The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (Navy) proposes to construct and operate a 10,000 square foot QTL facility for testing of flow elements at the Jefferson Boulevard Site in St. Joseph County, Indiana just outside Mishawaka city limits.
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
July 10, 2026
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The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (Navy) proposes to construct and operate a 10,000 square foot Quiet Test Loop (QTL) facility for testing of flow elements at the Jefferson Boulevard Site in St. Joseph County, Indiana just outside Mishawaka city limits. Installation of security fencing is also included in the Proposed Action.
The Navy is in the process of developing a non-proprietary Low Flow Control Feedwater Regulating Valve (FRV) flow control element. There is currently no qualified test facility for performing production FRV testing. The QTL will initially be used for production testing and qualification testing of FRV flow elements and subsequently for testing ½-inch and 1-inch Air Throttle Valve flow elements. All of these flow elements are currently manufactured and acoustically tested by suppliers using proprietary designs and equipment. While the flow element designs that will be tested in the QTL facility are intended for use in naval nuclear propulsion plants, the QTL facility will not test, evaluate, or store nuclear materials.