ML092030020

University of Massachusetts, Request for Additional Information Regarding Application for Special Nuclear Material Possession Limit Increase (Tac No. MD8109)

ML092030020
Person / Time
Site:	University of Lowell
Issue date:	05/04/2010
From:	Alexander Adams Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch
To:	Kegel G Univ of Massachusetts - Lowell
Montgomergy, C K, NRR/DPR, 415-3398
References
TAC MD8109
Download: ML092030020 (3)

Text

May 4, 2010 Dr. Gunter H. R. Kegel, Director Nuclear Radiation Laboratory Pinanski Building University of Massachusetts Lowell One University Avenue, Pinanski Energy Center Lowell, MA 01854

SUBJECT:

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT LOWELL, REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL POSSESSION LIMIT INCREASE (TAC NO. MD8109)

Dear Dr. Kegel:

We are reviewing your application for amendment of Facility Operating License No. R-125 for the University of Massachusetts at Lowell dated June 29, 2009 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML091820323). During our review, questions have arisen for which we require additional information and clarification. Please provide responses to the enclosed request for additional information no later than 15 days from the date of this letter. In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.30(b), your response must be executed in a signed original under oath or affirmation. If your submission contains safeguards information, then, 10 CFR 73.21 must be followed. Following receipt of your response, we will continue our review of your application.

If you have any questions regarding this review, please contact me at 301-415-1127.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Alexander Adams, Jr., Senior Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-223

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page

May 4, 2010 Dr. Gunter H. R. Kegel, Director Nuclear Radiation Laboratory Pinanski Building University of Massachusetts Lowell One University Avenue, Pinanski Energy Center Lowell, MA 01854

SUBJECT:

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT LOWELL, REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL POSSESSION LIMIT INCREASE (TAC NO. MD8109)

Dear Dr. Kegel:

We are reviewing your application for amendment of Facility Operating License No. R-125 for the University of Massachusetts at Lowell dated June 29, 2009 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML091820323). During our review, questions have arisen for which we require additional information and clarification. Please provide responses to the enclosed request for additional information no later than 15 days from the date of this letter. In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.30(b), your response must be executed in a signed original under oath or affirmation. If your submission contains safeguards information, then, 10 CFR 73.21 must be followed. Following receipt of your response, we will continue our review of your application.

If you have any questions regarding this review, please contact me at 301-415-1127.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Alexander Adams, Jr., Senior Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-223

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC DPR/PRT r/f RidsNrrDpr RidsNrrDprPrta RidsNrrDprPrtb GLappert, NRR AAdams, NRR ACCESSION NO.:ML092030020 Office PRLB:PM PRPB:LA PRLB:BC PRLB:PM Name AAdams GLappert KBrock AAdams Date 5/3/2010 5/3/2010 5/4/2010 5/4/2010 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, LOWELL FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE R-125 DOCKET NO. 50-223 We are reviewing your application for amendment of Facility Operating License No. R-125 for the University of Massachusetts at Lowell dated June 29, 2009 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML091820323). Your application is requesting a special nuclear material limit increase. During our review, questions have arisen for which we require additional information and clarification. Please provide responses to the enclosed request for additional information no later than 15 days from the date of this letter. In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.30(b), your response must be executed in a signed original under oath or affirmation. If your submission contains safeguards information, then, 10 CFR 73.21 must be followed.

1. Your letter of June 29, 2009, requests an increase in the special nuclear material possession limit of uranium-235 at enrichments equal to or less than 20 percent. The wording of license condition 2.B.(2) also refers to enrichment equal to or less than 20 percent. Amendment No. 12 to the license issued on July 31, 1997, converted the reactor from the use of high-enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. However, it appears that an error was made in the wording of license condition 2.B.(2). The definition of HEU fuel is fuel in which the weight percent of U-235 in the uranium is 20 percent or greater. The license condition wording allows the possession of HEU at 20 percent enrichment. Please verify that your existing fuel is enriched to less than 20 percent. Please propose wording for license condition 2.B.(2) to limit fuel possession to LEU.

2. Please review your technical specifications (TSs) to ensure that they are consistent with the definition of LEU. For example, TS 5.1.1. states fuel plates shall be fueled with low enrichment uranium (20% U-235). To limit fuel to LEU, the enrichment should be less than 20% U-235. Please propose changes to this and any other affected TS.

3. License condition 2.B.(2) for special nuclear material authorizes Am-Be and Sb-Be neutron sources. However, these sources are byproduct material, not special nuclear material. Please propose changes to license condition 2.B.(3) to possess these sources under 10 CFR Part 30. Please propose changes to remove these sources from license condition 2.B.(2).

4. License condition 2.B.(4) allowed possession of HEU fuel until the fuel was removed from the facility. When was the HEU fuel removed from the facility? Can this license condition be removed from the license?

ENCLOSURE

5. Please propose a license condition to allow receipt and possession but not use of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) fuel. An example of a license condition follows:

Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 70, Domestic Licensing of Special Nuclear Material, to receive and possess, but not use, up to 5.0 kilograms of contained uranium-235 enriched to less than 20 percent in the form of Worcester Polytechnic Institute MTR-type reactor fuel.

6. Discuss the amount of fuel that you will receive from WPI and justify the increase in U-235 possession limit from 6 to 11 kilograms. Please discuss the basis for the statement in your application that fuel storage capacity exceeds that required for both the existing on-site fuel and the WPI fuel. With the WPI fuel on site, will you have the ability to completely unload the operating core into storage?

University of Massachusetts - Lowell Docket No. 50-223 cc:

Mayor of Lowell City Hall Lowell, MA 01852 Mr. Leo Bobek Reactor Supervisor University of Massachusetts - Lowell One University Avenue Lowell, MA 01854 Department of Environmental Protection One Winter Street Boston, MA 02108 Robert J. Walker, Director Radiation Control Program Department of Public Health Schrafft Center, Suite 1M2A 529 Main Street Charlestown, MA 02129 Nuclear Preparedness Manager Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency 400 Worcester Road Framingham, MA 01702-5399 Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611