NRC ORDER – Order

On August 1, 2022, the NRC issued a confirmatory order (CO) to National Institute of Standards and Technology, Center for Neutron Research (licensee) confirming commitments reached as part of an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mediation settlement agreement between the licensee and the NRC. The ADR mediation and subsequent CO were based on the results of a special inspection in which the NRC identified one apparent violation of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 50.59, “Changes, tests and experiments,” and six apparent violations of the licensee’s technical specification requirements. The apparent violations involved the exceedance of reactor fuel cladding temperature which resulted in a damaged fuel element. Additionally, the licensee agreed to complete wide-ranging corrective actions and enhancements that are expected to improve reactor safety, as fully described in the CO. In consideration of the corrective actions and commitments outlined in the CO, the NRC agrees not to pursue any further enforcement action associated with the violations. The issuance of this CO is considered as escalated enforcement consistent with the NRC Enforcement Policy.