ML24046A246

Letter Dated 9/20/23 from Jlillo (NNSA, DOE) to Rboyle (Dot), Request for a Limited Term Revalidation for the Model Nos. JMS-87Y-18.5T and JRC-80Y-20T Packages and Commitment to Resolve Issues Related to the Review in 6 Months

ML24046A246
Person / Time
Site:	07103035, 07103004
Issue date:	09/20/2023
From:	Lillo J US Dept of Energy, National Nuclear Security Admin
To:	Boyle R Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, US Dept of Transportation (DOT), Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
Shared Package
ML24046A242	List: ML24046A243 ML24046A244 ML24046A245 ML24046A246 ML24081A002
References
CAC 001794, EPID L-2023-DOT-0005, EPID L-2023-DOT-0006
Download: ML24046A246 (1)

Text

Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Washington, DC 20585

September 20, 2023

Mr. Rick Boyle Chief, Radioactive Materials Transport U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, 20590

Dear Mr. Boyle:

The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administrations ( DOE/NNSAs) Office of Nuclear Material Removal supports the removal, consolidation, and disposal of nuclear material internationally to support permanent threat reduction, including through the repatriation of U.S.-origin highly enriched uranium (HEU) and low -enriched uranium (LEU) from partner countries. DOE/NNSA is working with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to fulfill commitments made in 2014 to repatriate spent nuclear fuel from various JAEA facilities by May 2029, as well as a 2023 commitment to remove all remaining HEU from the Japan Materials Testing Reactor Critical Assembly (JMTRC) by December 2023. As part of these commitments, JAEA plans to ship LEU spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from two research reactors to the United States along with its remaining inventory of JMTRC HEU. To support this accelerated removal timeline, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency provided $6 million (USD) to support the cost of the maritime transport and DOE/NNSA expects to spend an additional $1 million (USD) in technical and logistics support.

JAEA, through their contractors Sumitomo Corporation and Edlow International Inc., are working closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to revalidatefor use in the United States the two material transport packages needed for this important shipment: JMS -87Y-18.5T and JRC-80Y-20T. An administrative issue regarding the Aging Management Analysis of the two transportation packages has delayed completion of the revalidation.

It is imperative that DOE/NNSA and MEXT complete the shipment on schedule to meet the commitments described above, congressionally reported program metrics, receipt facility availability, and transportation scheduling demands. I, therefore, request that DOT issue the C ertificate of C ompetent Authority for both the JMS -87Y-18.5T and JRC-80Y-20T packages without the Aging Management Analysis for one (1) shipment to take place within the next three (3) months due to these unique circumstances. JAEA, in cooperation with their contractors, are committed to resolv ing the outstanding administrative issue and submit the Aging Management Analysis to the NRC within the next six (6) months.

We greatly appreciate DOT s support to these important nuclear security projects and your consideration of this request. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at Jessica.Lillo@nnsa.doe.gov or 202-287-5138.

Sincerely,

Jessica Lillo Deputy Director Office of Nuclear Material Removal