ML25076A605
| ML25076A605 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of New Mexico |
| Issue date: | 03/17/2025 |
| From: | Edward Helvenston NRC/NRR/DANU |
| To: | Robert Davis Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Univ of New Mexico |
| References | |
| Download: ML25076A605 (3) | |
Text
From:
Edward Helvenston Sent:
Monday, March 17, 2025 10:43 AM To:
Rowdy Davis Cc:
Holly Cruz; Brooke Gallagher; Linh Tran
Subject:
Request for Confirmation of Information Related to Amendment Request for License Condition 2.B.2.a for the University of New Mexico Research Reactor Attachments:
UNM Request for Confirmation of Information.pdf
Dear Dr. Davis:
By letter dated January 14, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Accession No. ML25027A371), the University of New Mexico (UNM) submitted an application for an amendment to Facility Operating License No. R-102 for the UNM Aerojet-General Nucleonics-201 Modified Reactor (UNMR). The amendment would revise UNMR License Condition 2.B.2.a to clarify the description of the special nuclear material allowed to be possessed under the UNMR license.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff identified additional information needed to continue its review of the application, as described in the enclosed request for confirmation of information (RCI). Please provide a response to the RCI (confirming the information in the RCI or providing additional explanation or information, if necessary) or a written request for additional time to respond, including the proposed response date and a brief explanation of the reason, by April 16, 2025.
In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.30(b), Oath or affirmation, UNM must execute its response in a signed original document under oath or affirmation.
The response must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 50.4, Written communications. Following receipt of the complete response to the RCI, the NRC staff will continue its review.
If you have any questions regarding the NRC staffs review or if you intend to request additional time to respond, please contact me at (301) 415-4067 or by email at Edward.Helvenston@nrc.gov, or contact Brooke Gallagher at (301) 415-5280 or by email at Brooke.Gallagher@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Ed Helvenston, U.S. NRC Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Licensing Branch (UNPL)
Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities (DANU)
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)
(301) 415-4067 Docket No. 05000252 EPID: L-2025-NFA-0000
Enclosure:
As stated cc: GovDelivery Subscribers Concurrence on RCI OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPL/BC NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NAME HCruz EHelvenston DATE 3/17/2025 3/17/2025
Hearing Identifier:
NRR_DRMA Email Number:
2745 Mail Envelope Properties (BY5PR09MB5956500314F450BF6A48EFD1E0DF2)
Subject:
Request for Confirmation of Information Related to Amendment Request for License Condition 2.B.2.a for the University of New Mexico Research Reactor Sent Date:
3/17/2025 10:42:32 AM Received Date:
3/17/2025 10:42:00 AM From:
Edward Helvenston Created By:
Edward.Helvenston@nrc.gov Recipients:
"Holly Cruz" <Holly.Cruz@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Brooke Gallagher" <Brooke.Gallagher@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Linh Tran" <Linh.Tran@nrc.gov>
Tracking Status: None "Rowdy Davis" <davisr760@unm.edu>
Tracking Status: None Post Office:
BY5PR09MB5956.namprd09.prod.outlook.com Files Size Date & Time MESSAGE 2243 3/17/2025 10:42:00 AM UNM Request for Confirmation of Information.pdf 82564 Options Priority:
Normal Return Notification:
No Reply Requested:
No Sensitivity:
Normal Expiration Date:
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION REQUEST FOR CONFIRMATION OF INFORMATION THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-102 DOCKET NO. 50-252 RCI 1 Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, section 50.54, Conditions of licenses, paragraph (b),
states that no right to special nuclear material (SNM) shall be conferred by a 10 CFR Part 50 reactor license except as may be defined by the license.
Section 9.5, Possession and Use of Byproduct, Source, and Special Nuclear Material, of NUREG-1537, Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors, Part 2, Standard Review Plan and Acceptance Criteria (ML042430048),
provides guidance that 10 CFR Part 50 reactor licenses should explicitly state which materials used at a licensee facility are covered by the 10 CFR Part 50 license.
In its license amendment request (LAR) dated January 14, 2025 (ML25027A371), the University of New Mexico (UNM) proposed to revise license condition (LC) 2.B.2.a of Facility Operating License No. R-102 for the UNM Aerojet-General Nucleonics-201 Modified (AGN-201M) Reactor (UNMR) to indicate that uranium that may be possessed under LC 2.B.2.a includes both uranium embedded in polyethylene and uranium embedded in polystyrene, such that the LC 2.B.2.a possession allowance would clearly encompass the UNMR core fuse material. The U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff subsequently made some additional changes to the proposed LC 2.B.2.a wording in UNMs January 14, 2025 LAR for clarity and conciseness, for consistency with recently-issued LCs for other research reactors, and to ensure consistency with the UNMR safety analysis report submitted to the NRC by letter dated February 21, 2007 (ML092170540), such that the LC would read as follows:
- a.
to receive, possess, and use, but not separate, up to 700 grams of contained uranium-235 enriched to less than 20% in the form of uranium dioxide (UO2) embedded in radiation stabilized polyethylene and nominally doubly-loaded polystyrene, in connection with the operation of the reactor; and Please confirm that the proposed LC 2.B.2.a wording above correctly reflects the SNM possessed under the UNMR license (excluding SNM produced by operation of the UNMR, which is covered by LC 2.B.2.b), is acceptable to UNM, and is consistent with UNMs LAR.