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(g) "Low specific activity material” means material in which the radioactivity is uniformly distributed and in which the concentration per gram does not exceed:

(1) 0.1 microcurie for Group I radionuclides;

(2) 5 microcuries for Group II radionuclides; or

(3) 300 microcuries for Group III and Group IV radionuclides.

(h) "Maximum normal operating pressure" means the maximum gauge pressure which is expected to develop in the containment vessel under the normal conditions of transport specified in Appendix A of this part;

(i) "Moderator" means a material used to reduce, by scattering collisions and without appreciable capture, the kinetic energy of neutrons;

(j) "Optimum interspersed hydrogenous moderation" means the occurrence of hydrogenous material between containment vessels to such an extent that the maximum nuclear reactivity results;

(k) "Package" means packaging and its radioactive contents;

(1) "Packaging" means one or more receptacles and wrappers and their contents excluding fissile material and other radioactive material, but including absorbent material, spacing structures, thermal insulation, radiation shielding, devices for cooling and for absorbing mechanical shock, external fittings, neutron moderators, nonfissile neutron absorbers, and other supplementary equipment;

(m) "Primary coolant" means a gas, liquid, or solid, or combination of them,

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in contact with the radioactive material or, if the material is in special form, in contact with its capsule, and used to remove decay heat;

(n) "Sample package” means a package which is fabricated, packed, and closed to fairly represent the proposed package as it would be presented for transport, simulating the material to be transported, as to weight and physical and chemical form;

(o) "Special form” means any of the following physical forms of licensed material of any transport group:

(1) The material is in solid form having no dimension less than 0.5 millimeter or at least one dimension greater than five millimeters; does not melt, sublime, or ignite in air at a temperature of 1,000° F.; will not shatter or crumble if subjected to the percussion test described in Appendix D of this part; and is not dissolved or converted into dispersible form to the extent of more than 0.005 percent by weight by immersion for 1 week in water at 68° F. or in air at 86° F.; or

(2) The material is securely contained in a capsule having no dimension less than 0.5 millimeter or at least one dimension greater than five millimeters, which will retain its contents if subjected to the tests prescribed in Appendix D of this part; and which is constructed of materials which do not melt, sublime, or ignite in air at 1,475° F., and do not dissolve or convert into dispersible form to the extent of more than 0.005 percent by weight by immersion for 1 week in water at 68° F. or in air at 86° F.

(p) "Transport group" means a group of radionuclides having comparable po

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(c) Uranium when the total amount of uranium 233 and plutonium present does not exceed 1 percent by weight of the uranium 235 content and the total amount of uranium 235 present does not exceed 0.72 percent by weight of the uranium content; or

(d) A homogenous substance when the total amount of uranium 233 and plutonium present does not exceed 1 percent by weight of the uranium 235 content, and the uranium 235 content does not exceed 1.0 percent by weight of the uranium content; or (e) A which:

homogenous

substance in

(1) 500 grams or less of fissile material is present, and the atomic ratio of hydrogen to fissile material in that substance is greater than 7600; or

(2) The total amount of uranium 233 and plutonium present does not exceed 1 percent by weight of the uranium 235

content, no more than 800 grams of uranium 235 is present, and the atomic ratio of hydrogen to uranium 235 in that substance is greater than 5200; or

(3) The total amount of plutonium present does not exceed 1 percent by weight of the uranium 233 and uranium 235 content, there is not more than 500 grams of uranium 233 and uranium 235 present, and the atomic ratio of hydrogen to uranium 233 plus uranium 235 in that substance is greater than 5200. § 71.6

General license for shipment of licensed material.

A general license is hereby issued, to persons holding specific licenses issued pursuant to this chapter, to deliver licensed material to a carrier for transport, without complying with the package standards of Subpart C of this part, when either:

(a) The material is shipped as a Fissile Class III shipment with the following limitations on its contents:

(1) No single package contains a large quantity of licensed material, as defined in § 71.4(f); and

(2) The fissile material contents of the shipment do not exceed:

(i) 500 grams of uranium 235; or

(ii) 300 grams total of uranium 233, plutonium 238, plutonium 239, and plutonium 241; or

(iii) Any combination of uranium 233, uranium 235, and plutonium in such quantities that the sum of the ratios of the quantity of each of them to the quantity specified in subdivisions (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph does not exceed unity; or

(iv) 2500 grams of plutonium 238, plutonium 239, and plutonium 241 encapsulated as plutonium-beryllium neutron sources, with no one package containing in excess of 400 grams of plutonium 238, plutonium 239, and plutonium 241; or

(b) The material is shipped as Fissile Class II packages with the following limitations on the contents of each package:

(1) No package contains a large quantity of licensed material, as defined in § 71.4(f); and

(2) No package contains fissile material in excess of the amounts specified in the following table, and each package

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NOTE: Any combination of fissile material is authorized when the radiation unit is selected so that the sum of the ratios of the quantity of each fissile material present to the quantity corresponding to the radiation unit selected does not exceed unity.

§ 71.7 General license for shipment in ICC specification container.

A general license is hereby issued, to persons holding a specific license issued pursuant to this chapter, to deliver licensed material to a carrier for transport in an ICC specification shipping container for fissile material or for a large quantity of radioactive material, as specified in § 73.393 (g) of the regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission, 49 CFR Part 73.

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On application of any interested person or on its own initiative, the Commission may grant such exemptions from the requirements of the regulations in this part as it determines are authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security. § 71.12 Limited exemption for shipment of special nuclear material.

(a) A licensee who on the effective date of this section is the holder of a specific license authorizing the delivery of special nuclear material to a carrier for transport, may continue to do so under the conditions specified in the license during its term, except as provided in this section.

(b) Such a licensee shall within 3 months after the effective date of this section file a consolidated application for a superseding license in accordance with this part as amended. If the licensee fails to do so, the authority granted by the license to deliver special nuclear material to a carrier for transport shall thereupon expire. The Commission may issue a new license superseding the existing license, may confirm the existing license with or without modification, or may deny the application in whole or in part and terminate the existing license in whole or in part.

§ 71.13 Limited exemption for shipment of large quantities of licensed material.

A person delivering a large quantity of licensed material, as defined in § 71.4(f), to a carrier for transport is exempted from the requirements of this part until 3 months after its effective date. The exemption granted by this section shall thereupon terminate except as to activities described in an application for a license which the person has prior to that time filed with the Commission. If the person has filed such an application, the exemption granted by this section shall continue until the application has been finally determined by the Commission. Subpart B-License Applications Contents of application.

§ 71.21

An application for a specific license under this part may be submitted as an application for a license or license

amendment under this chapter and shall include, for each proposed packaging design and method of transport, the following information in addition to any otherwise required:

(a) A package description as required by § 71.22;

(b) A package evaluation as required by § 71.23;

(c) A description of proposed procedural controls as required by § 71.24;

(d) In the case of fissile material, an identification of the proposed fissile class. § 71.22 Package description.

The application shall include a description of the proposed package in sufficient detail to identify the package accurately and to provide a sufficient basis for evaluation of the packaging. The description should include:

(a) With respect to the packaging:
(1) Gross weight;

(2) Model number;

(3) Specific materials of construction, weights, dimensions, and fabrication methods of:

(i) Receptacles, identifying the one which is considered to be the containment vessel;

(ii) Materials specifically used as nonfissile neutron absorbers or moderators; (iii) Internal and external structures supporting or protecting receptacles;

(iv) Valves, sampling ports, lifting devices, and tie-down devices;

(v) Structural and mechanical means for the transfer and dissipation of heat; and

(4) Identification and volumes of any coolants and of receptacles containing coolant.

(b) With respect to the contents of the package:

(1) Identification and maximum radioactivity of radioactive constituents; (2) Identification and maximum quantities of fissile constituents;

(3) Chemical and physical form;

(4) Extent of reflection, the amount and identity of non-fissile neutron absorbers in the fissile constitutents, and the atomic ratio of moderator to fissile constituents;

(5) Maximum weight; and

(6) Maximum amount of decay heat. § 71.23 Package evaluation.

The applicant shall:

(a) Demonstrate that the package satisfies the standards specified in Subpart C;

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(1) If there is a system of lifting devices which is a structural part of the package, the system shall be capable of supporting three times the weight of the loaded package without generating stress in any material of the packaging in excess of its yield strength.

(2) If there is a system of lifting devices which is a structural part only of the lid, the system shall be capable of supporting three times the weight of the lid and any attachments without generating stress in any material of the lid in excess of its yield strength.

(3) If there is a structural part of the package which could be employed to lift the package and which does not comply with subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, the part shall be securely covered or locked during transport in such a manner as to prevent its use for that purpose.

(4) Each lifting device which is a structural part of the package shall be so designed that failure of the device under excessive load would not impair

the containment or shielding properties of the package.

(d) Tie-down devices:

(1) If there is a system of tie-down devices which is a structural part of the package, the system shall be capable of withstanding, without generating stress in any material of the package in excess of its yield strength, a static force applied to the center of gravity of the package having a vertical component of two times the weight of the package with its contents, a horizontal component along the direction in which the vehicle travels of 10 times the weight of the package with its contents, and a horizontal component in the transverse direction of 5 times the weight of the package with its contents.

(2) If there is a structural part of the package which could be employed to tie the package down and which does not comply with subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, the part shall be securely covered or locked during transport in such a manner as to prevent its use for that purpose.

(3) Each tie-down device which is a structural part of the package shall be so designed that failure of the device under excessive load would not impair the ability of the package to meet other requirements of this subpart.

§ 71.32 Structural standards for large quantity packaging.

Packaging used to ship a large quantity of licensed material, as defined in § 71.4(f), shall be designed and constructed in compliance with the structural standards of this section. Standards different from those specified in this section may be approved by the Commission if the controls proposed to be exercised by the shipper are demonstrated to be adequate to assure the safety of the shipment.

(a) Load resistance. Regarded as a simple beam supported at its ends along any major axis, packaging shall be capable of withstanding a static load, normal to and uniformly distributed along its length, equal to 5 times its fully loaded weight, without generating stress in any material of the packaging in excess of its yield strength.

(b) External pressure. Packaging shall be adequate to assure that the containment vessel will suffer no loss of contents if subjected to an external pressure of 25 pounds per square inch gauge.

§ 71.33 Criticality standards for fissile material packages.

(a) A package used for the shipment of fissile material shall be so designed and constructed and its contents so limited that it would be subcritical if it is assumed that water leaks into the containment vessel, and:

(1) Water moderation of the contents occurs to the most reactive credible extent consistent with the chemical and physical form of the contents; and

(2) The containment vessel is fully reflected on all sides by water.

(b) A package used for the shipment of fissile material shall be so designed and constructed and its contents so limited that it would be subcritical if it is assumed that any contents of the package which are liquid during normal transport leak out of the containment vessel, and that the fissile material is then:

(1) In the most reactive credible configuration consistent with the chemical and physical form of the material;

(2) Moderated by water outside of the containment vessel to the most reactive credible extent; and

(3) Fully reflected on all sides by water.

(c) The Commission may approve exceptions to the requirements of this section where the containment vessel incorporates special design features which would preclude leakage of liquids in spite of any single packaging error and appropriate measures are taken before each shipment to verify the leak tightness of each containment vessel.

§ 71.34 Evaluation of a single package.

(a) The effect of the transport environment on the safety of any single package of radioactive material shall be evaluated as follows:

(1) The ability of a package to withstand conditions likely to occur in normal transport shall be assessed by subjecting a sample package or scale model, by test or other assessment, to the normal conditions of transport as specified in § 71.35; and

(2) The effect on a package of conditions likely to occur in an accident shall be assessed by subjecting a sample package or scale model, by test or other assessment, to the hypothetical accident conditions as specified in § 71.36.

(b) Taking into account controls to be exercised by the shipper, the Commission may permit the shipment to be

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