August 8, 2011 

Mr. Kelly Trice, President and COO 

Shaw AREVA MOX Services 

P.O. Box 7097 

Aiken, SC 29804-7087 

SUBJECT: REVISION 3 OF CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION (CAMOX-001) FOR THE 

MIXED OXIDE FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY 

Dear Mr. Trice: 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending the Construction Authorization 

(CA) for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (CAMOX-001) to incorporate changes to 

Sections 3A, 3C and 3F of the CA as per a letter request from Shaw AREVA MOX Services, 

dated February 8, 2011. The proposed changes to Sections 3A and 3C revise the CA to add a 

reference to the design basis contained in the License Application, which was evaluated in the 

staff’s Safety Evaluation Report (SER), dated December 10, 2010 (ML103340354). The 

proposed change to Section 3F removes from the CA a condition related to the safety function 

of the Emergency Control Room air conditioning system, an issue also addressed in the 

previously published SER. 

A Notice of Opportunity for a Hearing related to this amendment request was published in the 

Federal Register on April 22, 2011, (FR Volume 76, No. 78, page 22735). The comment period 

ended on June 21, 2011. No requests for a Hearing or Leave to Intervene were received by the 

NRC. 

In accordance to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 2.390 of the NRC’s “Rules of 

Practice,” a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC 

Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records System component of NRC’s 

Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible 

through the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic 

Reading Room). 
K. Trice 2 

If you have any questions related to this letter or our Mixed Oxide Project Quality Assurance 

Plan review, please contact David Tiktinsky at 301-492-3229, or via e-mail to 

David.Tiktinsky@nrc.gov. 

Sincerely, 

 /RA/ 

Larry Campbell, Chief 

Mixed Oxide and Uranium 

 Deconversion Branch 

Special Projects and Technical 

 Support Directorate 

 Division of Fuel Cycle, Safety 

 and Safeguards 

 Office of Nuclear Material Safety 

 and Safeguards 

 

Docket No. 70-3098 

Enclosures: 

As stated 

cc w/enclosures: 

S. Glenn, NNSA/SRS P. Winokur, DNFSB 

J. Olencz, NNSA L. Zeller, BREDL 

S. Jenkins, SC Department of HEC G. Carroll, Nuclear Watch South 

D. Silverman, Esq., MOX Services D. Curran, Esq., Nuclear Watch South 

D. Gwyn, MOX Services 

 

 
K. Trice 2 

If you have any questions related to this letter or our Mixed Oxide Project Quality Assurance 

Plan review, please contact David Tiktinsky at 301-492-3229, or via e-mail to 

David.Tiktinsky@nrc.gov. 

Sincerely, 

 /RA/ 

Larry Campbell, Chief 

Mixed Oxide and Uranium 

 Deconversion Branch 

Special Projects and Technical 

 Support Directorate 

 Division of Fuel Cycle, Safety 

 and Safeguards 

 Office of Nuclear Material Safety 

 and Safeguards 

Docket No. 70-3098 

Enclosures: 

As stated 

cc w/enclosures: 

S. Glenn, NNSA/SRS P. Winokur, DNFSB 

J. Olencz, NNSA L. Zeller, BREDL 

S. Jenkins, SC Department of HEC G. Carroll, Nuclear Watch South 

D. Silverman, Esq., MOX Services D. Curran, Esq., Nuclear Watch South 

D. Gwyn, MOX Services 

 

 

DISTRIBUTION: 

SPTSD r/f MODB r/f MShannon, R-II WGloersen, R-II DMcIntyre, OPA 

DSeymour, R-II RVirgilio, FSME 

ML111990043 

OFFICE FCSS/MODB FCSS OGC FCSS/MODB 

NAME DTiktinsky LAllen BKlukan LCampbell 

DATE 7/18/11 7/20/11 8/03/11 8/08/11 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 
Enclosure 1 

SHAW AREVA MOX SERVICES, LLC

DOCKET NO. 70-3098

MIXED OXIDE FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY

CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION 

Construction Authorization No. CAMOX-001, Revision 3 

1. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) having found that: 

A. the Construction Authorization Request (CAR), as revised, submitted by Shaw 

AREVA MOX Services, LLC (MOX Services) [formerly known as Duke Cogema 

Stone and Webster, LLC] complies with the requirements of the Atomic Energy Act 

of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the rules and regulations of the Commission, 

and there is reasonable assurance that the activities authorized by this 

construction authorization, as revised, will be conducted in compliance with those 

rules and regulations, as more fully documented in the Final Safety Evaluation 

Report (FSER) in the CAR; 

B. in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 70.23(b), 

on the basis of information described in the CAR, as revised, and the additional 

statements and commitments heretofore made by MOX Services in docketed 

correspondence listed in Attachment A, the design bases of the principal 

structures, systems, and components (PSSCs) for the proposed Mixed Oxide Fuel 

Fabrication Facility (MFFF) [sometimes referred to, hereafter, as Athe facility@], and 

the quality assurance program, provide reasonable assurance of protection against 

natural phenomena and the consequences of potential accidents; 

C. findings necessary to authorize possession and use of licensed material at the 

facility are deferred pending evaluation of an application requesting such a license; 

D. after weighing the environmental, economic, technical, and other benefits of the 

facility against environmental costs, and considering available alternatives, the 

issuance of a construction authorization, as revised, is in accordance with 

10 CFR 70.23(a)(7), 10 CFR Part 51, and the requirements of Sections 102(2)(A) 

and (C) of the National Environmental Policy Act; and 

 E. the issuance of this construction authorization, as revised, will not be inimical to the 

common defense and security, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to the 

health and safety of the public. 

2. Pursuant to 10 CFR Part 70, the Commission hereby issues a construction 

authorization, as revised, to MOX Services for a plutonium processing and fuel 

fabrication plant as described in the revised CAR filed by MOX Services. The plant, 

known as the MFFF, will be located on the U.S. Department of Energy=s (DOE’s) 

Savannah River Site, near Aiken, South Carolina. 
- 2 - 

3. This construction authorization, as revised, is subject to all applicable requirements of 

the Act and the rules, regulations, and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in 

effect; and is subject to the conditions specified or incorporated below: 

A. Authorized activity: To construct a plutonium processing and mixed oxide fuel 

fabrication plant in accordance with the statements, representations, and 

conditions of: (1) the CAR dated October 30, 2002 (as revised in supplements 

dated December 12, 2002; February 18, 2003; April 1, 2003; April 8, 2003; 

July 28, 2003; June 10, 2004; January 27, 2005, and February 9, 2005); (2) the 

MOX Project Quality Assurance Plan, dated March 26, 2002 and supplements 

thereto; and (3) the Environmental Report, dated December 19, 2000 (as revised in 

supplements dated July 11, 2002; December 10, 2002; January 15, 2003; June 20, 

2003; August 13, 2003; and June 10, 2004) and as revised in the License 

Application (LA), dated September 26, 2006, and supplements thereto; 

B. The facility shall be constructed and located at the site, as described in the CAR, 

on the DOE’s Savannah River Site, near Aiken, South Carolina. 

C. This construction authorization authorizes MOX Services to construct the facility in 

accordance with the design bases of the PSSCs described in the CAR as refined in 

the LA’s items relied on for safety design basis sections (and supplements thereto), 

and environmental protection commitments set forth in MOX Services=s 

Environmental Report and revisions thereto. 

D. During construction of the facility, the inspection program set forth in 

10 CFR 70.55 will apply to all of MOX Services=s construction-related activities. 

E. As more fully set forth in the FSER for the CAR, the facility will be designed so that 

effective neutron multiplication factor (keff) shall not exceed an upper subcritical 

limit of 0.9249 for normal and credible abnormal conditions covered by Area of 

Applicability (4), [AOA(4)]. MOX Services shall not increase the keff limits or 

change the AOA boundaries beyond those contained in FSER Chapter 6 without 

prior Commission’s review and approval. 

4. This construction authorization is subject to the limitation that a license authorizing 

operation of the facility will not be issued by the Commission until the Commission has 

reviewed and approved a request by MOX Services for a license to possess and use 

licensed material at the facility. 
- 3 - 

5. This construction authorization is effective as of its date of issuance, and shall expire 

 10 years from its date of issuance of the initial version of the construction authorization, 

 provided, however, that the Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 

 Safeguards may, in writing and for good cause, shown by MOX Services in writing, not 

 less than 90 days before the date of expiration, extend this authorization. 

For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

 /RA/ 

Larry Campbell, Chief 

Mixed Oxide and Uranium 

 Deconversion Branch 

Special Projects and Technical 

 Support Directorate 

 Division of Fuel Cycle, Safety 

 and Safeguards 

 Office of Nuclear Material Safety 

 and Safeguards 

 

Date of Issuance: August 8, 2011 
Attachment 

MOX Services shall conduct its operations in accordance with all commitments, 

representations, and statements made by MOX Services that are contained in the 

following submittals, and which are hereby incorporated by reference, except where 

superceded by conditions in this construction authorization. 

DCS 2000. Hastings P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission, RE AChoice of MFFF Process Glovebox Window Material,@ (DCS-NRC000030), December 15, 2000. 

DCS 2001. Hastings P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission RE AMOX Fuel Fabrication Facility CAR Supplemental InformationCSite 

Geotechnical Report,@ (DCS01BWRSBDSBNTEBGB00005B A), 

April 24, 2001. 

DCS 2001. Hastings P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission RE AResponses to Request for Additional Information for Duke Cogema Stone 

& Webster (DCS) Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) Environmental Report 

(ER),@ July 12, 2001. 

DCS 2001. Hastings, P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission, RE AMOX Fuel Fabrication Facility Site Geotechnical Report,@

(DCS01BWRSBDSBNTEBGB00005BC), August 10, 2001. 

DCS 2001. Hastings P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission RE AResponse to Request for Additional Information - Construction 

Authorization Request,@ August 31, 2001. 

DCS 2001. Hastings, P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission RE AProprietary DCS Financial Information,@ August 31, 2001. 

DCS 2001. Hastings P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission RE AResponse to Clarification Request C Responses to Request for 

Additional Information on the Duke Cogema Stone & Webster Oxide Fuel Fabrication 

Facility Environmental Report,@ October 22, 2001. 

DCS 2001. Hastings P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission RE AResponses to Request for Clarification of Additional Information for Duke 

Cogema Stone & Webster (DCS) Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility (FFF) 

Environmental Report (ER),@ October 26, 2001. 

DCS 2001. Hastings, P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission RE AClarification of Responses to NRC Request for Additional 

Information,@ December 5, 2001. 

DCS 2001. Hastings P., Duke Cogema Stone & Webster, letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission RE AChanges to Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility Environmental Report,@

December 11, 2001.