ML20217B829

Discusses DOE Re Schedule & Itinerary Info to Public Concerning Shipments of Spent Nuclear Reactor Fuel Immediately Upon Their Arrival at DOE Facilities

ML20217B829
Person / Time
Issue date:	10/05/1999
From:	Kane W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	Huizenga D ENERGY, DEPT. OF
References
NUDOCS 9910130082
Download: ML20217B829 (1)

Text

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L Mr. Divid G. Huiz:nga ~

October 5, 1999 Acting Deputy Assistant Secr:tiry for q

Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization i U.S. Department of Energy I

-Office of Environmental Management 1000 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20585

SUBJECT:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) COMMUNICATION PLAN l R.EGARDING SHIPMENTS OF SPENT FOREIGN RESEARCH REACTOR FUEL TO DOE SITES j

Dear Mr. Huizenga:

On March 29,1999, you sent a letter to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) about providing schedule and itinerary information to the public regarding shipments of spent nuclear reactor fuel immediately upon their arrival at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. These shipments are those being made under DOE's Foreign Research Reactor (FRR) Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Acceptance Program, which has been in place since 1996. In your letter, you indicated that DOE had been immediately informing the public of fuel shipments upon their j arrival at DOE sites, in accordance with an NRC exemption to 10 CFR Part 73. Specifically, 10 CFR 9 73.21(b)(2)(ii) restricts the release of schedules and itinerary information for a given SNF shipment until 10 days following the completion of a shipment or after the last shipment in I a series.

-Your letter states your intention to continue to provide schedule information regarding the shipment immediately upon its arrival at a DOE site without waiting for the 10-day period to expire. This is because all shipments of FRR SNF are delivered to a DOE site which is not licensed by the NRC and is not subject to NRC regulation. After shipments are received at DOE sites, the special nuclear material is under DOE control and is subject to DOE directives.

J We agree that the NRC regulations do not apply to your specific activities in this case after the shipment arrives at DOE sites and that no exemption is required. We thank you for providing this information and look forward to maintaining effective communications between our staffs. )

Sincerely, Original /s/ by:

William F. Kane, Director 01 Office of Nuclear Material Safety -

PDR and Safeguards

- cc: Mr. Edward Englisa qN U.S. Federal Railroad Administration M '

Ms. Sherri Anderson 13E013 . , ,

U.S. Department of Transportation DISTRIBUTION:

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CO-M Qfh D:NMSp NAME: CPostusny:Jh VLTharpe SShankrnan NJensen Ehach ne DATE: 8/17/99 8/20/99 8/30/99 9/16/99 9h/99 9/3)/99 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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