Extension of Construction
Authorization for the Mixed Oxide
Fuel Fabrication Facility
David Tiktinsky
Senior Project Manager
Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards and
Environmental Review, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
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• Construction Authorization (CA)
– Originally issued March 30, 2005 for a ten year period
• Nuclear construction commenced in 2007
– CA Condition 5 allows the Director of the
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards, to extend the CA in writing and for good cause, as shown by MOX
Services in writing
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• MOX Services requested extension on May 12, 2014
• Basis for extension request
– First of a kind facility and first facility of this type to be licensed under 10 CFR Part 70
– Annual funding supporting construction have been less that had been projected
– Nuclear quality assurance requirements and shortage of qualified vendors (delayed delivery of components)
– Shortage of qualified construction workers (longer duration of construction activities)
– Two-year delay between issuance of NRC CA and start of construction
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• More time needed to complete construction of:
– Key structures including Emergency generator building and reagents processing building
– Completion of ventilation, fire detection and suppression, diesel generator and support systems, process units and gloveboxes.
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• MOX Services stated that environmental impacts are still bounded by
MOX Services Environmental Report (no adverse environmental impacts)
• Requested extension did not authorize or result in significant environmental changes
• Construction progress reported by MOX Services
– Substantial progress has been made (60% complete)
– Significant progress made in construction of principle structures, systems and components.
– MOX Fuel Fabrication Building is substantially complete including roof and exterior structure
– 200,000 pounds of HVAC ductwork installed
– Seventy of 73 tanks installed
– Installation of fire dampers has commenced
– Non-PSSC cabling and other support
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• Environmental Assessment
• Issuance of Order
– Included time extension and other administrative changes
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• Published in Federal Register (Vol. 79, No. 205, Page
43442) on October 23, 2014
• Environmental impacts of proposed action
– NRC previously evaluated environmental impacts and issued a
Final Environmental Impact Statement (NUREG-1767) in
January 2005
– MOX Services concluded in extension request that all activities conducted to date are still bounded by their Environmental
Report.
– Extension would not authorize or result in any new changes of significance as defined in 10 CFR Part 51.60(b)(2)
– Substantial progress on construction has already been made
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• Finding of No Significant Impact
– Proposed action does not involve any different impacts or a significant change to those analyzed in the original EIS.
– NRC determined that extending the CA completion date will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
– NRC determined that an EIS for the action need not be prepared.
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• Published in Federal Register (FR Volume 79, No. 226,
Page 69886) dated November 24, 2014
– Extension of Construction Authorization completion date and administrative changes
• Safety Evaluation Report issued to MOX Services on
November 13, 2014
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• Extension of CA expiration date
– NRC staff concluded that MOX Services had demonstrated good cause to extend the CA
• Extension will not expand scope of work not already allowed in the existing
CA
• Licensees’ factors for needing an extension were beyond their control and are logical
• The time requested is reasonable based on the uncertainty of funding for construction
• The extension does not impact the staff’s previous finding that the design basis of the Principle Structures, Systems and Components and the quality assurance program provide reasonable assurance against natural phenomena and consequences of potential accidents.
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• Administrative Changes
– Name change from Shaw AREVA MOX Services to CB&I
AREVA MOX Services
• No direct or indirect change of control or any other change in management, operation or security
– Housekeeping change
• Removal of list of submittals incorporated by reference in Attachment A of the CA
– All commitments, representations and statements made in the referenced documents have been incorporated into the Construction Authorization
Request, Environmental Report, and License Application to possess and use radioactive material.
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• NRC granted an extension of the CA via an order
– NRC staff EA found that the extension had no significant environmental impact
– MOX Services had demonstrated good cause for the CA extension
• NRC also made administrative changes to the CA in the order
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