ML21301A218

GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC Request for Additional Information Re Renewal of Facility Operating

ML21301A218
Person / Time
Site:	Vallecitos Nuclear Center
Issue date:	11/02/2021
From:	Duane Hardesty NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPL
To:	Feyrer M GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
Hardesty D
References
Download: ML21301A218 (6)

Text

November 2, 2021 Mr. Matthew Feyrer, Site Manager GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Vallecitos Nuclear Center 6705 Vallecitos Road Sunol, CA 94586

SUBJECT:

GE-HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLC - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING RENEWAL OF FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-33 (EPID: L-2020-RNW-0038)

Dear Mr. Feyrer:

By letter dated November 19, 2020 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML21053A071), GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC submitted a license renewal application (LRA) for renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-33 for its Nuclear Test Reactor. The renewed license would authorize continued operation of the facility for a period of 20 years from the date of issuance of the Renewed Facility Operating License.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff identified additional information needed to continue its review of the General Electric Nuclear Test Reactor Requalification Program, as described in the enclosed request for additional information (RAI). As discussed with David Heckman, Regulatory Affairs & Licensing Lead, on October 29, 2021, provide a response to the RAI or a written request for additional time to respond, including the proposed response date and a brief explanation of the reason, by December 5, 2021. Following receipt of the complete response to the RAI, the NRC staff will continue its review.

The response to the RAI must be submitted in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.4, Written communications, and pursuant to 10 CFR 50.30(b), Oath or affirmation, be executed in a signed original document under oath or affirmation. Information included in the response that you consider sensitive or proprietary, and seek to have withheld from public disclosure, must be marked in accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding. Any information related to safeguards should be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21, Protection of Safeguards Information:

Performance Requirements.

Based on the response date provided above, the NRC staff expects to complete its review and make a final determination on the LRA by January 9, 2023. This date could change due to several factors, including RAIs, unanticipated changes to the scope of the review, unsolicited supplements to the LRA, and others. If the forecasted date changes, the NRC staff will notify you in writing of the new date and an explanation of the reason for the change. In the case that the NRC staff requires additional information beyond that provided in the response to this RAI, the NRC staff will request that information by separate correspondence.

M. Feyrer If you have any questions regarding the NRC staffs review or if you intend to request additional time to respond, please contact me at (301) 415-3724, or by electronic mail at Duane.Hardesty@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Signed by Hardesty, Duane on 11/02/21 Duane A. Hardesty, Senior Project Manager Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Licensing Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.50-073 License No. R-33

Enclosure:

As stated cc: See next page

GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC Docket No.50-073 cc:

Jeffrey Smyly, Manager Regulatory Compliance GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Vallecitos Nuclear Center 6705 Vallecitos Road Sunol, CA 94586 Thomas McConnell, Manager Nuclear Test Reactor GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Vallecitos Nuclear Center 6705 Vallecitos Road Sunol, CA 94586 Scott Murray, Manager Facility Licensing GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy 3901 Castle Hayne Road Wilmington, NC 28401 David Heckman, Vallecitos Reg Affairs & Licensing Lead GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Vallecitos Nuclear Center 6705 Vallecitos Road Sunol, CA 94586 Commissioner California Energy Commission 1516 Ninth Street, MS-34 Sacramento, CA 95814 California Department of Health ATTN: Chief Radiologic Health Branch P.O. Box 997414, MS 7610 Sacramento, CA 95899-7414 Test, Research and Training Reactor Newsletter Attention: Ms. Amber Johnson Dept of Materials Science and Engineering University of Maryland 4418 Stadium Drive College Park, MD 20742-2115

ML21301A218 NRR-088 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NRR/DANU/UNPL/LA NRR/DANU/UNPL/BC NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NAME DHardesty NParker JBorromeo DHardesty DATE 10/31/2021 11/1/2021 11/2/2021 11/2/2021 OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING RENEWAL OF FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-33 GE-HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLC NUCLEAR TEST REACTOR DOCKET NO.50-073 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff reviewed the General Electric Nuclear Test Reactor (GENTR) Requalification Program, dated June 21, 2021 (Agencywide Documents Access Management System Accession No. ML21172A185), for compliance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 55, Operators' Licenses, with modifications as outlined in industry standard American National Standards Institute/American Nuclear Society (ANSI/ANS)-15.4, Selection and Training of Personnel for Research Reactors.

During the course of the review, the NRC staff discovered three items for which clarification or additional information is required.

RAI-1

The regulation, 10 CFR 55.59, Requalification, paragraph (a)(2) states: Requalification requirements. Each licensee shall Pass a comprehensive requalification written examination and an annual operating test.

The GENTR Requalification Program Section B.2.a., Biennial Written Examination, item 3, first sentence, states: The examinations will be graded by the Manager, NTR, or the Requalification Program Administrator.

The GENTR Requalification Program Section B.2.b., Annual Operating Test, item 7, states:

The Manager, NTR, or his designated alternate (Requalification Program Administrator) will administer the test.

The GENTR Requalification Program Section B.6., Records, item a, third sentence, states:

Licensed personnel that generate or administer these examinations and tests shall be exempt from taking the specific respective examinations and tests.

The GENTR Requalification Program Section C., Program Administration, item 1 states: A Requalification Program Administrator will be designated by the Manager, NTR. They must have an NTR senior operators license and will have the following responsibilities.

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(b) Develop the biennial written examination in accordance with the criteria in this program.

Enclosure

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(f) Develop the annual operating test in accordance with the criteria in this program.

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(h) Grade examinations.

It appears to NRC staff that contrary to the requirement in the regulations, the Manager, GENTR, or his designated alternate (Requalification Program Administrator) must be a license reactor operator as long as he/she is the person that develop, administer and grade the examination, is exempt and will not take the biennial written exam and the annual operating exam.

Revise the GENTR Requalification Program to ensure that no one licensed individual is exempt from meeting the requirements of 10 CFR 55.59, or justify why the current plan is acceptable (e.g., the addition of a requirement that exam preparation is rotated among the licensed operators in an annual basis).

RAI-2

The regulation, 10 CFR 55.59(a)(2)(i) states: The written examination will sample the items specified in §§ 55.41 and 55.43 of this part, to the extent applicable to the facility, the licensee, and any limitation of the license under §55.53(c) of this part.

The regulation, 10 CFR 55.43, Written examination: Senior operators, paragraph (b)(7) states:

Fuel handling facilities and procedures.

The NRC staff finds that GENTR Requalification Program Section B.2.a.2 omitted 10 CFR 55.43(b)(7), Fuel handling facilities and procedures.

Revise the GENTR Requalification Program to include 10 CFR 55.43(b)(7), Fuel handling facilities and procedures, or specify how a senior reactor operator will be evaluated during an annual operating exam for 10 CFR 55.43(b)(7) or provide a justification for how the GENTR Requalification Program meets the requirements of 10 CFR 55.43(b)(7).

RAI-3

The regulation, 10 CFR 55.21, Medical examination, states: An applicant for a license shall have a medical examination by a physician. A licensee shall have a medical examination by a physician every two years. The physician shall determine that the applicant or licensee meets the requirements of § 55.33(a)(1).

The GENTR Requalification Program does not include the requirements of 10 CFR 55.21 for medical examinations.

Revise the GENTR Requalification Program to include medical examination requirements and that the medical examination period would not exceed the biennial medical examination requirement as stated in 10 CFR 55.21, or justify why the current plan is acceptable.