ML111110670

Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating License No. CX-22 for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Critical Experiments Facility

ML111110670
Person / Time
Site:	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Issue date:	06/27/2011
From:	William Kennedy Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch
To:	Sreepada S Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Kennedy W, NRR/DPR, 415-2784
Shared Package
ML111110663	List: ML111110670 ML111110680 ML111110690
References
TAC ME1591
Download: ML111110670 (9)

Text

June 27, 2011 Prof. Sastry R Sreepada, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, Building JEC- room 2032, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street Troy, NY 12180-3590

SUBJECT:

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE - ISSUANCE OF RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. CX-22 FOR THE RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE CRITICAL EXPERIMENTS FACILITY (TAC NO. ME1591)

Dear Dr. Sreepada:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued renewed Facility Operating License No. CX-22 for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Critical Experiments Facility in response to the application for renewal dated November 19, 2002, as supplemented by letters dated July 21, July 28, and September 3, 2008; June 28, August 31, October 14, and October 28, 2010; and February 14 and May 9, 2011. The renewed facility operating license is effective on the date of this letter and expires at midnight, 20 years from its date of issuance, unless terminated sooner.

In accordance with agency practice, the NRC has restated the license in its entirety, incorporating all changes and amendments made since the issuance of the original license.

Enclosed with the renewed facility operating license is a copy of the safety evaluation report associated with the renewal. A Notice of Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating License No. CX-22 is being sent to the Office of the Federal Register for publication. The environmental assessment was sent to you under a separate cover letter.

S. Sreepada 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. 50-225

Enclosures:

1. Facility Operating License No. CX-22

2. Safety Evaluation Report cc: See next page

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Docket No. 50-225 Critical Experiments Facility cc:

Mayor of the City of Schenectady Schenectady, NY 12305 Tim Rice Chief, Radiation Section Division of Hazardous Waste and Radiation Management NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-7255 Peter F. Caracappa, Ph.D, CHP Radiation Safety Officer NES Building, Room 1-10, MANE Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 110 8th St.

Troy, NY 12180-3590 Mrs. Jessica Berry, RCF Supervisor NES Building, Room 1-10, MANE Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 110 8th St.

Troy, NY 12180 Peter Collopy, Director EH&S Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 21 Union Street Gurley Building 2nd Floor Troy, NY 12180 Alyse Peterson, State Liaison Officer Designee Senior Project Manager Radioactive Waste Policy and Nuclear Coordination New York State Energy Research & Development Authority 17 Columbia Circle Albany, NY 12203-6399 Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611

S. Sreepada 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. 50-225

Enclosures:

1. Facility Operating License No. CX-22

2. Safety Evaluation Report cc: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC PRTA r/f RidsNrrDprPrta RidsNrrDprPrtb RidsNrrDpr RidsOgcMailCenter RidsNrrOd GLappert, NRR WKennedy, NRR ACCESSION NO.: Package: ML111110663 Letter: ML111110670 Appendix: ML111110680

Enclosure:

ML111110690 *Input Provided by Memo ML103090096, **Concurrence via e-mail Office PRLB:PM Tech Editor** PRLB:LA** PFAB:BC* OGC PRLB:BC DPR:D NRR:D PRLB:PM NLOw/ changes Name WKennedy JDougherty DBaxley CRegan JQuichocho TMcGinty ELeeds WKennedy SUttal Date 5/2/2011 4/15/2011 5/9/2011 12/9/2010 6/1/2011 6/13/2011 6/14/2011 6/27/2011 6/27/2011 Official Record Copy

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE DOCKET NO. 50-225 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Renewed License No. CX-22

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

A. The application for renewal of Facility Operating License No. CX-22 filed by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (the licensee) dated November 19, 2002, as supplemented by letters dated July 21, July 28, and September 3, 2008; June 28, August 31, October 14, and October 28, 2010; and February 14 and May 9, 2011, (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. The facility will operate in conformity with the application as amended, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C. There is reasonable assurance that (i) the activities authorized by this license can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commissions regulations; D. 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; E. The applicable provisions of 10 CFR Part 140, Financial Protection Requirements and Indemnity Agreements, have been satisfied;

F. The issuance of this license will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; G. The issuance of this 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 H. The receipt, possession and use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials as authorized by this 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, 10 CFR Part 40, Domestic Licensing of Source Material, and 10 CFR Part 70, Domestic Licensing of Special Nuclear Material.

2. Accordingly, Facility Operating License No. CX-22 is hereby renewed in its entirety to read as follows:

A. This license applies to the Critical Experiments Facility (herein the facility) owned by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, located in Schenectady, New York, and described in the licensees application for license renewal, as supplemented.

B. Subject to the conditions and requirements incorporated herein, the Commission hereby licenses the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as follows:

1. Pursuant to subsection 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 in accordance with the procedures and limitations described in the application and set forth in this license.

2. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 70, the following activities are included:

a. to receive, possess, and use, in connection with operation of the facility, up to 21.12 kilograms of contained uranium-235 in SPERT (F-1) fuel pins;

b. to receive, possess, and use, in connection with operation of the facility, up to 4.8 kilograms of contained uranium-235 in uranium fuel in the form of low enriched (4.8 weight percent or less) light water reactor type fuel of typical power reactor design

c. to receive, possess, and use, in connection with operation of the facility, up to 80 grams of contained plutonium in the form of plutonium-beryllium neutron sources;

d. to receive, possess, use, but not separate, in connection with operation of the facility, such special nuclear material as may be produced by operation of the facility; and

3. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 40 to receive, possess, and use, in connection with operation of the facility, up to 6 kilograms of depleted uranium and up to 100 grams of natural uranium.

4. Pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 30, to receive, possess, and use, in connection with operation of the facility, such byproduct material as may be produced by operation of the reactor, which cannot be separated except for byproduct material produced in non-fueled experiments.

C. This license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in 10 CFR Parts 20, 30, 40, 50, 51, 55, 70, and 73 of the Commissions regulations; is subject to all applicable provisions of the Act, and to the rules, regulations, and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect; and is subject to the additional conditions specified or incorporated below:

1. Maximum Power Level The licensee is authorized to operate the facility at steady state power levels not in excess of 100 watts (thermal).

2. Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.

3. Physical Security Plan The licensee shall fully implement and maintain in effect all provisions of the physical security plan approved by the Commission and all amendments and changes made pursuant to the authority of 10 CFR 50.90 and 10 CFR 50.54(p), respectively. The approved plan, which is exempt from public disclosure pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 73.21, is entitled, Security Plan, RPI Reactor Critical Facility (RCF), License No. CX-22, Docket No. 50-225, dated January, 1987, as amended by licensee letters dated February 5, and June 9, 1987.

D. This 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 Eric J. Leeds, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Attachment:

Appendix A, Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: June 27, 2011