An NRC quarterly newsletter providing licensing information on a Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility

 Mixed Oxide Xchange

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission NUREG/BR-0284 June 2003 

 Vol. 3, No. 2

 NRC Issues Revised Draft

Safety Evaluation Report

 NRC staff issued a revised Draft Safety Evaluation

Report (DSER) for the proposed MOX facility on

April 30, 2003. This DSER replaces the April

2002 draft in its entirety. The NRC staff found that

19 issues remain unresolved. Until these open

items are closed, the NRC staff cannot conclude

that the proposed MOX facility design would

provide reasonable assurance of protection against

potential accidents. 

Most of the open items pertain to fire safety,

chemical safety, and the aqueous polishing process. 

These include:

• red oil explosions,

• HAN/hydrazine explosions,

• fires or explosions caused by the ignition of

flammable gases and vapors,

• titanium fires,

• soot loading on air filters,

• pyrophoric nature of uranium dioxide

powders, and

• hazardous chemicals in the emergency

control room.

NRC staff concluded that some of the

analyses submitted by the applicant, Duke

Cogema Stone & Webster (DCS), are

incomplete and require additional

information. Open items may be

discussed in meetings between the NRC

staff and DCS. The final safety

evaluation report (SER) is scheduled to

be issued in September 2003.

The revised DSER

can be accessed

through the NRC’s

Agencywide

Documents Access

and Management

System (ADAMS):

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/webbased.html

The reference number for the document

is: ML031270081.

NRC’s Mixed Oxide Fuel Infoweb

To find meeting summaries, updates related to the proposed MFFF,

frequently asked questions, and past issues of the Mixed Oxide

Xchange. 

Go to http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/mox/licensing.html
Mixed Oxide Xchange - 2 - June 2003

NRC met with Packaging Technology, Inc., (PacTec) on May 15, 2003, to discuss the transport

packages that would be used for shipment of plutonium oxide and fresh MOX fuel assemblies. 

Current program plans include fabrication of four MOX lead test assemblies (LTAs) in Europe. 

PacTec described the design and analysis of two French-approved package designs that may be

used to transport plutonium oxide and fresh MOX fuel assemblies between the U.S. and Europe. 

PacTec plans to request approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in fall 2003

to use the packages for these import and export shipments. If the LTAs are successfully tested in

domestic reactors, and if the proposed MOX facility is built and is licensed to begin operating, the

resulting fresh MOX fuel assemblies would be fabricated in the U.S. and shipped to domestic

reactors authorized to use such fuel. PacTec also described the package being designed for

shipments within the U.S. The package would accommodate three fuel assemblies. PacTec plans

to perform full scale testing of the package in September 2003, and to submit an application for

package approval to NRC in March 2004. 

Update on the draft Environmental Impact

Statement

The comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

prepared by NRC to evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed

MOX facility closed on May 14, 2003. The NRC staff will address

comments received from the public in the Final EIS, which is scheduled to be published in late

August of 2003. Comments on the DEIS include those pertaining to how the issues of terrorism

and environmental justice have been evaluated.

Meeting with PacTec Regarding Transport Package

for MOX Fresh Fuel Assemblies

MOX PROJECT

MANAGER

Andrew Persinko

Phone: (301) 415-6522

Email: AXP1@nrc.gov
Mixed Oxide Xchange - 3 - June 2003

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards

Mail Stop T-8A33

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

 Lead Editor: David D. Brown

 Editor: Tamara Powell

 Design and Production: Linda M. Gross

 

Mixed Oxide Xchange is published quarterly to highlight recent news and events associated with the

NRC’s licensing of a mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility. We welcome your suggestions for

improvement of this newsletter. If you have comments or suggestions, you may contact us at

moxfeedback@nrc.gov. To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an e-mail to subscribe@nrc.gov. All

issues will be e-mailed unless you provide your mailing address and indicate your preference to receive

copies by U.S. Postal Service.

ALPHABET SOUP

(commonly used acronyms in this newsletter)

ADAMS Agencywide Document Access and 

Management System

CAR Construction Authorization Request 

DCS Duke Cogema Stone & Webster

DEIS Draft Environ. Impact Statement 

DOT Dept. of Transportation 

DSER Draft Safety Evaluation Report

HAN Hydroxylamine Nitrate

LTA Lead Test Assembly

MFFF Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility

MOX Mixed Oxide

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission

PM Project Manager