

Dear Dr. Charlton:

By letter dated December 12, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML12156A097), as supplemented, the University of Texas at Austin submitted an application for renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-129 for the TRIGA Mark II Nuclear Reactor. The requested licensing action would renew the facility operating license for a period of 20 years.

Enclosed is a report on the regulatory audit conducted by staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) from August 31, 2020, to February 7, 2023, in connection with its review of the license renewal application (LRA). The audit report does not make any licensing conclusions or findings, but it is part of the administrative record of the NRC staffs review of the application and may provide information supporting the NRC staffs safety evaluation. The audit followed the plan provided by letter dated July 23, 2020 (ML20203M166).

Included in the enclosure is the list of documents reviewed by the NRC staff. Some of the information listed was identified as being needed by the NRC staff to formalize its review findings. This supplemental information was discussed with you during the audit exit meeting conference call, conducted on February 7, 2023, and you agreed to provide the information as a supplement to the LRA.

These documents must be submitted in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.4, Written communications, and pursuant to 10 CFR 50.30(b), Oath or affirmation, be executed in a signed original document under oath or affirmation. Information included in the response that you consider sensitive or proprietary, and seek to have withheld from public disclosure, must be marked in accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding. Any information related to safeguards should be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21, Protection of Safeguards Information:

Performance Requirements.

W. Charlton 2 If you have any questions regarding the NRC staffs audit, please contact me at 301-415-0893, or by email at Geoffrey.Wertz@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Signed by Wertz, Geoffrey on 03/07/23 Geoffrey A. Wertz, 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. 50-602 License No. R-129

Enclosure:

As stated cc: See next page

University of Texas Docket No. 50-602 cc:

Bureau of Radiation Control John G Eked, PhD State of Texas The University of Texas at Austin 1100 West 49th Street Chemical Engineering Austin, TX 78756 200 E. Dean Keeton Street, Stop C0400 Austin, TX 78712-1589 Jay Hartzell, President The University of Texas at Austin Dr. Richard Neptune, Dept. Chair Office of the President Walker Department of Mechanical 110 Inner Campus Drive, G3400 Engineering Austin, TX 78712-3400 204 E. Dean Keeton Street, ETC 5.200 (C2200)

Sharon Wood, Executive Vice President Austin, TX 78712-1591 and Provost The University of Texas at Austin Roger T. Bonnecaze, Dean 110 Inner Campus Drive, G1400 The Cockrell School of Engineering Austin, TX 78712-3400 301 E. Dean Keeton Street, ECJ 10th Floor (C2100)

Deeann Walker, Director Austin, TX 78712-2100 Office of the Governor Office of Budget and Policy Ashley Forbes, Director P.O. Box 12428 Radiation Materials Division, MC 233 Austin, TX 78711 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Paul Whaley, Associate Director P.O. Box 13087 Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory Austin, TX 78711-3087 The University of Texas at Austin 10100 Burnet Road, Building 159 Austin, TX 78758 Jim Terry, Reactor Supervisor Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory The University of Texas at Austin 10100 Burnet Road, Building 159 Austin, TX 78758 Test, Research and Training Reactor Newsletter Attention: Amber Johnson Dept of Materials Science and Engineering University of Maryland 4418 Stadium Drive College Park, MD 20742-2115

ML23052A171 NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NRR/DANU/UNPL/LA NRR/DANU/UNPL/BC NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NAME GWertz NParker JBorromeo GWertz DATE 2/22/2023 2/23/2023 3/7/2023 3/7/2023 OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION REGULATORY AUDIT REPORT REGARDING RENEWAL OF FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-129 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN TRIGA MARK II NUCLEAR REACTOR DOCKET NO. 50-602

Background

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is continuing its review of the University of Texas at Austin (UTA) TRIGA Mark II Nuclear Reactor license renewal application (LRA),

provided by letter dated December 12, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML12156A097), as supplemented. This report summarizes the regulatory audit conducted by the NRC audit team from August 31, 2020, to February 7, 2023, in connection with its LRA review. The audit report does not make any licensing conclusions or findings, but it is part of the administrative record of the NRC staffs review of the LRA. The audit followed the plan provided by letter dated July 23, 2020 (ML20203M166).

Location U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Headquarters, Rockville, MD (virtual)

Audit Dates August 31, 2020 - February 7, 2023 NRC Audit Team Members Geoffrey Wertz, Audit Team Leader Benjamin Parks, Technical Reviewer Joseph Staudenmeier, Technical Reviewer Molly-Kate Gavello, Technical Reviewer Justin Hudson, Technical Reviewer (replaced Molly-Kate Gavello)

Licensee Representatives Dr. William Charlton, Director, UTA Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory Mr. Paul Whaley, Associate Director, UTA Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory Audit Activities The NRC audit team conducted the audit through a series of video-teleconferences. The NRC audit team began the audit with an entrance meeting conducted on August 31, 2020, and discussed the nature of the audit scope being very focused on the licensees neutronic and thermal-hydraulic (T-H) analyses provided in support of the UTA TRIGA research reactor LRA.

Enclosure

2 The licensee provided the analyses through an internet portal (BOX), which allowed the NRC audit team members to view the licensees information (i.e., documents and computer files), but not share any information outside the NRC audit team. The audit remained open until the NRC staff determined that sufficient information was available to docket the neutronic and T-H analyses. The NRC audit team concluded its review with an exit meeting conducted on February 7, 2023.

Request for Supplemental Information The NRC audit team requested that the neutronics and T-H reports to be submitted on the docket as part of the LRA in order to satisfy or demonstrate compliance with the regulatory requirements. The NRC audit team also requested that UTA submit an updated LRA safety analysis report (SAR) because of the extensive changes which resulted from the updated neutronics and T-H reports. This request was discussed with and agreed to by Dr. William Charlton during the audit exit meeting on February 7, 2023.

The requested information is summarized below:

Analysis of the Neutronic Behavior of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory Reactor at the University of Texas, March 2021.

Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of the University of Texas (UT) TRIGA Reactor, December 1, 2023.

Updated University of Texas Austin LRA SAR.

Request for Additional Information None at this time.

Open Items and Proposed Closure Paths None.

Exit Briefing On February 7, 2023, the NRC audit team held an exit briefing with the UTA representatives:

Dr. William Charlton, and Mr. Paul Whaley. No disagreements were noted.

Deviations from the Audit Plan No deviations from the audit plan were identified.