ML16063A287 

 UNITED STATES 

 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS 

 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 

 March 28, 2016 

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2016-04: ANSI N14.5-2014 REVISION AND LEAKAGE 

RATE TESTING CONSIDERATIONS 

ADDRESSEES

All registered users of a Type B transportation package under Title 10, “Energy,” of the Code of 

Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 71, “Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material.” 

All holders of or applicants for a Type B transportation package certificate of compliance (CoC) 

under 10 CFR Part 71. 

All holders of or applicants for: (1) a spent fuel storage cask CoC under 10 CFR Part 72, 

“Licensing Requirements for the Independent Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level 

Radioactive Waste, and Reactor-Related Greater than Class C Waste,” and (2) a general or 

site-specific independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) license under 10 CFR Part 72. 

PURPOSE

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice (IN) to inform 

addressees of: (1) the 2014 revision to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 

N14.5, “American National Standard for Radioactive Materials—Leakage Tests on Packages for 

Shipment,” (ANSI N14.5-2014), and (2) specific leakage rate testing considerations. 

The NRC expects that recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities and 

consider actions, as appropriate. However, suggestions contained in this IN are not NRC 

requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response is required. 

DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES

The NRC participated in the revision of the recently published ANSI N14.5-2014, the current 

consensus standard that supersedes the 1997 revision of ANSI N14.5. Addressees currently 

reference and use the 1997 revision of ANSI N14.5 to meet 10 CFR Parts 71 and 72 

containment and confinement regulations, respectively. The NRC is in the process of updating 

Regulatory Guide (RG) 7.4, “Leakage Tests on Packages for Shipment of Radioactive Material,” 

to reflect this revision (RG 7.4 currently endorses the 1997 revision of ANSI N14.5), but this IN 

informs addressees of the recently published ANSI N14.5-2014 in a timely manner. 
IN 2016-04 

Page 2 of 4 

BACKGROUND

Applicable requirements and industry guidance include: 

1. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N14.5-2014, “American National Standard 

for Radioactive Materials - Leakage Tests on Packages for Shipment.” 

2. American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) Recommended Practice No. 

SNT-TC-1A, “Personnel Qualification and Certification in Nondestructive Testing.” 

3. ANSI/ASNT CP-189, “American National Standard ASNT Standard for Qualification and 

Certification of Nondestructive Testing Personnel.” 

4. Regulatory Guide 7.4, “Leakage Tests on Packages for Shipment of Radioactive 

Material.” 

5. U.S. Code of Regulations, 10 CFR Part 71, “Packaging and Transportation of 

Radioactive Material.” 

6. U.S. Code of Regulations, 10 CFR Part 72, “Licensing Requirements for the 

Independent Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Radioactive Waste, and 

Reactor-Related Greater than Class C Waste.” 

DISCUSSION

The NRC encourages addressees that had been using the 1997 revision of ANSI N14.5 to 

become familiar with ANSI N14.5-2014, the current consensus standard that supersedes the 

1997 revision of ANSI N14.5. The revised standard and appendices have new information and 

clarifications. In addition, there are leakage rate testing considerations that the NRC believes 

addressees would benefit from knowing, based on the new information in ANSI N14.5-2014 and 

the history of NRC staff’s review of transportation packages and storage casks. These 

considerations are discussed below. Although the considerations presented do not detail 

specific industry events, they do highlight important concepts for addressees to know, as well as 

section(s) of ANSI N14.5-2014 or other industry standards where additional information can be 

found. 

Pre-shipment leakage rate test on Type B package containment boundary components that 

have been opened: Section 7.6 and Table 1 of ANSI N14.5-2014 address the pre-shipment 

leakage rate test on Type B package containment boundary components that have been 

opened. The pre-shipment leakage rate test is necessary to confirm that the containment 

system is properly assembled for each shipment. Type B packages containing a Type B 

quantity of material could have been used to transport Type A, Low Specific Activity (LSA) 

material, or Surface Contaminated Objects (SCO) in a previous shipment. Containment 

boundary components (e.g., seals and valves) could have been opened during a previous 

shipment of Type A contents, LSA material, or SCO, but a pre-shipment leakage rate test might 

not have been performed at that time. A pre-shipment leakage rate test should be performed on 

the containment boundary components that cannot be verified as being closed to confirm that 

the containment system is properly assembled on packages containing a Type B quantity of 

material. 

Pre-shipment leakage rate test acceptance criterion: Section 7.6.4 of ANSI N14.5-2014 provides 

the pre-shipment leakage rate test acceptance criterion that shall be either: (1) a leakage rate 

of not more than the reference air leakage rate, LR, or (2) no detected leakage when tested to a 
IN 2016-04 

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sensitivity of at least 1 × 10-3 reference cubic centimeter per second (ref-cm3/s). The 

pre-shipment leakage rate test is necessary to confirm that the containment system is properly 

assembled for each shipment. The example in Section B.15.22 of ANSI N14.5-2014 presents a 

scenario where the containment criterion is 1 × 10-7 ref-cm3/s and the pre-shipment leakage rate 

test shows a leakage rate that is less than 1 × 10-3 ref-cm3/s. The last paragraph of the example 

notes that the pre-shipment leakage rate test procedure sensitivity is not intended to relax the 

containment criterion; in addition, the example illustrates that the pre-shipment leakage rate 

verification is not satisfied even though the leakage is less than 1 × 10-3 ref-cm3/s. 

Qualification and certification of personnel performing leakage rate tests: Sections 8.5 and 8.8 

of ANSI N14.5-2014 address that leakage rate testing shall be performed by personnel who are 

qualified and certified in accordance with the requirements of the American Society for 

Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A. 

Qualification and certification of personnel approving leakage rate testing procedures: 

Sections 8.5 and 8.8 of ANSI N14.5-2014 address that leakage rate testing procedures shall be 

approved by personnel whose qualification and certification in the nondestructive method of leak 

testing includes certification by a nationally recognized society at a level appropriate to the 

writing and/or review of leakage rate testing procedures. For example, an individual who has 

obtained certification as an ASNT nondestructive testing (NDT) Level III in leak testing has the 

qualification necessary to develop and approve written instruction for conducting leakage rate 

testing as well as the knowledge to consider practical leakage rate testing issues (e.g., isolation 

of a vacuum pump, the reliability of boundary components). Additional information can be found 

in ANSI/ASNT CP-189. 

Leakage rate testing procedure qualification: Sections 8.6 and A.3.8 of ANSI N14.5-2014 

address leakage rate testing procedure qualification; this is necessary to ensure meaningful 

leakage rate test results. Section 2.1 of ANSI N14.5-2014 also includes new definitions related 

to calibration and procedure qualification. For example, an individual who has obtained 

certification as an ASNT NDT Level III in leak testing has the knowledge to ensure a leakage 

rate testing procedure is qualified. 

Wetting of the test item: Section A.3.5 of ANSI N14.5-2014 addresses that the test item, which 

includes the seal interspace, should be dried thoroughly before the leakage rate test when prior 

wetting of the test item cannot be avoided. 

Pressure change leakage rate test method sensitivity to temperature variations: Sections A.5.1 

and A.5.2 of ANSI N14.5-2014 note that small temperature variations can lead to high pressure 

variations in the gas pressure drop and gas pressure rise leakage rate test methods, and 

therefore, temperature variations should be avoided. 

Detector probe leakage rate test method and test item consideration: Section A.5.8 of ANSI 

N14.5-2014 addresses the importance of the detector probe travel speed and the necessary 

proximity (standoff distance) of the detector probe to the test item. These two factors are also 

important when using a thermal conductivity leak detector. Sections 7.1.1 and 7.1.2 of ANSI 

N14.5-2014 also address design considerations for leakage rate testing and leakage rate test 

method selection, respectively. 

Elastomeric O-ring permeation: Section B.11 of ANSI N14.5-2014 addresses permeation, the 

passage of fluid (e.g. leak test tracer gas) through a solid barrier. Consideration of permeation 
IN 2016-04 

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should be given when selecting a leakage rate test tracer gas in combination with an 

elastomeric O-ring material. 

CONCLUSION

In summary, addressees should familiarize themselves with ANSI N14.5-2014 to become aware 

of new information and clarifications within the current consensus standard and appendices. In 

addition, it is recommended that addressees specifically take into account the leakage rate 

testing considerations identified above. 

CONTACTS 

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. Please direct any 

questions about this matter to the technical contact listed below or to the appropriate Office of 

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) project manager. 

 /RA/ 

Mark Lombard, Director 

Division of Spent Fuel Management 

Office of Nuclear Material Safety 

 and Safeguards 

Technical Contact: JoAnn Ireland, NMSS 

301-415-6950 

E-mail: JoAnn.Ireland@nrc.gov 

Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, 

http://www.nrc.gov, under Electronic Reading Room/Document Collections. 
should be given when selecting a leakage rate test tracer gas in combination with an 

elastomeric O-ring material. 

CONCLUSION

In summary, addressees should familiarize themselves with ANSI N14.5-2014 to become aware 

of new information and clarifications within the current consensus standard and appendices. In 

addition, it is recommended that addressees specifically take into account the leakage rate 

testing considerations identified above.

CONTACTS 

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. Please direct any 

questions about this matter to the technical contact listed below or to the appropriate Office of 

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) project manager. 

 /RA/ 

Mark Lombard, Director 

Division of Spent Fuel Management 

Office of Nuclear Material Safety 

 and Safeguards 

Technical Contact: JoAnn Ireland, NMSS 

301-415-6950 

E-mail: JoAnn.Ireland@nrc.gov 

Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, 

http://www.nrc.gov, under Electronic Reading Room/Document Collections. 

ADAMS P8 Accession No.: ML16063A287 * concurred via email 

OFC: NMSS:CSTB NMSS:CSTB NMSS:SFLB NMSS:MSEB Tech Editor NMSS:DSFM NMSS:DSFM

NAME: JIreland CAraguas* SRuffin* AMcIntosh* QTE* BPham MLombard 

DATE: 01/20/16 01/25/16 01/27/16 01/19/16 02/22/16 03/25/16 03/28/16 

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