will continue to operate within the established margins of safety. These studies will also provide the basis for NRC review and issuance of a specific order for conversion. Question: Provide a breakdown of the $350,000 for LEU fuel fabrication in FY 86 among the recipient universities. Answer: The $350,000 for LEU fuel fabrication in FY 86 is for a full core at Ohio State University-$250,000 and for fuel replacement for the University of Michigan-$100,000. Question: Please list the universities which will benefit from the $80,000 for shipping and storage of HEU fuel. Answer: The following is a list of the universities from which HEU was returned to DOE in accordance with the NRC "show cause" Order. University of Kansas Penn State University Virginia Polytechnic Inst. Iowa State University Purdue University University of Florida Georgia Tech Univ. of Washington University of Virginia Question: Describe in detail the process, current status, funding requirements and expected completion data for conversion of reactors at 60th Ohio State University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Answer: In response to requests from Ohio State University and RPI for facility improvement and conversion of their reactors to LEU in FY-85, grants were issued to each in July and August 1985, respectively. We understand that these studies are progressing satisfactorily and will probably be concluded and ready for submission to NRC before the end of the summer. At that point we will be into, what may be termed, phase two of the conversion cycle. We expect it will be near the end of 1987 before conversion is complete at Ohio State University and RPI. Question: Has the University of Michigan, Ford nuclear reactor, been converted to LEU? Please explain the process which was used to convert this facility; include a description of the type of reactor, the cost of conversion and any problems which occurred. FY 87? What activities are planned at Michigan in FY 86 and Answer: The University of Michigan, Ford Nuclear Reactor has been converted to LEU fuel. This conversion was carried out under the auspicies and support of the RERTR Program, funded by the Office of Nuclear Energy, as a full core demonstration project. The process followed for conversion was as follows; the University of Michigan developed a license amendment containing all of the necessary safety calculations that were carried out on the fuel and test elements in the reactor and submitted this to NRC. The NRC reviewed and approved the amendment and the University proceeded with a partial and then a full core change of the fuel. The whole process, including removal of the HEU fuel took approximately five years. The cost was approximately $600K which included some computer code development and experimental programs, i.e. flux measurements in beam tubes and control rod worth, that would be useful at other facilities. No major problems were encountered in the conversion. Plans for FY-86 and FY-87 are for normal operation relative to the conversion program. There will be some minor studies done to change the Michigan fuel to a standard plate using the silicide fuel matrix instead of the aluminide. Question: Please describe in detail the current schedule for conversion of plate-type reactors at Rhode Island, Lowell and Virginia. Answer: We expect to receive proposals from Rhode Island, Lowell and Virginia within the next four to six weeks, in which case an assistance grant would be authorized and issued by the DOE Operations Office by July or August. Since the U. of Virginia will be converting two reactors, it was planned to start first with the smaller training reactor the 100W Cavalier since this fuel is not "self-protecting", i.e. 100R/hr at 3 ft. It is expected that the first phase, safety analysis study, will be completed about ten months after the start date. Phase II will require about five to six months, with a estimated completion date of September '87. The fuel exchange process, or phase III, would then take place in the fall or early winter of 1987. expect that the University of Lowell conversion cycle would follow approximately the same timing pattern. The Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center would take somewhat longer in the initial phase due to additional studies related to changes in fuel loading and emergency core cooling requirements. It will probably be near the end of 1987 before RINSC will be ready to submit a licensing change package to the NRC. We anticipate that RINSC would be ready to make a fuel change in the fall of 1988. We Question: What activities are scheduled or foreseen for the facilities at Georgia Tech? Answer: Since all of the unirradiated HEU fuel at Georgia Tech has been moved to a DOE facility and they have an adequate supply for several years, we do not anticipate initiating safety analysis studies until the fall of 1987. This would place them on a timing schedule to effect conversion in the fall of 1989. Question: Why has Pennsylvania State University been added to your list of reactors for assistance in FY 86 and FY 87? Please provide the Committee with a full description of this reactor, the funding and activities scheduled, and the need for proceeding with these activities. Answer: Penn State University has a TRIGA Mark III, pool type, light water moderated, research and training reactor that uses 20% enriched U-235, rod type fuel. Periodically the university has needs for additional fuel. Eight fuel rods at a cost of $50,000 were provided in FY-86 to fill this requirement. This TRIGA rod-type fuel is purchased from General Atomics in San Diego, CA. Penn State has one of the more active university nuclear education programs in the country ranging from nuclear engineering graduate studies to public and community education. Penn State has participated in the DOE Reactor Sharing Program for many years with special emphasis on high school programs that qualify secondary school teachers to teach nuclear science. During the school year 1984-85 9 colleges and 52 high schools participated in the program that involved 66 faculty and over 1000 students. Question: What activities are planned in FY 86 or FY 87 at the University of Illinois and the University of Texas? Answer: The University of Illinois is currently participating in the DOE reactor sharing program and has submitted a proposal for renewal for next academic year. The University of Texas is in the process of building a new reactor facility at a research park a few miles from the current university campus. Additional TRIGA fuel was provided to the University of Texas in 1985 when the Northrup Triga reactor was shut down. This fuel, which had little use, was donated by the Northrup Corp. No special DOE programs are anticipated at this time. Question: Explain your procedure and the timing for certification to the NRC that funding is available for conversion, particularly at the universities scheduled for activities in FY 86 and FY 87. Answer: Discussions are underway with NRC to coordinate procedures for certification of funding or lack thereof. We expect that issuance of a grant to the university to start their reactor safety studies would constitute certification of funding. For those reactors that would not start their safety studies until after March 27, 1987 we would propose sending them a letter informing them of the time frame that they could expect funding for their conversion studies. As indicated, this is to be discussed and agreed to with NRC. Question: What is your plan for conversion of the TRIGAtype reactors? Answer: The four TRIGA reactors using the FLIP 70% enriched fuel would be considered for conversion after the plate-type reactor conversions are all underway. Since removal of nearly all unirradiated HEU fuel from the university reactors has been concluded, we do not see any urgent need for rushing these conversions. These facilities operate at a power level of IMW with the fuel in the core highly radioactive, which make them a highly unattractive target for theft. With a replacement cost of $750,000 for fuel only for each reactor it appears to be an unwise use of existing resources to discard perfectly good reactor fuel at this time. Question: Provide a more detailed breakdown of your $1.9 million request for fuel assistance in both FY 86 and FY 87 with a funding level for each university and a listing of all reactor sharing grants. Answer: Estimates for the $1.9M university reactor sharing and fuel assistance program for FY-86 and FY-87 are shown in a table I would like to insert in the record. The FY-86 reactor sharing grants are listed in a table I would like to insert in the record. (The information follows:) |