ML102310545

Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Issuance of Renewed Facility License No. R-37 for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor

ML102310545
Person / Time
Site:	MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	11/01/2010
From:	William Kennedy Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch
To:	Bernard J Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Kennedy W, NRR/DPR, 415-2784
References
TAC MA6084
Download: ML102310545 (8)

Text

November 1, 2010 Dr. John A. Bernard, Director Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology 138 Albany Street Cambridge, MA 02139-4296

SUBJECT:

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ISSUANCE OF RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-37 FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY REACTOR (TAC NO. MA6084)

Dear Dr. Bernard:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued renewed Facility Operating License No. R-37 for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor in response to the application for license renewal dated July 8, 1999, as supplemented by letters dated February 10, and May 8, 2000, January 29, 2004, July 5, and October 11, 2006, January 26, 2007, February 22, May 29, August 15, August 21, August 26, October 6, October 7, and December 1, 2008, May 26, August 27, October 5, October 9, and November 19, 2009, and March 30, August 6, and August 26, 2010. The renewed facility operating license is effective as of the date of this letter and shall expire at midnight, 20 years from the date of issuance, unless sooner terminated. The renewed license also increases the authorized power level of the reactor from 5.0 megawatts thermal (MW(t)) to 6.0 MW(t).

Enclosed with the renewed facility operating license is a copy of the Notice of Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-37 that is being sent to the Office of the Federal Register for publication and a copy of the safety evaluation report associated with the license renewal. The NRC sent the Notice of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact associated with the license renewal to you under separate cover dated October 05, 2010.

J. Bernard If you have any questions regarding this action, please contact me at 301-415-2784 or by electronic mail at William.Kennedy@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

William B. Kennedy, Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.50-020

Enclosures:

1. Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-37

2. Safety Evaluation Report

3. Notice of Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-37 cc w/encl: See next page

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Docket No.50-020 cc:

City Manager City Hall Cambridge, MA 02139 Department of Environmental Protection One Winter Street Boston, MA 02108 Director Radiation Control Program Department of Public Health 90 Washington Street Dorchester, MA 02121 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

J. Bernard If you have any questions regarding this action, please contact me at 301-415-2784 or by electronic mail at William.Kennedy@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA/

William B. Kennedy, Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.50-020

Enclosures:

1. Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-37

2. Safety Evaluation Report

3. Notice of Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating License No. R-37 cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC RidsNrrDpr RidsNrrDprPrta RidsNrrDprPrtb RidsNrrDprPfpb PRTA Reading File SCollins RI GHill(2) RidsOgcRp Resource RidsNrrOd RidsAcrsAcnw_MailCtr WKennedy, NRR GLappert, NRR ACCESSION NO. PKG: ML102500247, LTR: ML102310545, TS: ML102320068, SE: ML102320082, FRN: ML102320101

• Input provided (ML100740688) **concurrence via e-mail NRR-058 Office PRTA:PM Tech Editor** PRTA:LA PFPB:BC* OGC PRTA:BC DPR:D NRR:D PRTA:PM KAzariah- TMcGinty Name WKennedy GLappert RCarlson BMizuno JQuichocho ELeeds WKennedy Kribbs (TBlount for)

Date 9/7/2010 8/11/2010 9/7/2010 3/29/2010 9/16/2010 9/27/2010 9/28/10 10/30/10 11/01/10 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY REACTOR RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE DOCKET NO.50-020 License No. R-37

1. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:

A. The application for renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-37 filed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, the licensee) dated July 8, 1999, as supplemented by letters dated February 10, and May 8, 2000, January 29, 2004, July 5, and October 11, 2006, January 26, 2007, February 22, May 29, August 15, August 21, August 26, October 6, October 7, and December 1, 2008, May 26, August 27, October 5, October 9, and November 19, 2009, and March 30, August 6, and August 26, 2010, (the application), complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commissions rules and regulations set forth in Title 10, Chapter 1, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR);

B. Construction of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reactor facility (the facility) was completed in substantial conformity with Construction Permits Nos. CPRR-5 and CPRR-118, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C. The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; D. There is reasonable assurance that (i) the activities authorized by this renewed license can be conducted at the designated location without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Commission; E. The licensee is technically and financially qualified to engage in the activities authorized by this license in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission;

F. The licensee has satisfied the applicable provisions of 10 CFR Part 140, Financial Protection Requirements and Indemnity Agreements, of the Commissions regulations; G. The issuance of this renewed license will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; H. The issuance of this renewed license is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions, of the Commissions regulations and all applicable requirements; and I. The receipt, possession and use of byproduct and special nuclear materials as authorized by this renewed license will be in accordance with the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR Part 30, Rules of General Applicability to Domestic Licensing of Byproduct Material, and 10 CFR Part 70, Domestic Licensing of Special Nuclear Material.

2. Facility Operating License No. R-37 is hereby renewed in its entirety to read as follows:

A. This license applies to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reactor facility that is owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located on MITs campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and described in the licensees application, as supplemented.

B. Subject to the conditions and requirements incorporated herein, the Commission hereby licenses MIT:

1. Pursuant to subsections 104a and 104c of the Act, and 10 CFR Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, to possess, use, and operate the facility as a utilization facility at the designated location in accordance with the procedures and limitations described in the application and this renewed license.

2. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 70, to receive, possess, and use in connection with operation of the facility:

a. up to 40 kilograms of contained uranium-235 of any enrichment, including up to 100 grams for use in fueled experiments, provided that not more than 1.6 kilograms of this amount be unirradiated;

b. two 1-curie plutonium-beryllium neutron sources; and

c. such special nuclear material as may be produced by operation of the facility, which shall not be separated.

3. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 30, to receive, possess, and use:

a. a 150-curie antimony-beryllium sealed neutron source in connection with operation of the facility;

b. such byproduct material as may be produced by operation of the facility, which, except for byproduct material produced in non-fueled experiments, shall not be separated; and

c. byproduct materials activated in reactors other than the MIT reactor (for use in the reactor hot cells) that are in solid form and have atomic numbers 3 through 83. The total inventory of this byproduct material shall not exceed 100,000 curies at any one time. This material may be irradiated in the reactor.

C. This renewed license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in Parts 20, Standards for Protection against Radiation, 30, 50, 51, 55, Operators Licenses, 70, and 73, Physical Protection of Plants and Materials, of the Commissions regulations; is subject to all applicable provisions of the Act and the rules, regulations, and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect; and is subject to the additional conditions specified below:

Maximum Power Level

1. The licensee is authorized to operate the reactor at steady-state power levels not to exceed 6.0 megawatts (thermal).

Technical Specifications

2. The technical specifications contained in Appendix A are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the reactor in accordance with the technical specifications.

Additional Conditions

3. The licensee shall fully implement and maintain in effect all provisions of the Commission-approved physical security plan, including amendments and changes made pursuant to the authority of 10 CFR 50.90 and 10 CFR 50.54(p). The approved physical security plan consists of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nuclear Reactor Laboratory document, withheld from public disclosure pursuant to 10 CFR 73.21, entitled, "Physical Security Plan for the M.I.T. Research Reactor Facility,"

dated October 29, 2003, as revised.

D. This renewed license is effective as of the date of issuance and shall expire at midnight twenty years from the date of issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/RA/

Eric J. Leeds, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Attachment:

Appendix A, Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: November 1, 2010