Regulatory Guide 3.57

Administrative Practices for Nuclear Criticality Safety at Fuels and Materials Facilities

ML12220A066
Person / Time
Issue date:	10/31/1986
From:	Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
To:
References
CE-501-4 RG-3.057
Download: ML12220A066 (4)

A U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

October 1986) REGULATORY

GUIDE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY

RESEARCH REGULATORY

GUIDE 3.57 (Task CE 501-4)ADMINISTRATIVE

PRACTICES

FOR NUCLEAR CRITICALITY

SAFETY AT FUELS AND MATERIALS

FACILITIES

A. INTRODUCTION

Section 70.22, "Contents of Applications," of 10 CFR Part 70, "Domestic Licensing of Special Nuclear Mate-rial," requires that applications for a specific license to own, acquire, deliver, receive, possess, use, or initially transfer special nuclear material contain proposed proce-dures to avoid accidental conditions of criticality.

Section 70.24, "Criticality Accident Requirements," of 10 CFR Part 70 requires licensees who are authorized to possess special nuclear material in excess of certain amounts to maintain emergency procedures for each area in which such licensed special nuclear material is handled, used, or stored to ensure that all personnel withdraw to an area of safety upon the sounding of a criticality accident alarm.The above procedures are elements of ? nuclear criticality safety program for operations with fissionable materials at fuels and materials facilities (i.e., fuel cycle facilities other than nuclear reactors)

in which there exists a potential for criticality accidents.

This guide describes pra9tices acceptable to the NRC staff for administration of such a program.Any information collection activities mentioned in this regulatory guide are contained as requirements in 10 CFR Part 70, which provides the regulatory basis for this guide. The information collection requirements in 10 CFR Part 70 have been cleared under OMB Clearance No. 3150-0009.

B. DISCUSSION

ANSI/ANS-8.19-1984, "Administrative Practices for Nuclear Criticality Safety,"*

was prepared by Subcom-mittee 8, Fissionable Materials Outside Reactors, of the*Copies may be obtained from the American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, Illinois 60525.Standards Committee of the American Nuclear Society.ANSI/ANS-8.19-1984 was approved by the American National Standards Committee N16, Nuclear Criticality Safety, in early 1984 and by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on October 1, 1984.ANSI/ANS-8.19-1984 provides guidance for administra- tion of a nuclear criticality safety program for operations outside of reactors in which there exists a potential for criticality accidents.

This guidance includes delineation of the responsibilities of management, supervision, and the nuclear criticality safety staff as well as objectives and characteristics of operating and emergency procedures.

C. REGULATORY

POSITION The delineation of responsibilities of management, supervision, and the nuclear criticality safety staff as well as objectives and characteristics of operating and emergency procedures contained in ANSI/ANS-8.19-1984 describe practices generally acceptable to the NRC staff for administration of a nuclear criticality safety program for operations with fissionable materials at fuels and materials facilities in which there exists a potential for criticality accidents.

Section 11 of ANSI/ANS-8.19-1984 lists additional documents referred to in the standard.

Endorsement of ANSI/ANS-8.19-1984 by this regulatory guide does not constitute an endorsement of these documents.

D. IMPLEMENTATION

The purpose of this section is to provide information to applicants and licensees regarding the NRC staff's plans for using this regulatory guide.The methods described in this guide were applied to a number of specific cases during reviews and selected USNRC REGULATORY

GUIDES The guides are issued In the following ten broad divisions:

Regulatory Guides are Issued to describe and make available to the public methods acceptable to the NRC staff of Implementing

1. Power Reactors 6. Products specific parts of the Commission's regulations, to delineate tech- 2. Research and Test Reactors 7. Transportation niques used by the staff In evaluating specific problems or postu- 3. Fuels and Materials Facilities

8. Occupational Health lated accidents or to provide guidance to applicants.

Regulatory

4. Environmental and Siting 9. Antitrust and Financial Review Guides are not substitutes for regulations, and compliance with 5. Materials and Plant Protection

10. General them Is not required.

Methods and solutions different from those set out in the guides will be acceptable If they provide a basis for the findings requisite to the Issuance or continuance of a permit or Copies of Issued guides may be purchased from the Government license by the Commission.

Printing Office at the current GPO price. Information on current.GPO prices may be obtained by contacting the Superintendent of This guide was Issued after consideration of comments received from Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Post Office Box the public. Comments and suggestions for Improvements In these 37082, Washington, DC 20013-7082, telephone

(202)275-2060

or guides are encouraged at all times, and guides will be revised, as (202)275-2171.

appropriate, to accommodate comments and to reflect new Informa-tion or experience.

Issued guides may also be purchased from the National Technical Written comments may be submitted to the Rules and Procedures information Service on a standing order basis. Details on this Branch, DRR ADM, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, service may be obtained by writing NTIS, 5285 Rort Royal Road, Washington, D6 20555. Springfield, VA 22161.

licensing actions. These methods reflect the latest gen-eral NRC approach to administration of nuclear critical-ity safety programs for operations with fissionable materials at fuels and materials facilities.

Therefore, except in those cases in which the applicant proposes an acceptable alternative method for complying with specified portions of the Commission's regulations, the methods described in this guide will be used in the evaluation of submittals in connection with license applications submitted, under 10 CFR Part 70.i.3.5 7-2 VALUE/IMPACT

STATEMENT The NRC staff performed a value/impact assessment to determine the proper procedural approach for providing guidance on administration of nuclear criticality safety programs for operations with fissionable materials at fuels and materials facilities.

The NRC staff has been involved in the development, review, and approval of ANSI/ANS-8.19-1984, "Administrative Practices for Nuclear Criticality Safety," which was approved by the American National Standards Institute on October 1, 1984. The assessment resulted in a decision to develop a regulatory guide that would endorse, with possible supplemental provisions, ANSI/ANS-8.19-1984.

The results of this assessment were included in a draft regulatory guide on this subject, CE 501-4, that was issued for public comment in February 1986. Comments received from the public and additional NRC staff review have shown no need to change the value/impact statement published with the proposed regulatory guide. Therefore, the value/impact statement published with the proposed guide is still applicable.

A copy of the draft regulatory guide (identi-fied by its task number, CE 501-4) and its associated value/impact statement is available for inspection and copying for a fee at the NRC Public Document Room at 1717 H Street NW., Washington, DC.3.57-3

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