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```

                                 UNITED STATES
                         NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
               OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
                             WASHINGTON, DC 20555

                                April 17, 1997


NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 97-20:  IDENTIFICATION OF CERTAIN URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE  
                               HEXAFLUORIDE CYLINDERS THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH
                               ANSI N14.1 FABRICATION STANDARDS


Addressees

Registered users of transportation packages for uranium hexafluoride.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information
notice to notify addressees that, based on NRC inspection review of available
records, certain Model 30B cylinders for uranium hexafluoride do not meet the
fabrication standards in American National Standards Institute, ANSI N14.1,
"Uranium Hexafluoride--Packaging for Transport."  Model 30B cylinders that do
not meet the ANSI N14.1 standard are not authorized for transport.  It is
expected that recipients will review the information for applicability 
to their operations.  However, information contained in this notice is not an
NRC requirement; therefore, no specific action nor written response is
required.

Description of Circumstances

On April 9-11, 1997, NRC conducted an inspection at Amer Industrial
Technologies, Inc. (AIT), in Wilmington, Delaware.  The inspection involved
the fabrication of cylinders for uranium hexafluoride.  The fabrication
records for certain Model 30B cylinders did not support a conclusion that the
weld procedures had been qualified at the low temperatures specified in ANSI
N14.1.  The cylinders were fabricated by AIT, and were purchased by Korea
Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd (KNFC).  The affected cylinders are:

      KNFC Serial No.               Date of Manufacture

      0244 to 0373, inclusive       June 1995 through July 1996

Discussion

The available records at AIT do not support a conclusion that Model 30B
cylinders were fabricated in accordance with ANSI N14.1.  U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) regulations (49 CFR 173.420) require that packagings for
uranium hexafluoride be designed, fabricated, inspected, tested, and marked in
accordance with ANSI N14.1.  NRC regulations require that licensees making
these types of shipments comply with applicable DOT  


9704170195.                                                            
                                                            IN 97-20
                                                            April 17, 1997
                                                            Page 2 of 2


regulations (10 CFR 71.5).  NRC Certificates of Compliance for uranium
hexafluoride packages also specify that cylinders must be fabricated,
inspected, and tested in accordance with ANSI N14.1.

ANSI N14.1 specifies design and fabrication standards for uranium hexafluoride
cylinders.  Among other things, the standard includes provisions for ensuring
impact resistance of the Model 30B cylinder shell and heads in case of a
transportation accident in a cold climate.  The standard specifies that the
weld procedures for the Model 30B cylinders be qualified at -50�F (-45�C) for
the grade of steel used for these cylinders.  The weld procedures used to
fabricate the cylinders identified above, according to available records, were
only qualified to +10�F (-12�C), and therefore, do not conform to the ANSI
N14.1 standard.  Since DOT regulations and NRC Certificates of Compliance
specify that cylinders used to transport uranium hexafluoride must comply with
ANSI N14.1, the cylinders identified above are not authorized for transport.

This information notice requires no specific action nor written response.  If
you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact
one of the individuals listed below, or the appropriate regional office.


                                          ORIGINAL SIGNED BY

                                    William F. Kane, Director
                                    Spent Fuel Project Office
                                    Office of Nuclear Material Safety
                                      and Safeguards

Technical contacts:  Richard Boyle, DOT
                     (202) 366-4545
                     E-mail:  [email protected]

                     Nancy L. Osgood, NMSS
                     (301) 415-8513
                     E-mail:  [email protected]

                     William M. Troskoski, NMSS
                     (301)415-8076
                     E-mail:  [email protected]
```