ML17104A098

Non-Power Reactor Closeout of Generic Letter 2016-01, Monitoring of Neutron Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools University of Wisconsin Docket No. 50-156 (CAC No. A11010)

ML17104A098
Person / Time
Site:	University of Wisconsin
Issue date:	04/19/2017
From:	Alexander Adams NRC/NRR/DPR/PRLB
To:	Agasie R Univ of Wisconsin
Traiforos S, NRR/DPR/PRLB, 301-415-3956
References
CAC A11010, GL-16-001
Download: ML17104A098 (4)

Text

April 19, 2017

Mr. Robert Agasie, Reactor Director Nuclear Reactor Laboratory University of Wisconsin - Madison 1513 University Avenue, Room 1215

Madison, WI 53706-1687

SUBJECT:

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - NON-POWER REACTOR CLOSEOUT OF GENERIC LETTER 2016-01, "MONITORING OF NEUTRON-ABSORBING MATERIALS IN SPENT FUEL POOLS," FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN NUCLEAR REACTOR DOCKET NO. 50-156 (CAC NO. A11010)

On April 7, 2016, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Generic Letter (GL) 2016-01, "Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools" (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML16097A169), to address the degradation of neutron-absorbing materials (NAM) in wet storage systems for reactor fuel at power and non-power reactors.

For the non-power reactors, GL 2016-01 requested that licensees provide facility-specific information related to the use of NAM. This information was needed by the NRC staff to verify continued compliance through licensee implementation of effective methods for monitoring of reactor fuel in wet storage so as to detect and mitigate any degradation or deformation of NAM when credited in the facility licensing or design basis for criticality control of fuel in wet storage.

Unique to three NRC-licensed research reactors is the use of cadmium (Cd) plates as NAM in the facility's wet fuel storage. On October 5, 2016, University of Wisconsin submitted a response to GL 2016-01 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16286A235) for the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor. The NRC staff conducted a review of your response to GL 2016-01 and noted that your facility uses Cd metal as NAM.

The NRC staff development of GL 2016-01, did not assess or otherwise consider the use, degradation, or deformation of Cd NAM. After reviewing your response to GL 2016-01, the

NRC staff reviewed the use of Cd plates in research reactor applications. The NRC staff determined that the use of Cd NAM has not been known to exhibit the same or a similar susceptibility to the degradation or deformation described in GL 2016-01 that has been known to afflict NAM utilizing variations of boron-10. The NRC staff's conclusion is supported in part by nearly 60 years of operational experience. The degradation or deformation of Cd plate NAM has not been observed at any of the three research reactor facilities where used in wet fuel

storage applications. Furthermore, based upon the information reviewed, the NRC staff would not anticipate the onset of degradation or deformation given the physical and chemical properties of Cd and the environment in which the Cd NAM is used.

Based upon the information you submitted in response to GL 2016-01 and the results of the NRC staff review, the NRC staff has determined that the submission addresses the information requested in GL 2016-01. No further information or action is requested regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

/RA/ Alexander Adams Jr., Chief Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch

Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

cc: See next page University of Wisconsin Docket No. 50-156

cc: Mayor of Madison

City Hall

210 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

Room 403 Madison, Wisconsin 53703 Chairman, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

610 North Whitney Way

Madison, WI 53707-7854 Paul Schmidt, Manager

Radiation Protection Section Division of Public Health

Wisconsin Dept of Health Services P.O. Box 2659 Madison, WI 53701-2659

Test, Research and Training

Reactor Newsletter P.O. Box 118300 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611

Jason Timm, Assistant Director

& Radiation Safety Officer University of Madison - Wisconsin Department Environmental Health & Safety Environmental Protection and Safety Bldg.

30 E. Campus Mall

Madison, WI 53715

ML17104A098; *concurred via email OFFICE NRR/DPR/PRLB NRR/DPR/PROB/LA*NRR/DPR/PGCB/BC NRR/DPR/PRLB/BCNAME STraiforos NParker SStuchell AAdams DATE 4/19/117 4/19/17 4/19/17 4/19/17