Nuclear Criticality

Nuclear Criticality Capabilities

Qualifications
Advanced Technologies and Laboratories International, Inc. (ATL) employs a highly qualified team of Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) experts that can provide comprehensive support for a large NCS effort or a small task for a large multi-organization team. This support could range from an independent assessment in accordance with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and ANSI/ANS requirements to the development of a comprehensive NCS program with assistance in implementation. ATL has senior personnel with many years of NCS experience developing the ANSI/ANS standards and conducting NCS training programs. ATL’s experts have “hands on” NCS program experience including conducting safety evaluations, developing controls, preparing procedures, conducting surveillance programs and self assessments in accordance with ANSI/ANS 8.19 criteria. ATL understands DOE’s requirements including application of the Integrated Safety Management (ISM) system.

Capabilities
ATL can assist DOE offices and contractors in the following NCS areas:

• Compliance or program assessments.
• Training development and delivery.
• Staff and management mentoring.
• Review or preparation of NCS evaluations.
• Safety Analysis using various codes (i.e., KENO/SCALE and MCNP).
• Development of procedures for conduct of work and materials control.
• Assessment or design of criticality accident alarm systems.
• Preparation and conduct of exercises for emergency responses to accidents.

Experience
ATL is conducting NCS reviews for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the course of DSA’s review for compliance with 10 CFR 830. As a result, ATL has addressed a very wide range of NCS issues. ATL conducted an independent NCS Assessment for the Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC (BJC). The BJC NCS program had several concerns based upon a number of BJC and DOE reviews, and a fresh, comprehensive review was necessary. The ATL Team conducted a programmatic review and sampled work at five BJC-managed sites. The results of the ATL Team assessment, which has been endorsed by BJC management and accepted by DOE’s Oak Ridge Operations Office and DOE Headquarters’ Office of Oversight, set a new course for the upgrading of the BJC NCS program.

ATL has also developed a DOE Office of River Protection Implementing Directive (ORPID) and companion program description, which defines the Office of River Protection (ORP) NCS program. ATL 2007 This ensures that the DOE contractor managing and operating the River Protection Project (RPP) fully implements criticality safety in accordance with ANSI/ANS national standards and DOE orders, policies, and standards.

The ORPID incorporates the technical specification and design bases of the RPP facilities classified for NCS as “Limited Control Facility” (i.e., the RPP waste tanks contain more than one-third of a minimum critical mass for plutonium in the form and/or distribution that precludes a criticality accident). The ORPID was accepted for use by the DOE ORP. We maintain the latest versions of the MCNP and SCALE computer codes on ATL’s computers, including the performance of the code packages’ verification or validation in accordance with the associated technical reports and user manuals (as provided with each software package and NUREG/CR-6483, NUREG/CR-6484, and NUREG/ CR-6361 for SCALE).

Nuclear Criticality/Safety and Risk Assessment Capabilities

Advanced Technologies and Laboratories International, Inc. (ATL) has an ongoing relationship with both the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) nuclear safety policymakers. Our familiarity with both of these agencies is valuable to all our nuclear/criticality safety and risk assessment clients. We are experienced in the development and implementation of Authorization Basis requirements for Documented Safety Analyses (DSAs) and their compliance with 10 CFR 830. In addition, we are experienced in all aspects of Environmental Safety and Health risk assessments, and can prepare and conduct independent reviews of Safety Analysis Reports (SARs), Basis for Interim Operations, and Health and Safety Plans (HASPs) that integrate nuclear and occupational safety and health requirements.

ATL takes a broad view of nuclear criticality/safety problems. Our staff helped develop DOE policy and rules and is in the forefront of their implementation. We conduct code analysis, develop guides and procedures, prepare documentation, and provide independent advice. We have the expertise to deal with technical and management issues. Examples of our work include:

• Assisting the incorporation of DOE’s nuclear safety requirements into HASPs required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for use at DOE’s Fernald cleanup site.
• Conducting independent reviews of Documented Safety Reports as per 10 CFR 830 for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
• Conducting independent criticality safety reviews or criticality safety reviews in conjunction with the LANL 10 CFR 830 DSA reviews.
• Preparing environmental and risk assessments with the necessary technical support for DOE and the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards.

At Fernald, ATL provided a cost-effective way to meet both DOE’s nuclear safety and OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response requirements by developing the format and content of HASPs to include nuclear safety. We applied this approach to hazard category II, III, and radiological facilities. HASPs for the Fernald Silo Project and several other radiological facilities are currently in production.

At LANL, ATL assisted in the development of a laboratory review handbook checklist and is aiding in the independent review of required 10 CFR 830 DSAs. We have reviewed a wide range of LANL facilities including the following:

• Nuclear hazard category II and III.
• Nonnuclear.
• Critical.
• Transuranic waste processing, characterization, and storage.
• Radiochemistry laboratory.
• Plutonium.
• Beryllium.
• Biological.

ATL conducted a major Criticality Safety Evaluation (CSE) review of Bechtel Jacobs Corporation’s criticality safety program at five DOE sites. This independent review lead to significant upgrades of the criticality safety program and their eventual compliance with DOE’s requirements.

ATL’s extensive experience allows us to prepare technical specification requirements that provide a sound approach to the use of active and passive controls. In addition, we’re able to assist in addressing concerns regarding compliance with Federal regulations.
Specific examples of ATL support to DOE include:

• Helping the Office of River Protection to establish a criticality safety oversight program and supporting their capability for criticality and shielding analyses.
• Developing several supplemental analyses with associated amended records of decisions relating to the disposition and storage of plutonium-bearing materials or for their disposition as transuranic waste.

In addition to DOE, ATL supports the NRC in conducting safety and environmental reviews, performing risk assessment studies, and providing regulatory compliance support. Subjects of the reviews and studies include:

• Byproduct materials.
• Fuel cycle facilities.
• Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations (ISFSIs).
• Transportation and spent fuel storage cask designs that meet 10 CFR 830 requirements.
• Waste treatment and solidification plant sites listed under the Site Decommissioning Management Plan.
• Uranium recovery facilities.

ATL has proven its ability to perform multiple and concurrent technical support activities for the NRC in a timely and cost-effective manner with the highest regard for quality of deliverables and avoidance of conflicts of interest.

Specific examples include:

• Developing environmental impact statements related to the licensing process of new facilities or for the decommissioning of licensed facilities, including a proposed gas centrifuge uranium enrichment facility and the decontamination and decommissioning of a former uranium conversion plant.
• Supporting the licensing of ISFSIs and developing draft criteria for reviewing license applications as part of the NRC Standard Review Plan for both wet and dry ISFSIs.
• Revising Regulatory Guides and NUREG publications associated with 10 CFR Part 71 and 10 CFR Part 72. The development of Regulatory Guides requires detailed knowledge of regulatory requirements, an understanding of the intent of the regulations, and a command of national and international standards. It’s more cost effective to incorporate standards and references into a Regulatory Guide than to develop NRC-specific standards.
• Performing risk analyses on topics of concern for the licensing and regulation of byproduct materials.

ATL’s staff is experienced and respected in their fields. Our technical disciplines include:

• Physics.
• Metallurgy.
• Chemical Engineering.
• Nuclear Engineering.
• Environmental Science.
• Meteorology.
• Industrial Hygiene.
• Occupational Safety.
• Criticality Safety.
• Health Physics.

ATL possesses significant nuclear criticality/safety and risk assessment capabilities for:

• Preparing DSAs, SARs, HASPs, and CSEs.
• Conducting independent reviews of nuclear/criticality safety programs and related documentation.
• Preparing and reviewing environmental risk assessments.