Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 25, 2024

Title 10 - Energy last revised: Nov 19, 2024
§ 71.17 - General license: NRC-approved package.

(a) A general license is issued to any licensee of the Commission to transport, or to deliver to a carrier for transport, licensed material in a package for which a license, certificate of compliance (CoC), or other approval has been issued by the NRC.

(b) This general license applies only to a licensee who has a quality assurance program approved by the Commission as satisfying the provisions of subpart H of this part.

(c) Each licensee issued a general license under paragraph (a) of this section shall—

(1) Maintain a copy of the Certificate of Compliance, or other approval of the package, and the drawings and other documents referenced in the approval relating to the use and maintenance of the packaging and to the actions to be taken before shipment;

(2) Comply with the terms and conditions of the license, certificate, or other approval, as applicable, and the applicable requirements of subparts A, G, and H of this part; and

(3) Submit in writing before the first use of the package to: ATTN: Document Control Desk, Director, Division of Fuel Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, using an appropriate method listed in § 71.1(a), the licensee's name and license number and the package identification number specified in the package approval.

(d) This general license applies only when the package approval authorizes use of the package under this general license.

(e) For a Type B or fissile material package, the design of which was approved by NRC before April 1, 1996, the general license is subject to the additional restrictions of § 71.19.

[69 FR 3786, Jan. 26, 2004, as amended at 75 FR 73945, Nov. 30, 2010; 79 FR 75741, Dec. 19, 2014; 80 FR 34012, June 12, 2015; 84 FR 65645, Nov. 29, 2019]
§ 71.18 - [Reserved]
§ 71.19 - Previously approved package.

(a) A Type B(U) package, a Type B(M) package, or a fissile material package, previously approved by the NRC but without the designation “-85” in the identification number of the NRC CoC, may be used under the general license of § 71.17 with the following additional conditions:

(1) Fabrication of the package is satisfactorily completed by April 1, 1999, as demonstrated by application of its model number in accordance with § 71.85(c);

(2) A package used for a shipment to a location outside the United States is subject to multilateral approval as defined in DOT regulations at 49 CFR 173.403; and

(3) A serial number which uniquely identifies each packaging which conforms to the approved design is assigned to and legibly and durably marked on the outside of each packaging.

(b) A Type B(U) package, a Type B(M) package, or a fissile material package previously approved by the NRC with the designation “-85” in the identification number of the NRC CoC, may be used under the general license of § 71.17 with the following additional conditions:

(1) Fabrication of the package must be satisfactorily completed by December 31, 2006, as demonstrated by application of its model number in accordance with § 71.85(c); and

(2) A package used for a shipment to a location outside the United States is subject to multilateral approval as defined in the DOT's regulations at 49 CFR 173.403.

(c) NRC will approve modifications to the design and authorized contents of a Type B package, or a fissile material package, previously approved by NRC, provided—

(1) The modifications of a Type B package are not significant with respect to the design, operating characteristics, or safe performance of the containment system, when the package is subjected to the tests specified in §§ 71.71 and 71.73;

(2) The modifications of a fissile material package are not significant, with respect to the prevention of criticality, when the package is subjected to the tests specified in §§ 71.71 and 71.73; and

(3) The modifications to the package satisfy the requirements of this part.

(d) NRC will revise the package identification number to designate previously approved package designs as B, BF, AF, B(U), B(M), B(U)F, B(M)F, B(U)-85, B(U)F-85, B(M)-85, B(M)F-85, or AF-85 as appropriate, and with the identification number suffix “-96” after receipt of an application demonstrating that the design meets the requirements of this part.

[69 FR 3786, Jan. 26, 2004; 69 FR 6139, Feb. 10, 2004, as amended at 80 FR 34012, June 12, 2015]
§ 71.21 - General license: Use of foreign approved package.

(a) A general license is issued to any licensee of the Commission to transport, or to deliver to a carrier for transport, licensed material in a package, the design of which has been approved in a foreign national competent authority certificate, that has been revalidated by the DOT as meeting the applicable requirements of 49 CFR 171.23.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the general license applies only to a licensee who has a quality assurance program approved by the Commission as satisfying the applicable provisions of subpart H of this part.

(c) This general license applies only to shipments made to or from locations outside the United States.

(d) Each licensee issued a general license under paragraph (a) of this section shall—

(1) Maintain a copy of the applicable certificate, the revalidation, and the drawings and other documents referenced in the certificate, relating to the use and maintenance of the packaging and to the actions to be taken before shipment; and

(2) Comply with the terms and conditions of the certificate and revalidation, and with the applicable requirements of subparts A, G, and H of this part.

[69 FR 3786, Jan. 26, 2004, as amended at 80 FR 34012, June 12, 2015]
§ 71.22 - General license: Fissile material.

(a) A general license is issued to any licensee of the Commission to transport fissile material, or to deliver fissile material to a carrier for transport, if the material is shipped in accordance with this section. The fissile material need not be contained in a package which meets the standards of subparts E and F of this part; however, the material must be contained in a Type A package. The Type A package must also meet the DOT requirements of 49 CFR 173.417(a).

(b) The general license applies only to a licensee who has a quality assurance program approved by the Commission as satisfying the provisions of subpart H of this part.

(c) The general license applies only when a package's contents:

(1) Contain no more than a Type A quantity of radioactive material; and

(2) Contain less than 500 total grams of beryllium, graphite, or hydrogenous material enriched in deuterium.

(d) The general license applies only to packages containing fissile material that are labeled with a CSI which:

(1) Has been determined in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section;

(2) Has a value less than or equal to 10; and

(3) For a shipment of multiple packages containing fissile material, the sum of the CSIs must be less than or equal to 50 (for shipment on a nonexclusive use conveyance) and less than or equal to 100 (for shipment on an exclusive use conveyance).

(e)(1) The value for the CSI must be greater than or equal to the number calculated by the following equation:

(2) The calculated CSI must be rounded up to the first decimal place;

(3) The values of X, Y, and Z used in the CSI equation must be taken from Tables 71-1 or 71-2, as appropriate;

(4) If Table 71-2 is used to obtain the value of X, then the values for the terms in the equation for uranium-233 and plutonium must be assumed to be zero; and

(5) Table 71-1 values for X, Y, and Z must be used to determine the CSI if:

(i) Uranium-233 is present in the package;

(ii) The mass of plutonium exceeds 1 percent of the mass of uranium-235;

(iii) The uranium is of unknown uranium-235 enrichment or greater than 24 weight percent enrichment; or

(iv) Substances having a moderating effectiveness (i.e., an average hydrogen density greater than H 2O) (e.g., certain hydrocarbon oils or plastics) are present in any form, except as polyethylene used for packing or wrapping.

Table 71-1—Mass Limits for General License Packages Containing Mixed Quantities of Fissile Material or Uranium-235 of Unknown Enrichment per § 71.22(e)

Fissile material Fissile material mass mixed with moderating substances having an average hydrogen density less than or equal to H 2O (grams) Fissile material mass mixed with moderating substances having an average hydrogen density greater than H 2O a (grams)
235 U (X)6038
233 U (Y)4327
239 Pu or 241 Pu (Z)3724

a When mixtures of moderating substances are present, the lower mass limits shall be used if more than 15 percent of the moderating substance has an average hydrogen density greater than H2O.

Table 71-2—Mass Limits for General License Packages Containing Uranium-235 of Known Enrichment per § 71.22(e)

Uranium enrichment in weight percent of 235 U not exceeding Fissile material mass of 235 U (X) (grams)
2460
2063
1567
1172
1076
9.578
981
8.582
885
7.588
790
6.593
697
5.5102
5108
4.5114
4120
3.5132
3150
2.5180
2246
1.5408
1.35480
11,020
0.921,800
[69 FR 3786, Jan. 26, 2004; 69 FR 58038, Sept. 29, 2004]
§ 71.23 - General license: Plutonium-beryllium special form material.

(a) A general license is issued to any licensee of the Commission to transport fissile material in the form of plutonium-beryllium (Pu-Be) special form sealed sources, or to deliver Pu-Be sealed sources to a carrier for transport, if the material is shipped in accordance with this section. This material need not be contained in a package which meets the standards of subparts E and F of this part; however, the material must be contained in a Type A package. The Type A package must also meet the DOT requirements of 49 CFR 173.417(a).

(b) The general license applies only to a licensee who has a quality assurance program approved by the Commission as satisfying the provisions of subpart H of this part.

(c) The general license applies only when a package's contents:

(1) Contain no more than a Type A quantity of radioactive material; and

(2) Contain less than 1000 g of plutonium, provided that: plutonium-239, plutonium-241, or any combination of these radionuclides, constitutes less than 240 g of the total quantity of plutonium in the package.

(d) The general license applies only to packages labeled with a CSI which:

(1) Has been determined in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section;

(2) Has a value less than or equal to 100; and

(3) For a shipment of multiple packages containing Pu-Be sealed sources, the sum of the CSIs must be less than or equal to 50 (for shipment on a nonexclusive use conveyance) and less than or equal to 100 (for shipment on an exclusive use conveyance).

(e)(1) The value for the CSI must be greater than or equal to the number calculated by the following equation:

(2) The calculated CSI must be rounded up to the first decimal place.

[69 FR 3786, Jan. 26, 2004; 69 FR 58038, Sept. 29, 2004]
§§ 71.24-71.25 - §[Reserved]
authority: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, secs. 53, 57, 62, 63, 81, 161, 182, 183, 223, 234, 1701 (42 U.S.C. 2073,2077,2092,2093,2111,2201,2232,2233,2273,2282,2297f; Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, secs. 201, 202, 206, 211 (42 U.S.C. 5841,5842,5846,5851; Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, sec. 180 (42 U.S.C. 10175); 44 U.S.C. 3504 note
source: 60 FR 50264, Sept. 28, 1995, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 10 CFR 71.21