1.0 Site Identification
| Type of Site: |
Commercial Research Reactor |
| Location: |
San Ramon, CA |
| License No.: |
R-98 |
| Docket No.: |
05000228 |
| License Status: |
SAFSTOR |
| Project Manager: |
Jack Parrott |
2.0 Site Status Summary
The Aerotest Radiography and Research Reactor (ARRR) is a 250 kilowatt-thermal Training, Research, Isotope, General Atomics (TRIGA) research reactor. The ARRR provides a neutron source for research and development and services, mainly neutron radiology. Irradiation services for activation analyses have included: crude oil and hydrocarbon samples for oil companies; plastic slides impregnated with microscopic quantities of fissionable materials; ocean silt samples for the Bureau of Mines; and, silver iodide in snow samples from cloud seeding. Other irradiation services have included: calibration of power reactor fission detectors; radiation damage effects studies of solid state electronic components; detection of gunshot residue in paraffin; lattice deformation studies in ammonium perchlorate; and, spallation experiments with uranium dioxide (ADAMS Accession No. ML14164A742).
The ARRR operated from 1965 until it was shut down on October 15, 2010, as documented in NRC Non-Routine Inspection Report No. 50-228/2010-203, dated December 6, 2010 (ADAMS Accession No. ML103340011). All fuel was removed from the reactor core in 2012, as documented in NRC Non-Routine Inspection Report No. 50-228/2012-204, dated August 14, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12213A001). However, Aerotest continues to own, possess, and store TRIGA fuel elements at the ARRR under Facility Operating License No. R-98.
3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues
The licensee was issued a possession-only license on December 6, 2021. A decommissioning plan was submitted by the licensee on July 20, 2021. It is under review by NRC.
4.0 Estimated Date For Closure
TBD