ML23311A380

Cover Letter - Safety Evaluation Report for GNF-A Request for 8 Weight Percent Uranium 235

ML23311A380
Person / Time
Site:	07001113
Issue date:	12/11/2023
From:	Lav S NRC/NMSS/DFM/FFLB
To:	Huth R Global Nuclear Fuel
Shared Package
ML23311A379:ML23311A379	List: ML23311A380 ML23311A381 ML23311A383
References
EPID L-2022-LLA-0065
Download: ML23311A380 (4)

Text

OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SECURITY-RELATED INFORMATION UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 December 11, 2023 Ryan Huth Facility Manager Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas LLC 3901 Castle Hayne Road P.O. Box 780 Wilmington, NC 28402

SUBJECT:

GLOBAL NUCLEAR FUEL - AMERICAS, LLC: AMENDMENT 18 - APPROVAL OF LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR 8 WEIGHT PERCENT URANIUM-235 (ENTERPRISE PROJECT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER L-2022-LLA-0065) AND APPROVAL TO REASSIGN FOREIGN OBLIGATIONS FOR LOW ENRICHED URANIUM INVENTORY

Dear Ryan Huth:

By letter dated June 24, 2022 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System

[ADAMS] Accession No. ML22175A070), Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLC (GNF-A) requested U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval of a license amendment request to permit nuclear fuel fabrication at material enrichments up to 8.0 weight percent (wt. %) uranium-235 (U-235). The NRC staff identified that the application did not contain sufficient technical information and requested supplemental information by letter dated October 4, 2022 (ML22271A936). By letter dated October 5, 2022 (ML22278A155), GNF-A provided the supplemental information. The NRC staff accepted the submittal for formal review via letter dated November 2, 2022 (ML22304A671).

Based on a review of the submittal, response to request for supplemental information, and responses to the requests for additional information (ML23209A676), the NRC staff approves this license amendment request to permit nuclear fuel fabrication at enrichments up to 8.0 wt. %

U-235 (as delineated in the safety evaluation report [SER]). Enclosed is the SER that documents the NRC staffs review and Amendment 18 to Materials License SNM-1097.

Enterprise Project Identification number L-2022-LLA-0065 is considered closed.

Additionally, by letter dated June 30, 2022 (ML22259A198), GNF-A requested prior written approval from the NRC to reassign foreign obligations for its uranium inventory. The NRC staff (1) evaluated the request in consultation with its U.S Government interagency partners, the Department of State and Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration and, Enclosure 2 transmitted herewith contains Proprietary Information. When separated from the sensitive conditions in enclosure 2, this document is decontrolled.

OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SECURITY-RELATED INFORMATION

OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SECURITY-RELATED INFORMATION R. Huth 2 (2) approved the request finding GNF-A demonstrated it will meet the core principles for tracking foreign obligations on low enriched uranium in a letter dated September 28, 2022 (ML22259A200). The NRCs approval letter stated that approval to continue assigning and tracking foreign obligations on its uranium inventory would be effective upon issuance of Amendment 18.

Therefore, the license amendment request is approved and Materials License SNM-1097 is amended by modifying Item 6.A from 5 percent to 8 percent U-235, by modifying Item 6.C from >5% to <10% to >8% to <20% U-235, and by the addition of License Conditions S-7, S-8, and SG-1.4 as follows:

S-7. The licensee shall control the entire fuel fabrication facility to safely process enrichments up to 8.0 wt.% U-235 and shall not segment the facility based on enrichment.

S-8. Except for the special nuclear material authorized under Items 6.B, 6.C, 7.B, 7.C, 8.B, and 8.C of Materials License SNM-1097, GNF-A shall not receive, possess, handle, store, or process any special nuclear material in excess of 5.0 wt. % U-235 until the NRC completed an operational readiness review that verifies the facility will be operated safely and in accordance with the requirements of Material License SNM-1097. GNF-A will notify the NRC at least 120 days prior to the receipt of special nuclear material in excess of 5 wt. % U-235, other than special nuclear material authorized in Items 6.B and 6.C.

SG-1.4 The licensee is authorized to exchange foreign obligations between similar materials as needed for routine licensed activities as described in letters dated June 30, 2022 (ML22259A198) and September 28, 2022 (ML22259A200).

Also, Items 7.B and 7.C of Materials License SNM-1097 are being revised to clarify and add detail on the authorized use of the specified forms of U-235 indicated in relationship to Items 6.B and 6.C.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding, of the NRCs Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), or from ADAMS. The PDR is open by appointment only. You may submit your request to the PDR via email at PDR.Resource@nrc.gov or call 1-800-397-4209 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The ADAMS database is accessible from the NRC website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Enclosures 1 and 3 will be withheld from public disclosure.

OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SECURITY-RELATED INFORMATION

OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SECURITY-RELATED INFORMATION R. Huth 3 If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact me or Jonathan Rowley by telephone at 301-415-4053 or via email at jonathan.rowley@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Signed by Lav, Samantha on 12/11/23 Samantha C. Lav, Chief Fuel Facility Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 70-1113 License No. SNM-1097

Enclosures:

1. Safety Evaluation Report (Public)

2. Amended License (Non-public)

3. Amended License (Public) cc: gnfa@listmgr.nrc.gov OFFICIAL USE ONLY - SECURITY-RELATED INFORMATION

ML23311A379 (Pkg); ML23311A380 (Ltr); ML23311A381 (SER),

ML23311A383 (Amend public), ML23311A382 (Amend non-public)

NMSS/DFM/ NMSS/DFM/ NMSS/DFM/ NMSS/DFM/CTCFB/

OFFICE FFLB/PM FFLB/LA NARAB/BC BC NAME JRowley JGoodridge DJohnson DMarcano DATE 11/8/23 11/9/23 11/13/2023 11/15/2023 NMSS/DFM/MCAB/ NMSS/REFS/FAB/ NMSS/REFS/ERMB/ NMSS/REFS/ERNRB OFFICE BC BC (A) BC /BC (A)

NAME JRubenstone KKline MRome PDoub DATE 11/13/2023 11/16/2023 11/15/2023 11/13/2023 NMSS/DFM/FFLB/

OFFICE OGC BC NAME PJehle SLav DATE 12/11/2023 12/11/2023