ML26050A279
| ML26050A279 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of New Mexico (R-102) |
| Issue date: | 02/19/2026 |
| From: | Robert Davis Univ of New Mexico, Nuclear Engineering Department |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Document Control Desk |
| References | |
| EN 58160 | |
| Download: ML26050A279 (0) | |
Text
The University of New Mexico l MSC01 1120 l 1 University of New Mexico l Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 Phone 505.277.5431 l Fax 505.277.5433 l Farris Engineering Center, Room 1200 ne.unm.edu TO: U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FROM: Rowdy Davis, Ph.D., Reactor Administrator RE: License Amendment Request DATE: 19 February 2026 This letter formally requests the withdrawal of License Amendment Request No. 9 and Event Notification 58160 for the University of New Mexico's Aerojet General Nucleonics 201-M Reactor [05000252] (License No. R-102) (UNM AGN-201M).
Following further discussion and investigation, the licensee has determined that no technical specification violation occurred under TS 3.4.d. Specifically, the licensee's position is that the thermal column is not filled with lead, but rather constructed with lead as a fixed structural base, above which sits a water tank filled solely with water.
Aerojet General Nucleonics (AGN) documentation states that the reactor core is surrounded on all sides by 10 cm of lead, and that the thermal column may be outfitted with either a graphite thermal column or a water-filled thermal water tank. This language supports the conclusion that the lead comprising the thermal column base serves to satisfy the design requirement that the core be surrounded by 10 cm of lead on all sides, rather than representing a fill material within the column itself.
This interpretation is further corroborated by drawings contained within the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) and AGN design documentation, which depict a secondary containment boundary around the water within the thermal column. Taken together, the available evidence demonstrates that the thermal column is constructed with lead as a structural and shielding element not filled with it and therefore does not constitute a violation of the applicable technical specifications.
Based on the foregoing, the licensee respectfully requests that License Amendment Request No. 9 and Event Notification 58160 be withdrawn accordingly.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Rowdy Davis, Ph.D UNM AGN-201M, Reactor Administrator The University of New Mexico