ML26020A202
| ML26020A202 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Texas at Austin |
| Issue date: | 01/16/2026 |
| From: | Tanya Smith NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ETRB1 |
| To: | Elizondo E Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas |
| References | |
| NRC-2024-0132 | |
| Download: ML26020A202 (0) | |
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Estavio Elizondo, Chairman Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas 2212 Rosita Valley Road Eagle Pass, TX 78852
SUBJECT:
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES SECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN NATIONAL ENGINEERING TEACHING LABORATORY TRAINING, RESEARCH, ISOTOPES, GENERAL ATOMICS MARK II RESEARCH REACTOR LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-0602)
Dear Chairman Estavio Elizondo:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is conducting a review of the environmental effects of the proposed renewal of the operating license for the University of Texas at Austin (UTA) National Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) Mark II research reactor. The proposed action would renew Facility Operating License No. R-129 with no fixed license term, in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.51(c). The NETL TRIGA reactor is located at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus and received its operating license on January 17, 1992. UTA submitted a license renewal application to the NRC by letter dated December 12, 2011, pursuant to 10 CFR Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities.
The application is available through the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), which is accessible online at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html, under Accession No. ML12156A097. The application was supplemented by letters dated January 17, September 17, and December 19, 2012; March 22, June 24, and August 21, 2013; July 15, August 26, and December 22, 2015; February 5, May 2, and December 1, 2016; and August 4 and September 15, 2023. Additional documents related to the application include a letter issued by the NRC staff dated July 23, 2020 (ML20203M166), an Updated Safety Analysis Report dated August 4, 2023 (ML23279A146), and an environmental report dated September 15, 2023 (ML23258A162).
As stated in a letter dated May 1, 2024 (ML24096A043), and in accordance with Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR) Section 800.8(c), the NRC intends to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, through the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, process in lieu of the procedures set forth in 36 CFR 800.3 through 800.6. The NRC has determined that the area of potential effects for this proposed license renewal action is the approximately 226-acre J.J. Pickle Research Campus.
January 16, 2026
E. Elizondo 2
The NRC staffs analysis of the environmental effects of the proposed renewal action is documented in the enclosed draft historic and cultural resources section of the environmental assessment (EA). In its analysis, the NRC staff concludes, in part, that the proposed license renewal action will not require any physical changes to the facility and that the impacts would be similar to those occurring during past operations. Based on the results of the NRC staffs analysis in the EA, the NRC staff has made a preliminary determination pursuant to 36 CFR 800.5(b) that the proposed license renewal action would have no adverse effect on historic properties.
Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c), the NRC staff requests your comments on the enclosed draft historic and cultural resources section of the EA and on the NRC staffs preliminary determination by February 16, 2026. Comments may be submitted to the NRC by emailing Angela Sabet at angela.sabet@nrc.gov. The NRC staff is also making the draft historic and cultural resources section of the EA available for public comment in accordance with 36 CFR 800.2(d).
After consideration of comments received from consulting parties and the public, the NRC plans to issue the EA in March 2026. Please note that future correspondence will be sent via electronic format. If you would prefer to receive hard copy correspondence, please contact the points of contact listed below.
If you have any questions concerning the NRCs environmental review of the proposed license renewal action, please contact Beau Goldstein, Archaeologist, by phone at 301-415-1765 or by email at Beau.Goldstein@nrc.gov or Angela Sabet, Environmental Project Manager, by phone at 301-415-1162 or by email at Angela.Sabet@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Theodore Smith, Acting Chief Environmental Technical Review Branch 1 Division of Rulemaking, Environment, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 50-0602 Enc: Draft UTA NETL TRIGA EA, historic and cultural resources section https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2601/ML26012A041.pdf cc: Listserv Hector Gonzalez, THPO hector.gonzalez@ktttribe.org Signed by Smith, Theodore on 01/16/26
E. Elizondo 3
SUBJECT:
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES SECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN NATIONAL ENGINEERING TEACHING LABORATORY TESTING, RESEARCH, ISOTOPES, GENERAL ATOMICS MARK II RESEARCH REACTOR LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (DOCKET NUMBER: 50-0602)
DATE:
DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC SKoenick, NMSS/REFS BGoldstein, NMSS/REFS ASabet, NMSS/REFS TSmith, NMSS/REFS PLom, OGC AGhoshNaber, OGC GWertz, NRR/DANU J Borromeo, NRR/DANU ADAMS Package Accession No: ML25349A091(Pkg) ML26020A202 (Letter)* via email OFFICE NMSS/REFS NMSS/REFS OGC NMSS/REFS NAME AWalker-Smith ASabet PLom TSmith DATE 12/15/2025 12/17/2025 01/09/2026 01/09/2026 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY January 16, 2026