80 FR 20017 - University of Michigan's Ford Nuclear Reactor Facility

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 71 (April 14, 2015)

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is noticing the termination of Facility Operating License No. R-28 for the Ford Nuclear Reactor (FNR). The NRC has terminated the license of the decommissioned FNR at the University of Michigan (UM or the licensee) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has released the site for unrestricted use.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20017-20018]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08576]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-134; NRC-2015-0090]


University of Michigan's Ford Nuclear Reactor Facility

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: License termination; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is noticing the 
termination of Facility Operating License No. R-28 for the Ford Nuclear 
Reactor (FNR). The NRC has terminated the license of the decommissioned 
FNR at the University of Michigan (UM or the licensee) in Ann Arbor, 
Michigan, and has released the site for unrestricted use.

DATES: Notice of termination of Facility Operating License No. R-28 
given on April 14, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2015-0090 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0090. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, 
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. The 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available 
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theodore Smith, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6721; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FNR was operated by the Michigan 
Memorial Phoenix Project (MMPP) at the UM as a memorial to students and 
alumni of the UM who served in World War II, including the 588 who died 
in the war. The MMPP's purpose has been to encourage and support 
research on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and its social 
implications. The FNR was used by students, faculty and staff of the UM 
and other institutions and entities for research, experiments, and 
education classes. The FNR operations provided major assistance to a 
wide variety of research and educational programs, including neutron 
irradiation services, neutron beam port experimental facilities, 
classes in reactor operations, reactor related laboratory work, neutron 
activation analysis, isotope preparation, radiochemical preparation, 
gamma irradiation services, neutron radiography, testing services, and 
training programs. The licensee ceased operation of the facility in 
July 2003, and the fuel was subsequently removed in December 2003. The 
FNR underwent decommissioning activities from 2006 until 2012, followed 
by Final Status Surveys (FSS) in the winter of 2012 to assess the final 
radiological status of the facility.
    The licensee submitted a proposed Decommissioning Plan (DP) on June 
23, 2004 (ADAMS Package No. ML041810586) which was revised on January 
10, 2006 (ADAMS Package No. ML060180411). The NRC approved the revised 
UM DP by Amendment No. 50 to License R-28, dated June 26, 2006 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML061220260).
    As required by the FNR DP, the UM submitted a Final Status Survey 
Plan (FSSP), in letters dated April 8, 2011, July 12, 2011, January 20, 
2012, June 1, 2012, July 13, 2012, and September 17, 2012 (ADAMS 
Accession Nos. ML11119A004, ML11199A009, ML12025A125, ML12157A266, 
ML12199A018, and ML12264A562, respectively). Additional site 
characterization information for the FNR was provided on February 14, 
2012, and September 18, 2012 (ADAMS Package No. ML120950629 and ADAMS 
Accession No. ML12264A064).
    By letter dated October 25, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12293A302), 
the NRC reviewed the FSSP and determined that after a change to one 
paragraph, it was acceptable and consistent with the guidance in NUREG-
1757, ``Consolidated Decommissioning Guidance'' (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML063000243), and NUREG-1575, ``Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site 
Investigation Manual'' (MARSSIM) (ADAMS Accession No. ML082470583). The 
UM provided the modified FSSP with the revised paragraph on November 2, 
2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12312A130). The modification required an 
additional final status survey for three special areas of the FNR.
    The UM provided a final status survey report (FSSR) which included 
information on the three special FSS

[[Page 20018]]

areas in a letter dated July 11, 2013 (ADAMS Package ML13205A152), 
followed by a corrected background count rate for the FSSR on August 
19, 2013 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13235A009).
    In a letter dated February 26, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML14063A207), the UM confirmed that FNR systems and components had been 
transferred to the UM Broad Scope license No. 21-00215-04 by Amendment 
No. 102, in accordance with the approved DP, and requested termination 
of the FNR license. The Amendment No. 102 transfer was approved by the 
NRC, with a correction, on February 19, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML14055A189). On June 23, 2014, NRC inspectors confirmed that site 
conditions were acceptable for license termination (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML14197A232). Additionally, NRC staff has reviewed the FNR FSSR. The 
FNR FSSR states that the criteria for termination set forth in FNR's 
license (R-28), and as established in its DP and FSSP have been 
satisfied.
    The FSSR indicates that all but one of the individual radiological 
measurement determinations made throughout the facility for surface 
contamination (both total and removable) were found to be less than the 
criteria established in the DP, which is acceptable in accordance with 
the MARSSIM statistical methodology. Similarly, sample results from 
soil, and sediments were found to be less than the volumetric 
radionuclide concentration criteria established in the DP. 
Additionally, all the radioactive wastes have been removed from the 
facility. For these reasons, the NRC staff has determined that the 
survey results in the report comply with the criteria in the NRC 
approved DP and the release criteria in subpart E of part 20 of Title 
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR).
    On August 9 through 11, 2011 the NRC conducted an on-site 
inspection of the decommissioning activities at the FNR. The NRC 
inspector evaluated decommissioning performance and conducted 
independent radiation surveys and soil sampling, with soil sample 
evaluation of the NRC samples by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities 
(ORAU). The inspection was an examination of UM's licensed activities 
as they relate to radiation safety and to compliance with the 
Commission's regulations and the license conditions, including the DP 
and FSSP. The inspection consisted of observations by the inspectors, 
interviews with personnel, and a review of procedures and records and 
acquisition of split samples. As a result of this inspection, a Notice 
of Violation was issued to the UM for failing to independently monitor 
or audit either decommissioning operations or the quality assurance 
program annually as required (ADAMS Accession No. ML11299A076). This 
violation has been resolved by the UM reinitiating audits and quality 
assurance reviews as part of semi-annual Decommissioning Review 
Committee meetings, as documented in an October 10, 2012 NRC inspection 
report. (ADAMS Accession No. ML12284A282). The final report from ORAU 
of the results of the soil sample analysis was provided to the NRC on 
August 23, 2011 (ADAMS Accession No. ML112420852). One of the soil 
samples exceeded the FNR DP's soil derived concentration guideline 
level for Cobalt-60, which was addressed by the UM subsequently 
remediating all the soil from the cavity area, and resampling as part 
of the final status survey.
    At the request of NRC staff, on January 16, 2015 (ADAMS Accession 
No. ML15020A725), UM provided the results of eight additional soil 
samples, taken to a depth of thirteen feet, in the area where 
stockpiled soils were reused to refill the excavation in the former 
storage ports area of the FNR. All samples were below minimum 
detectable activity and well below the soil derived concentration 
guideline levels, which demonstrates that the reused stockpiled soils 
are acceptable for unrestricted release. Additionally, three split 
samples were sent to ORAU for laboratory analysis (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML15030A311). The results contained in the analytical report are 
consistent with UM's report.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(b)(6), the NRC staff has concluded that 
the UM FNR in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been decommissioned in 
accordance with the approved DP and that the FSSR and associated 
documentation demonstrates that the facilities and site may be released 
in accordance with the criteria for license termination in 10 CFR part 
20, subpart E. Further, on the basis of the decommissioning activities 
carried out by the UM, the NRC's review of the licensee's FSSR, the 
results of the NRC inspections conducted at the reactor facility, and 
the results of confirmatory lab analyses, the NRC has concluded that 
the decommissioning process is complete and the facilities and sites 
may be released for unrestricted use.
    Therefore, Facility Operating License No. R-28 is terminated.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of April 2015.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Andrew Persinko,
Deputy Director, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and 
Waste Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2015-08576 Filed 4-13-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P