ML24303A345

University of Utah - Acceptance of Requested Licensing Action Re Exemption from Select Requirements of 10 CFR Part 55

ML24303A345
Person / Time
Site:	University of Utah
Issue date:	11/05/2024
From:	Lovett J NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPL
To:	Allison A Univ of Utah
Jessica Lovett, NRR/DANU
References
EPID L-2024-NLE-0003
Download: ML24303A345 (1)

Text

Mr. Andrew Allison, Interim Director Utah Nuclear Engineering Program Joseph Merrill Building 110 Central Campus Drive, Suite 2000 Salt Lake City, UT 84112

SUBJECT:

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH - ACCEPTANCE OF REQUESTED LICENSING ACTION RE: EXEMPTION FROM SELECT REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE 10 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 55 (EPID L-2024-NLE-0003)

Dear Mr. Allison:

By letter dated June 17, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML24183A173), and supplemented by letter dated September 5, 2024 (ML24250A104), the University of Utah submitted an exemption request from specific requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 55, Operators Licenses, Section 55.53, Conditions of licenses and Section 55.59, Requalification. The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs acceptance review of this exemption request. The acceptance review was performed to determine if there is sufficient technical information in scope and depth to allow the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical review. The acceptance review is also intended to identify whether the application has any readily apparent information insufficiencies in its characterization of the regulatory requirements or the licensing basis of the facility.

Pursuant to Section 55.11, Specific exemptions, of 10 CFR, the Commission may grant exemptions from the requirements of the regulations in this part as it determines are authorized by law and will not endanger life or property and are otherwise in the public interest.

The NRC staff has reviewed your request and concluded that it does provide technical information in sufficient detail to enable the NRC staff to complete its detailed technical review and make an independent assessment regarding the acceptability of the proposed exemption in terms of regulatory requirements and the protection of public health and safety and the environment. Given the lesser scope and depth of the acceptance review as compared to the detailed technical review, there may be instances in which issues that impact the NRC staffs ability to complete the detailed technical review are identified despite completion of an adequate acceptance review.

The NRC staff has determined the information described in the enclosure to this letter is needed to complete the detailed technical review. Accordingly, the NRC staff requests a supplement to the application to address the information described in the enclosure by December 13, 2024.

Any request for additional time to provide the supplement should include the reason and a proposed date to provide the supplement to allow the NRC staff to make an informed decision November 5, 2024

A. Allison on whether to grant the request. The NRC staff discussed the enclosure and time frame for providing a supplement with you on October 28, 2024.

Based on the information provided in your submittal the NRC staff has estimated that this licensing request will take approximately 120 hours0.00139 days <br />0.0333 hours <br />1.984127e-4 weeks <br />4.566e-5 months <br /> to complete. The NRC staff expects to complete this review by January 31, 2025. If there are emergent complexities or challenges in our review that would cause changes to the initial forecasted completion date or significant changes in the forecasted hours, the reasons for the changes, along with the new estimates, will be communicated during the routine interactions with the assigned project manager.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-4002, or by email at Jessica.Lovett@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Jessica Lovett, 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. 50-407 License No. R-126

Enclosure:

As stated cc: GovDelivery Subscribers Signed by Lovett, Jessica on 11/05/24

ML24303A345 NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NRR/DANU/UNPL/LA NRR/DANU/UNPO/BC NAME JLovett NParker TTate DATE 10/30/2024 10/30/2024 11/05/2024 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPL/BC NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NAME HCruz JLovett DATE 11/05/2024 11/05/2024

Enclosure OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION NEEDED FOR REVIEW OF AN EXEMPTION REQUEST UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TRIGA NUCLEAR REACTOR LICENSE NO. R-126; DOCKET NO. 50-407 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff will need additional justification and basis for Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 55.59, Requalification, paragraph (a) and 10 CFR 55.53, Conditions of licenses, paragraph (e) exemption requests. The NRC staff requests the following:

1.

The NRC requests that you provide the date of the most recent annual operating exam per 10 CFR 55.59(a)(2) which was completed for Andrew Allison, Edward Goodell, and Jesse Snow.

2.

Request clarification on when the annual operating exam will be performed following expiration of the exemption.

3.

In your application, you proposed that licensed operators will receive special refresher training, but did not describe this training and how it differs from the training in the NRC approved requalification plan. Provide information regarding:

a.

Periodicity of the special refresher training.

b.

Description of the special refresher training activities and objectives.

4.

Provide information regarding the proposed training to be conducted at another facility:

a.

Which operator(s) will receive training at another facility.

b.

Which items from 10 CFR 55.45(a) will be performed at the alternate facility.

c.

Justification describing why the Reed College reactor facility (or the Oregon State University reactor facility as an alternate to Reed College) are suitable for providing training of operators licensed at the Utah reactor facility. Include discussion on a comparison of the alternate reactor facilities with the University of Utah that supports the appropriateness for the specified training activity.

Comparisons should address reactor design, console design and reactivity response, etc.

5.

Provide a justification for how granting this exemption will not endanger life or property.

6.

Provide a justification for why this exemption is in the best interest of the public.