ML25181A802
| ML25181A802 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Framatome ANP Richland |
| Issue date: | 07/07/2025 |
| From: | Stephen Poy NRC/NMSS/DFM/FFLB |
| To: | Travis Tate Framatome |
| References | |
| EPID L-2024-LLA-0130 | |
| Download: ML25181A802 (1) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Timothy J. Tate, Manager Environmental, Safety, Health, and Licensing Framatome Inc.
2101 Horn Rapids Road Richland, WA 99354-5102
SUBJECT:
ACCEPTANCE FOR REVIEW OF FRAMATOME INC.S SUBMITTALTO AUTHORIZE TRISO FUEL FABRICATION IN THE SPECIALTY FUELS BUILDING AT THE FRAMATOME FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY IN RICHLAND, WA - ENTERPRISE PROJECT IDENTIFIER NUMBER L-2024-LLA-0130
Dear Timothy J. Tate:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has received your submittal dated September 20, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System [ADAMS]
Accession No. ML24264A171), transmitting your request to authorize Tri-structural Isotropic (TRISO) fuel fabrication in the Specialty Fuels Building at the Framatome Fuel Fabrication Facility in Richland, WA. The NRC staff issued a Request for Supplemental Information (RSI) letter dated January 6, 2025 (ML24348A193) and a follow-up request on March 24, 2025 (ML25188A194) and March 28, 2025 (ML25188A202). You responded by email on February 5, 2025 (ML25097A221) and further supplemented with additional information related to the electrical/instrumentation and control (I&C) and structural reviews on June 27, 2025 (ML25178B380) and July 1, 2025 (ML25182A223).
We have completed our acceptance review of your submittal and have identified no administrative omissions or deficiencies that would prevent us from proceeding with a detailed technical review. Your submittal has been assigned Enterprise Project Identification No. (EPID)
L-2024-LLA-0130. Please reference this EPID No. and Docket No. 70-1257 in any future correspondence associated with this request.
Based on the NRC staffs acceptance review of the license application and environmental report, NRC staff anticipate completing the review of the Framatome application by March 2026, which is 3 months shorter than our metric of 12 months for amendments1. The schedule and resource estimates are based, in part, on the staffs preliminary determination that the license amendment request could meet the criteria in Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 51.22(c)(11) and be categorically excluded under the National Environmental Policy Act requirements. However, if anything identified during the detailed safety review challenges the assumptions listed above, an environmental assessment may be required. The schedule assumes Framatome will meet the commitments agreed to in your responses to the RSIs related to the structural and electrical/I&C reviews from June 27, 2025, and July 1, 2025.
1 https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/generic-schedules.html July 7, 2025
T. Tate 2
Specifically, the schedule is based on Framatome providing updated ISA summaries consistent with the information contained in the RSI responses and providing the documents discussed in your response to the electrical/I&C RSI responses within 30 days of this letter.
When possible, the NRC staff will conduct review steps and concurrence in parallel and review technical areas on an accelerated schedule. NRC staff will focus their review on the most safety/risk significant items and narrowly focus on the changes included in the amendment, recognizing that Framatome is an existing NRC licensee. The schedule below is based, in part, on several assumptions: (1) Framatome providing request for additional information (RAI) responses within 30 days of receiving draft RAIs, unless another date is agreed upon, (2) RAI responses resolving issues with limited need for follow-up RAIs, (3) clarification calls and audits being scheduled and conducted promptly, and (4) any additional supporting non-docketed information being provided timely. To achieve this schedule, the NRC staff intends to engage Framatome frequently to resolve open items and address emerging technical and regulatory issues. Not meeting these assumptions could result in changes to the review schedule. The NRC requests that Framatome inform us in writing, as early as possible, should potential delays arise in its support of the schedule.
The table below provides key milestones for the safety review, which is divided into two phases to allow completion of review areas not impacted by the RSIs to progress at an accelerated pace. Phase 1 includes the decommissioning funding & financial assurance, chemical process safety, environmental safety, radiation protection, fire safety, integrated safety analysis, material control & accounting, nuclear criticality safety, emergency preparedness, human factors, hydrology, geotechnical, general information & organization, and quality assurance/management measures portions of the review. Phase 2 includes the structural and electrical/I&C portions of the review.
Review Milestones Estimated Completion Draft Safety Evaluation (SE)1 for Phase 1 August 2025 Notice of Opportunity for Hearing August 2025 Issuance of RAIs for Phase 1 September 2025 Advanced SE2 for Phase 1 November 2025 Draft SE for Phase 2 November 2025 Issuance of RAIs for Phase 2 December 2025 Advanced SE for Phase 2 February 2026 Final SE3 and licensing decision March 2026 Notes:
1.
SE sections drafted, information gaps identified, and RAIs drafted 2.
Begin NRC management and legal review of SE sections 3.
Final SE compiled and issued Progress towards these milestones will be tracked on the NRCs dashboard for this licensing action, which should be published on the NRCs public website later this month.
The March 2026 date could change depending on the findings of our technical review, need for additional/supplementing information or other factors. We will promptly communicate any significant changes to this schedule. The NRC staff estimates that completing the review of your submittal will require approximately 1,450 staff hours and cost approximately $460,000, which is below the historical expenditure for complex license amendment reviews. We will promptly communicate significant schedule and cost changes, if any.
T. Tate 2
In accordance with 10 CFR Part 2, 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 the Publicly Available Records component of the NRCs ADAMS. The NRCs ADAMS is accessible from the NRC website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The PDR is open by appointment. To make an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
If you have any questions regarding this communication, please contact me at 301-415-7135 or via email to stephen.poy@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Stephen Poy, Project Manager Fuel Facility Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No.: 70-1257 License No.: SNM-1227 Signed by Poy, Stephen on 07/07/25