ML26022A167
| ML26022A167 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07103070, 07103106 |
| Issue date: | 02/02/2026 |
| From: | Haimanot Yilma Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch |
| To: | Vierling R US Dept of Transportation, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-DOT-0006, CAC A33010 | |
| Download: ML26022A167 (0) | |
Text
Dr. Ryan Vierling, Chief Sciences Branch Division of Engineering and Research Office of Hazardous Materials Safety U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20590
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FOR THE REVALIDATION REQUEST OF THE CANADIAN CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENT AUTHORITY CDN/2081/B(U) (REVISION 6), MODEL NO. F-168 (1996) AND F-168-X (1996)
(COST ACTIVITY CODE/ENTERPRISE PROJECT IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS A33010/L-2025-DOT-0006)
Dear Mr. Vierling:
By letter dated September 4, 2025 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
[ADAMS] Accession No. ML25259A093), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requested the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) a revalidation recommendation for the Canadian Competent Authority Certificate No. CDN/2081/B(U) (Revision. 6),
MODEL NO. F-168 (1996) and F-168-X (1996) (
Reference:
USA/0617/B(U)-96).
The NRC staff performed an acceptance review of the application to determine if the application contains sufficient technical information in scope and depth to allow the staff to complete a detailed technical review. The staff has determined that the following supplemental information is needed to begin its review. The information needed to continue our review is described in the enclosed request for supplemental information (RSI).
In order to schedule our technical review, we request that you provide responses to the RSI enclosed within 30 days of the issuance of this letter. If unable to meet this response date, please notify us, at least 1 week prior to the due date, of your new submittal date and the reasons for the delay. If you are not able to respond within this timeframe or the RSI responses do not provide sufficient information, the application may not be accepted for review.
The document attached also includes the staffs observations related to general information.
The staff included observations to allow you to start earlier on items containing the potential to be asked for at a later date. Responses to observations are not required for staff to begin a detailed technical review. Observations are not the result of a detailed technical review and may be resolved once staff begin a detailed review.
Your submittal has been assigned Cost Activity Code/Enterprise Project Identification Number A33010/L-2025-DOT-0006. Please reference these numbers and Docket No. 71-3106 in any future correspondence associated with this request.
February 2, 2026
R. Vierling 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. 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 via email to Haimanot.Yilma@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, Haimanot Yilma, Project Manager Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 071-3106/0710-3070 CAC No. A33010 EPID L-2025-DOT-0006
Enclosure:
RSI for F-168 and F-168X Transportation Cask Revalidation Review Signed by Yilma, Haimanot on 02/02/26
ML26022A167 OFFICE NMSS/DFM NMSS/DFM NMSS/DFM NMSS/DFM NMSS/DFM NAME HYilma WWheatley DDunn JSmith LRegner DATE 1/22/2026 1/26/2026 1/26/2026 1/26/2026 1/27/2026 OFFICE NMSS/DFM NMSS/DFM NAME YDiaz-Sanabria HYilma DATE 2/1/2026 2/2/2026
Enclosure Request for Supplemental Information and Observations Revalidation of Canadian Pkg. F-168/ F-168-X (USA/0617/B(U)) 71-3106 Structural Review RSI St-1: Provide the following documents (or pertinent portions thereof) cited in the package documentation:
(1) Gorash, Yevgen & Mackenzie, Donald. (2014). Safe structural design for fatigue and creep, noted in IN/TR 2707 F168, Ageing Assessment of Nordion Transport Package F-168 and F-168-X (1996) B(U), as reference [8]; and cited in Fig. 2 of Appendix 1.
(2) QAP-AP-57, "Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA)," noted in IN/TR 2707 F168 as reference [4].
(3) CO-MD/IT-0012 (2) "Inspection and Maintenance of the F-168 Type B Transport Packaging" referenced in IN/TR 2707 F168, as reference [5].
(4) Nordion drawing F116801-001, "F-168 Transport Packaging with Upper and Lower Fire shield," included as reference [5] in IN/DS 1811 F168, Design, Manufacturing and Operating Specification for F-168 and F-168-X Transport Packages.
(5) Nordion drawing F116801-020, "F-168 Transport Packaging with Upper and Lower Fire shield & Heat Screen," included as reference [6] in IN/DS 1811 F168.
(6) Nordion drawings F116801-100 and F116801-101 for the F-168-X Transport Package referenced in Canadian Certificate No.: CDN/2081/B(U) (Rev. 6) Issue Date: Sep 2025.
(7) IN/OP 0019 Z000, Radioactive Material Transport Packaging Inspection and Maintenance Procedure, referenced in IN/DS 1811 F168, Appendix A, Drawing and Document Lists for the F-168 and F-168-X Transport Packages.
(8) IN/DS 0517 F168, Preparation for Shipment of the F-168 and F-168-X Transport Packagings referenced in IN/DS 1811 F168, Appendix A, (9) IN/TS 0735 F168, Technical Specification of the F-168 Transport Packaging referenced in IN/DS 1811 F168, Appendix A.
This information is requested to verify compliance with requirements of the 2018 Edition of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) SSR-6, Paragraph 613A.
Obs St-1: As mentioned in Appendix 1 of IN/TR 2707 F168, justify the following input parameters, references, and methodologies as bases for the assessment of the F-168 and F-168-X package lugs and weldments for fatigue effects:
- 1) The use of 30 lifts per year (cycles) as an assessment basis for lifting and tie-down lug and weldment fatigue stress. Although the expected lifespan of the package has not been stated, the oldest package has been in use for over 40 years.
- 2) Verify that the lugs, weldments, and cylindrical shell are fabricated from American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) A36 material.
2
- 3) The applicability of using Figures 2 and 3 for ASTM A36 material.
- 4) The use of the Transport Container Standardisation Committee 1006 tie-down design accelerations rather than those prescribed in Table IV.1 of the 2018 edition of IAEA SSG-26, which appears to be bounding.
- 5) The exclusion of air-transport-related tie-down design loads, which appear to be bounding for vertical effects. Appendix 1 states that air is a viable mode of package transportation.
- 6) The reason for not combining the fatigue effects from lifting and those from tie-down to assess the overall package fatigue acceptability, when these two effects occur sequentially at each transport.
- 7) The reason for not addressing each of the fatigue effects from stress cycles occurring during normal service of the package, (e.g., pressurization, thermal) as well as the combined fatigue effects of all stress cycles, including any stress concentration factors, to assess the overall package fatigue acceptability.
This information is requested to verify compliance with requirements of the 2018 Edition of IAEA SSR-6, Paragraph 613A.
Obs St-2: The NRC staff observed that the magnitudes of the acceleration values employed for the F168 package tie-down design and ageing assessment are less than those required by U.S.
regulations, specifically Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 71.45(b)(1).
The applicant is asked to provide justification for not employing the tie-down accelerations required for U.S. transport packages, as noted in Table IV.2 of IAEA SSG-26, in the design of this package which is intended to be routed through and into the U.S.
This information is requested to verify compliance with the requirements of the 2018 Edition of IAEA SSR-6, Paragraphs 607 and 613.
Materials Review RSI Ma-1: Provide supplemental information for the Detailed (Annual) Inspection to address the three gaps identified by the aging assessment in IN/TR 2707 F168, Ageing Assessment of Nordion Transport Package F-168 and F-168-X (1996) B(U), Section 7 - Aging Management Program including (i) inspection personnel qualifications, (ii) inspection methods used, (iii) acceptance criteria, (iv) applicable codes and standards, if relevant, and (v) a description of flaw analysis methods, if used:
(1) Vacuum testing that incorporates monitoring for vapor pressure in the cavity.
(2) Inspection of the lifting lugs welds and geometry.
(3) Vacuum testing of the vapor shields that incorporate monitoring for vapor pressure in the cavity containing insulating material.
3 (4) Inspection and/or testing to determine the (a) presence of water, and (b) physical condition of the upper and lower vermiculite zones.
(5) Inspection and/or testing of the bottom fire shield below the lower vermiculite zone.
The staff notes that the current description on the detailed annual inspection states that an inspection plan with a set of acceptance criteria will be developed in the future, however, the inspection program must be reviewed by the NRC staff.
This information is requested to verify compliance with requirements of the 2018 Edition of IAEA SSR-6, Paragraph 613A.
RSI Ma-2: Provide supplemental information for the Enhanced (Decennial) Inspection to in IN/TR 2707 F168, Ageing Assessment of Nordion Transport Package F-168 and F-168-X (1996) B(U), Section 7 - Aging Management Program including (i) inspection personnel qualifications, (ii) inspection methods used, (iii) acceptance criteria, (iv) applicable codes and standards, if relevant, and (v) a description of flaw analysis methods, if used:
(1) A description on the weld inspections that will be conducted during repainting intervals including after the package has been sandblasted.
(2) A description on the inspection for the upper and lower vermiculite zones including the potential aging mechanisms and effects for the vermiculite and identification of the property or function evaluated.
(3) A description on the inspections for the bottom fire shield including the potential aging mechanisms and effects evaluated.
This information is requested to verify compliance with requirements of the 2018 Edition of IAEA SSR-6, Paragraph 613A.