ML20245J448

Responds to 890407 Request for Clarification of 890227 Application for Amend to Licenses TR-3 & R-93 Re Organizational Changes.Funding Continues to Be Provided from Nasa Institutional Budget.Organization Chart Encl

ML20245J448
Person / Time
Site:	Plum Brook
Issue date:	06/22/1989
From:	Pfanner H, Saunders N NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION
To:	Alexander Adams Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8908180035
Download: ML20245J448 (4)

Text

-- _ -

s y .;;.

National Aeronautics and-

/ Space Administration l.ewis Research Center

}.

- +

Plum Brook Station '

6100 Columbus Avenue <

L4; Sanousky, Ohio 44870 y.

nep at -2870 . June 22,1989 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Division of Licensing . '

• Attn: Mr. Al Adams, Project Manager Standardization and Special Projects. Branch '

Washington, DC 20555. ,

Subject:

NASA Plum Brook Reactor License No. TR-3 (Docket 50-30) and NASA Plum Brook Mock-Up Reactor License No. R-93 (Docket 50-185)

Dear Mr. Adams:

This letter is in response to our April 7,1989, telecon wherein you requested clarification of the organization changes which were submitted in our appli-cation for amendment to technical specifications for Plum Brook Reactor License Nos. TR-3 (Docket 50-30) and R-93 (Docket 50-185). These technical specification amendments were forwarded to the NRC on February 27,1989.

Specifically, you requested clarification as to why the Plum Brook Manage-ment Office was moved organizationally from the Administrative Direc-torate, Health, Safety and Security Division, to the Aeronautics Directorate, Aeropropulsion Facilities and Experiments Division. Moreover, you asked for clarification of the Radiation Safety Officer's role in overseeing the Plum Brook Reactor both before and after the reorganization. Finally, you wanted assurance that the resources required to maintain the Plum Brook Reactor in Safe Protected Storage would continue and would not diminish as a result of the reorganization.

Reason for Organizational Change Several large acrospace facilities are located at Plum Brook Station. These facilities, including the Plum Brook Reactor, were shut down in the 1973 to 1975 time frame because the programs which they supported were either

n. OSO 8908180035 890622 PDR ADOCK 05000030 I 1 P PDC , i 13.:  ;. 1 m .-

J

. i cancelled or deferred to a later date. Four of the major facilities were placed in a standby mode for future reactivation by NASA as new programs evolved.

The reactors were placed in Safe Protected Storage awaiting eventual decom-missioning. Oversight of Plum Brook Station during this standby period was provided by the Administrative Directorate of Lewis Research Center, rather than by one of the technical directorates, since no research activities were on-going at Plum Brook. The Plum Brook Management Office (PBMO) reported to the Administrative Directorate through the Health, Safety and Security Division which was part of this directorate.

About three years ago NASA began reactivating some of the large test facili-ties at Plum Brook to support upcoming programs such as Space Station Freedom, the National Aerospace Plane, and its cryogenic fuels development program. Because Plum Brook now has operating test facilities engaged in aeronautics and space research activities, oversight of Plum Brook Station was transferred from the Administrative Directorate to the Aeronautics Directorate. As a result, the Plum Brook Management Office (PBMO) now i reports to the Level 1 Aeronautics Directorate through the Aeropropulsion Facilities and Experiments Division (AFED). See Figure 1, attached.

Radiation Safety Officer The Radiation Safety Officer function continues to reside with the Environ- c mental Health and Chemical Analysis Branch. This branch, however, was transferred from the Administrative Directorate to the Technical Services l

Directorate, as part of the overall reorganization. The Radiation Safety Officer, while not a member of the Aeronautics Directorate, continues to pro-vide oversight on the Safe-Protected-Storage condition of the Plum Broo'k Reactors and reports directly to the Level 1 Aeronautics Director on all mat-ters related to these reactors. The Radiation Safety Officer's role remains the same, as described in the Technical Specifications, both before and after the reorganization. The Radiation Safety Officer continues to be a member of the Plum Brook Reactor Safety Committee.

l Resources Funding to maintain the PBRF in Safe Protected Storage continues to be derived from the NASA LeRC institutional budget (Fund Source (III). This fund source was referenced in Article 3.3.12 in both the R-93 and the TR-3 Technical Specifications. The funding level for PBRF surveillance and main-tenance is continuing consistent with the needs of the PBRF and has not been affected by the reorganization.

1

u. . ..

. 1.

The PBRF continues to remain in a Safe Protected Storage condition follow-ing these organizational changes. In some areas, the Safe Protected Storage condition has actually been enhanced. For example, the Plum Brook Station

' (PBS) utility infrastructure is currently being upgraded to support the aero-space research activities. This upgrade will provide increased reliability for the utilities serving the PBRF.

. If you have questions or require additional information'on this matter, please call me at my office (FTS 294-3206).

c4 we Henry G. Pfanner '

Plum Brook Reactor Facility Engineer Enclosure Approved:

b. Am sf

'Neal T'S5unders /

Director of Aeronatitics t

L _

[ GENERIC ORGANIZATION CHART I

NASA LEWIS RESEARCH C10NTER DIRECTOR-EXECUITVE LEVEL 1 SAFETY DIRECTORATE BOARD DIRECIOR l: AEROPROPULSION INTERNAL FACILITIES &

AUDIT EXPERIMENTS DIVISION

[

l PBRF LEVEL 2 RADIATION SAFETY P B STATION SAFETY COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT OFFICER OFFICE PLANT SECURITY HEALTH PHYSICS AND LEVEL 3 AND INSPECTION PBRF ENGINEER MAINTENANCE (Contract) (Contract)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

LEVEL 1 - Compliance LEVEL 2 - Survelliance and Maintenance IEVEL 3 - Day-to-Day Oversite FIGURE I L- ______