ML15253A485
| ML15253A485 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Issue date: | 08/28/2015 |
| From: | DeBey T US Dept of Interior, Geological Survey (USGS) |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| TAC ME9424 | |
| Download: ML15253A485 (3) | |
Text
science for a changing worldDepartment of the InteriorUS Geological SurveyBox 25046 MS-974Denver CO, 80225August 28, 2015U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTIN: Document Control DeskWashington DC 20555Subj: Response to RAI dated August 18, 2015, regarding R-113 license amendment request (TAC No.M E9424)Gentlemen:
The attached pages are submitted in response to your Request for Additional Information dated August18, 2015. Please contact me if you need additional information.
Sincerely, Tim DegeyUSGS Reactor Supervisor I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.Executed on 08/28/2015 Copy to:Vito Nuccio, Reactor Administrator, MS 911USGS Reactor Operations Committee Response to RAI dated August 18, 2015 concerning a license amendment to the USGS R-1 13research reactor license (TAC No. ME9424)QUESTION.
- 1. The storage/locations for the source, byproduct and SNM to be transferred from thematerials license to the reactor license do not appear to be described in your licenseamendment application, as supplemented.
In your response to Request for Additional Information (RA/) No. 11, by letter dated March 14, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No.ML14083A398),
you provided a description of the source, byproduct and SNM that youproposed to be transferred with the license amendment.
- However, a description of thestorage locations and any transportation methods between the. storage locations and thelocations where the material may be used was not provided.
- a. Provide a description, which includes all of the lcensed materials provided in yourresponse to RA/ No. 11 (as referenced above), of the locations where the listedmaterials are to be stored or used, or justify why no description is needed.b. Describe the transport methods of any source, byproduct and SNM needed betweenthe storage locations and the locations where the material may be used, or justifywhy no description is needed.RESPONSE:
l .a. The GSTR licensed area, within which the licensed materials listed in our response to RAI......
No. 11 are located, are described as follows:Building 15, rooms 149 through 152 and room 154: These rooms are inside theprotected area of the USGS reactor facility and they contain the reactor bay, reactor controlroom, staff offices, sample handling and processing areas, workshop,
- storage, reactor-
-equipment and supplies, low level radioactive waste being held for decay, and radiation monitoring equipment.
These areas are only accessible by reactor staff members.
In addition, access to Building 15 is restricted to a limited number of government employees andcontractors.
Building 15, rooms 157 and 158: These rooms comprise the gamma spectroscopy labthat is part of the USGS reactor project.
They contain the equipment (detectors, electronic instrumentation, and calibration sources) needed to perform high-precision gammaspectroscopy.
Access to these rooms is controlled by the reactor staff.Building 15, rooms BI0, BlOB, and B11: These rooms are storage and calibration areasthat are part of the USGS reactor project.
They contain equipment,
- supplies, and a gammacalibration facility.
Access to these rooms is jointly controlled by the reactor staff and the USGSRadiation Safety Officer.Building 10, room 2: This room is a storage area that contains components from reactorexperiments, spare TRIGA graphite
- elements, spare equipment and supplies, and low level radioactive waste that is waiting for transfer to a disposal site. Access to this room is controlled by the reactor staff.1 .b. All locations described in response to question l .a. are within the controlled area of theDenver Federal Center and on federal government property.
Transport of licensed materialbetween the locations described above does not need to comply with DOT and/or IATAregulations since there are no public roads involved in such movements.
- However, appropriate containment will be used to minimize the potential for spillage or contamination from thematerials.
Many of the licensed materials listed in our response to RAI No. 11 are orders ofmagnitude below the associated ALl values in 10 CER 20 Appendix B, as well as being belowthe labeling requirements of 10 CFR 30 Appendix B and the 10 CFR 30.18 "Exempt Quantities" values given in 10 CER 30 Schedule B. All of the listed materials are solids,.so no specialprecautions are needed for the transport of liquids or gases. The labeling requirements of 10CFR 30 will be followed and appropriate shielding will be used, if needed, to protect personnel as required in 10 CER 20.Q UES TION:2. The USGS technical specifications do not define the Title 10 of the Code of FederalRegulations (10 CFR) Part 50 licensed area of the USGS research reactor.
As such, it isnot clear if the storage locations are within the 10 CER 50 licensed area of the USGSresearch reactor.
Determine if a USGS technical specification is needed to define theUSGS licensed area to include the storage areas for the proposed license material isneeded. If a technical specification is needed, propose a technical specification.
Otherwise, justify why no change to the current technical specifications is needed.RESPONSE:
- 2. Given the lack of definition of the USGS research reactor licensed area, a technical specification is proposed to provide this definition.
The proposed technical specification changeis an addition to the license definitions in Section A as follows:A. Definitions:
- 10. Licensed Area:Rooms 149-152, 154, 157, 158, Bl0, BlOB, and Bli of Building 1.5 and Room 2 ofBuilding 10.