[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 247 (Monday, December 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 67584]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-32489]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Project No. 697]


Notice of Receipt of DOE Topical Report on Tritium Producing 
Burnable Poison Rod Lead Test Assemblies

    In order to maintain the strategic stockpile, the U.S. Department 
of Energy (DOE) is considering the use of commercial light water 
reactors to produce tritium. On December 4, 1996, DOE submitted a 
topical report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 
entitled, ``Report on the Evaluation of the Tritium Producing Burnable 
Absorber Rod Lead Test Assembly,'' intended to demonstrate that the use 
of a commercial light-water reactor to irradiate a limited number of 
lithium burnable poison rods in lead test assemblies (LTAs) does not 
raise generic issues involving an unreviewed safety question.
    The NRC staff will prepare a safety evaluation on the DOE report to 
address, on a preliminary basis, the acceptability of licensees 
undertaking irradiation of the LTAs under the provisions of 10 CFR 
50.59.
    Upon completion of its evaluation, the staff will present its 
conclusions to the Commission prior to issuance.
    The staff plans to hold public meetings to provide for public 
comment regarding the technical issues early in the evaluation process. 
In addition, the staff plans to hold a public meeting in the vicinity 
of the host reactor prior to loading the LTAs into the reactor. The 
date and location of the meetings will be announced later.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J.H. Wilson at (301) 415-1108.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the DOE 
topical report submitted by letter dated December 4, 1996, which is 
available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document 
Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of December, 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David B. Matthews,
Acting Director, Division of Reactor Program Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-32489 Filed 12-20-96; 8:45 am]
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