Regulatory Guide 3.70

Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers at Fuels and Materials Facilities.

ML12220A069
Person / Time
Issue date:	08/31/1997
From:	Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
To:
References
DG-3011 RG-3.070
Download: ML12220A069 (4)

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

REGULATORY

August 1997 GUIDE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY

RESEARCH REGULATORY

GUIDE 3.70 (Draft issued as DG-3011)USE OF FIXED NEUTRON ABSORBERS

AT FUELS AND MATERIALS

FACILITIES

A. INTRODUCTION

In 10 CFR Part 70, "Domestic Licensing of Special Nuclear Material," Section 70.22, "Contents of Ap-plications," requires that applications for a specific license to own, acquire, deliver, receive, possess, use, or initially transfer special nuclear material contain proposed procedures to avoid criticality accidents.

This regulatory guide provides guidance for complying with this portion of the Commission's regulations by de-scribing procedures for preventing criticality accidents by using fixed neutron absorbers in operations involv-ing handling, processing, storing, and transporting spe-cial nuclear material at fuels and materials facilities.

The information collections contained in this regu-latory guide are covered by the requirements of 10 CFR Part 70, which were approved by the Office of Manage-ment and Budget, approval number 3150-0009.

The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information un-less it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

B. DISCUSSION

ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995, "Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers in Nuclear Facilities Outside Reactors," 1 1Copies may be obtained from the American Nuclear Society, 555 N.Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, Illinois 60525.was prepared by Subcommittee ANS-8, Fissionable Materials Outside Reactors, of the American Nuclear Society Standards Committee.

ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995 was approved by the American National Standards Committee N16, Nuclear Criticality Safety, and by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1995.ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995 provides guidance for using fixed neutron absorbers as an integral part of op-erations to prevent criticality accidents in operations in-volving handling, processing, storing, and transporting special nuclear materials at fuels and materials facili-ties. The design, safety evaluations, and verification and inspection requirements for the use of fixed neutron absorbers for criticality safety control are specified in the standard.The methods described in this guide were applied to a number of specific cases during reviews and selected licensing actions. These methods reflect the latest general NRC approach to criticality safety in op-erations involving the use of fixed neutron absorbers at fuels and materials facilities.

C. REGULATORY

POSITION ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995, "Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers in Nuclear Facilities Outside Reactors," pro-vides procedures acceptable to the NRC staff for the use of fixed neutron absorbers in handling, processing, USNRC REGULATORY

GUIDES The guides are issued in the following ten broad divisions:

Regulatory Guides are issued to describe and make available to the public such informa-tion as methods acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the Corn- 1. Power Reactors 6. Products mission's regulations, techniques used by the staff in evaluating specific problems or pos- 2. Research and Test Reactors 7. Transportation tutated accidents, and data needed by the NRC staff in its review of applications for per- 3. Fuels and Materials Facilities

8. Occupational Health mits and licenses.

Regulatory guides are not substitutes for regulations, and compliance

4. Environmental and Siting -9. Antitrust and Financial Review with them is not required.

Methods and solutions different from those set out in the guides 5. Materials and Plant Protection

10. General will be acceptable if they provide a basis for the findings requisite to the issuance or con-tinuance of a permit or license by the Commission.

Single copies of regulatory guides may be obtained free of charge bywriting the Printing.This guide was issued after consideration of comments received from the public. Corn- Graphics and Distribution Branch, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Com-ments and suggestions for improvements inthese guides are encouraged atall times, and mission, Washington, DC 20555-0001;

or by fax at (301)415-5272.

guides will be revised, as appropriate, to accommodate comments and to reflect new in-formation or experience.

Issued guides may also be purchased from the National Technical Information Service on Written comments may be submitted to the Rules Review and Directives Branch, DFIPS, a standing order basis. Details on this service may be obtained by writing NTIS, 5285 Port ADM, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161.

storing, and transporting special nuclear material at fuels and materials facilities to avoid criticality acci-dents. Use of ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995, however, is not a substitute for the licensee's preparation of and NRC's approval of detailed nuclear criticality safety analyses for specific operations.

Section 6 of ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995 lists addition-al documents referred to in the standard.

The specific applicability and acceptability of three of these listed documents has been addressed in the latest version of the regulatory guides identified below.Standard Regulatory Guide ANSI/ANS-8.1-1983

3.4 Nuclear Criticality Safety in Operations with Fissionable Materials at Fuels and Materials Facilities ANSI/ANS-8.5-1986

3.1 Use of Borosilicate-Glass Raschig Rings as a Neutron Absorber in Solutions of Fissile Material ANSI/ANS-8.17-1984

3.58 Criticality Safety for Handling, Storing, and Transporting LWR Fuel at Fuels and Materials Facilities

D. IMPLEMENTATION

The purpose of this section is to provide informa-tion to applicants and licensees regarding the NRC staff's plans for using this regulatory guide.Except in those cases in which the applicant pro-poses an acceptable alternative method for complying with specified portions of the NRC's regulations, the methods in this guide will be used in the evaluation of submittals in connection with license applications sub-mitted under 10 CFR Part 70.3.70-2 REGULATORY

ANALYSIS This regulatory guide endorses ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995, "Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers in Nuclear Facilities Outside Reactors." Issuing this regu-latory guide is consistent with the NRC policy of evalu-ating the latest national consensus standards in terms of their suitability for endorsement by regulatory guide.The methods described in this guide were applied to a number of specific cases during reviews and selected li-censing actions. These methods reflect the latest gener-al NRC approach to criticality safety in operations in-volving the use of fixed neutron absorbers at fuels and materials facilities.

The value to NRC operations and industry is that there would be (1) a systematic method for specifying and reviewing technical specifications on allowable fixed neutron absorbers, (2) more established methods for specifying technical specifications, (3) guidance on design, evaluation, verification, and inspection of fixed neutron absorbers, and (4) less chance for unwarranted criticality accidents.

ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995, "Use of Fixed Neutron Absorbers in Nuclear Facilities Outside Reactors," pro-vides more specific guidance on establishing and using fixed neutron absorbers.

It does not provide any new methodology for establishing the use of fixed neutron absorbers than is presently required in 10 CFR Part 70.Thus, the incremental cost should be negligible (or at most marginal)

if an applicant or licensee follows the guidance in ANSI/ANS-8.21-1995 as opposed to not following this standard.3.70-3 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

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