ML25122A176
| ML25122A176 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Triso-X |
| Issue date: | 05/12/2025 |
| From: | Robert Sun Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards |
| To: | Wheeler J Triso-X |
| References | |
| Download: ML25122A176 (1) | |
Text
Jennifer K. Wheeler, Director Regulatory Affairs TRISO-X, LLC 801 Thompson Avenue Rockville, MD 20852
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING A SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR AN APPLICATION FROM TRISO-X, LLC FOR A SPEICAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL LICENSE FOR A FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY IN OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE (DOCKET NUMBER:
70-7027)
Dear Jennifer Wheeler:
By letters dated January 31 and March 31, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff received a revised supplement to an application for a special nuclear material license for use at a TRISO-X, LLC (TRISO-X) fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
TRISO-X submitted revisions to the environmental report to address a revised design of the proposed facility. The environmental report (ER) was updated in two parts. Part 1 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) ML25031A449) was submitted on January 31, 2025 and Part 2 (ML25031A449) was submitted on March 31, 2025. This revised ER updates the previous version to include an additional process for receiving and processing a new feedstock.
The NRC staff is conducting a detailed technical review of your application and has determined that additional information is necessary in connection with its review and development of an environmental impact statement (EIS). The information needed by the staff is discussed in the enclosed request for additional information. We request that you provide responses within 30 days of the date of this letter to avoid delays finalizing a draft EIS and impacting the review schedule.
May 12, 2025
J. Wheeler Please reference Docket Number. 70-7027 in future correspondence related to the technical review for this licensing action. If you have any questions, please contact the Senior Environmental Project Manager, Jill Caverly of my staff by phone at (301) 415-7674 or via email at Jill.Caverly@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Robert Sun, Chief Environmental Project Management Branch 2 Division of Rulemaking, Environment, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 70-7027
Enclosure:
Request for Additional Information Environmental Report Supplement Signed by Sun, Robert on 05/12/25
Enclosure REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE TRISO-X, LLC, SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT IN AN APPLICATION FOR A PROPOSED FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY NEAR OAK RIDGE, TENNNESSEE Part 2 The purpose of these requests for additional information (RAIs) presented below is to obtain additional data and information from TRISO-X, LLC (TRISO-X), for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff to complete the environmental review and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in support of the NRCs evaluation of the TRISO-X license application for special nuclear material at a Fuel Fabrication Facility (FFF) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to manufacture high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel up to 19.75 percent weight Uranium-235.
The FFF would produce TRistructural ISOtropic uranium fuel for use in both existing and advanced commercial nuclear reactors. The fuel is designed to seal uranium particles in a protective coating that resists meltdowns and prevents release of fission products.
The TRISO-X license application included an initial Environmental Report (ER), which was recently supplemented to account for changes to the proposed facility design. Supplements to the ER were submitted to the NRC on January 31, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) ML25031A449), and March 31, 2025 (ML25031A449). These RAIs were developed by the NRC staff based on its review of the ER supplements as stated above. The NRCs EIS is being prepared to fulfill the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the NRC's NEPA implementing regulations in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 51. The staff used the guidance in NUREG-1748, Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions Associated with NMSS Programs, for its review of the application.
RAI ER Supplement - 6 Provide additional information on the validation of the quality of radiological stack effluents Section 6.1.1.1 of the ER states that each stack is equipped with a gaseous effluent radiation monitor (GERM). However, there is no information regarding the means or methods for validating or providing quality assurance of the gaseous effluent measurements. Normally, the radiological environmental monitoring program (REMP) provides validation of routine effluent measurements and accidental releases.
In this license application, TRISO-X proposes a facility with no routine ground level releases. All routine effluents are released from the stacks. The proposed REMP provides ground level monitoring of ambient air at locations close to the stacks. The proposed "fence line" REMP measurements are not sensitive to stack releases. The proposed REMP can detect accidental ground level releases, but not routine or accidental stack releases.
TRISO-X should provide additional information about how routine or accidental stack release measurements are validated or how quality assurance is otherwise provided. For example, do the GERM monitors include redundant channels for automated measurements? Do the GERM monitors or other monitoring capabilities include independent grab sampling capability? Are there other methods of providing independent validation or quality assurance measurements of
2 the GERM monitor results? To summarize, please provide additional information that describes how the quality of GERMs measurements are determined or established.
ML25122A176 OFFICE NMSS/REFS/EPMB2 NMSS/REFS NAME RSun DHerrington DATE May 12, 2025 May 12, 2025