ML25272A288
| ML25272A288 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07003103 |
| Issue date: | 09/30/2025 |
| From: | Julio Lara Region 2 Administrator |
| To: | Lorskulsint P Louisiana Energy Services, URENCO USA |
| References | |
| Download: ML25272A288 (4) | |
Text
September 30, 2025 Paul Lorskulsint Chief Nuclear Officer Louisiana Energy Services (LES) dba Urenco USA (UUSA)
Urenco USA P.O. Box 1789 Eunice, NM 88231
SUBJECT:
URENCO USA - AUTHORIZATION TO PRODUCE URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE ENRICHED TO UP TO 10 WEIGHT PERCENT URANIUM-235
Dear Mr. Lorskulsint:
On September 29, 2025, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received your letter (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession Number:
(ML25272A218) requesting authorization to produce Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) enriched to between 5 and 10 weight (wt.) percent Uranium-235 (U-235) at the Louisiana Energy Services, URENCO USA Facility located in Eunice, New Mexico. Uranium in this enrichment range is known as LEU+. This letter provides the requested authorization from the U.S. NRC for you to produce UF6 enriched to less than 10 wt. percent U-235.
This authorization is pursuant to the provisions of Materials License SNM-2010 license conditions 6B and 6B.1. Which require, in part, that the URENCO USA facility (UUSA) shall not produce material for the assay above 5.0 wt. percent limit until the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed an operational readiness review (ORR) to verify the necessary changes have been implemented and the facility will be operated safely and in accordance with the requirements of the license. UUSA shall not at any time input parameters into the PCS to produce material for the assay at or above 10 wt. percent U-235.
This NRC authorization is based on the results of operational readiness reviews that the NRC has performed over the past year. The results of these operational readiness reviews are documented in the inspection reports listed in the enclosure to this letter (Enclosure).
The NRC staff determined that the necessary changes have been to support the safe production LEU+ in accordance with the requirements of your license. Specifically, our inspections verified through inspection of a sample of your controls and control implementation that there was reasonable assurance that: (1) items relied on for safety (IROFS) have been implemented to protect against the consequences of potential accidents associated with the production of LEU+; (2) that operators received the necessary training on the new, and changed, IROFS; (3) that components formerly identified as safe by design components had been appropriately redesignated as IROFS, and the appropriate commercial grade dedication performed in accordance with your license requirements, and; (4) that new IROFS had been
P. Lorskulsint 2
implemented to provide interim controls for the segregation of LEU+ from areas that have not yet had LEU+ controls implemented and authorized (e.g., recycling systems).
Please note that this authorization does not permit the introduction of LEU+ into the recycling and decontamination systems, or permit the removal of the interim controls for segregation of LEU+, and components exposed to LEU+ that have been removed from production systems, until the NRC has completed a readiness review to verify that the necessary changes to those systems have been implemented and the facility will be operated safely and in accordance with the requirements of the license.
This letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be made available for public inspection and copying at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html and at the NRC Public Document Room in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 2.390, Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding.
Should you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact Mr. Timothy J. Sippel, at 404-997-4525.
Sincerely, Julio F. Lara Acting Regional Administrator Docket No. 70-3103 License No. SNM-2010
Enclosure:
List of Inspection Reports for the Operational Readiness Reviews Supporting the Authorization of LEU+ Production cc w/ encl: Distribution via LISTSERV Signed by Lara, Julio on 09/30/25
SUNSI Review X
Non-Sensitive
Sensitive X
Publicly Available
Non-Publicly Available OFFICE RII/DFRSS RII/DFRSS RII:ORA NAME T. Sippel L. Suggs/ LC for J. Lara DATE 9/29/2025 9/29/2025 9/30/2025
Enclosure List of Inspection Reports for the Operational Readiness Reviews Supporting the Authorization of LEU+ Production Report Number ADAMS Accession Number Inspection Area(s) 2025001 ML25097A177 OPERATIONAL READINESS REVIEW (LICENSE CONDITIONS 6B &
6B.1) 2025006 ML25120A086 Identification of Safety Controls and Related Programs for the Production of LEU+ ORR Implementation of Safety Controls for the Production of LEU+ ORR 2025007 TBD TBD