Resolution of Generic Safety Issues: Item B-64: Decommissioning of Reactors (Rev. 2) ( NUREG-0933, Main Report with Supplements 1–35 )

DESCRIPTION

Decommissioning is defined as the orderly retirement of a nuclear facility from service and the safe disposition of the remaining radioactivity. 10 CFR 50.82 provides the regulations that govern the termination of licenses. The NRC may require information from a licensee to demonstrate that the methods and procedures to be used for decontamination and for disposal of radioactive materials will provide reasonable assurance that the dismantling and disposal will not adversely affect public health and safety. 10 CFR 50.33(f) requires that OL applicants show that they possess (or have reasonable assurance of obtaining) funds necessary to cover the estimated costs of permanently shutting down their plants and maintaining them in a safe condition. Methods and procedures considered acceptable to the staff for termination of licenses were delineated in Regulatory Guide 1.86.⁸⁵ This NUREG-0471³ item was established to address development of additional guidance on decommissioning.

CONCLUSION

At the time this issue was first evaluated, the staff had decommissioning rule amendments under development (See References 167, 172, 197, and 1568). Technical evaluations had been completed^182,277 and a draft rulemaking environmental impact statement had been prepared in January 1981. The staff had also prepared proposed rule amendments¹⁹³ that were intended to ensure that decommissioning of all licensed facilities would be accomplished in a safe and timely manner and that adequate licensee funds would be available for this purpose. Based on the status of the proposed rule amendments, this issue was considered nearly-resolved and resolution was pursued.

Following Commission comments on the draft rule amendments submitted by the staff in SECY-87-309,¹⁵⁶⁹ the final rule amendments were resubmitted in SECY-88-94¹⁵⁷⁰ and later issued¹³⁶⁴; the FEIS¹⁷³ was published in August 1988. Following issuance of the amendments, the staff proceeded to develop an SRP¹¹ Section for use in its review of licensee decommissioning plans. However, this effort was superseded in July 1994 with a proposed revision to the rule. This proposed revision was submitted to the Commission in SECY-94-179¹⁵⁷¹ following which an SRM¹⁵⁷² outlining staff actions was issued. Thus, based on the issuance of the rule amendments in 1988, this issue was RESOLVED¹⁵⁷⁴ and new requirements were issued. Consideration of a license renewal period of 20 years would not affect the resolution.

REFERENCES

0003. NUREG-0471, "Generic Task Problem Descriptions (Categories B, C, and D)," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, June 1978. 0011. NUREG-0800, "Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, (1st Ed.) November 1975, (2nd Ed.) March 1980, (3rd Ed.) July 1981. 0085. Regulatory Guide 1.86, "Termination of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Reactors," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, June 1974. [8404100042, 9009140263] 0173. NUREG-0586, "Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, August 1988. 0182. NUREG/CR-0672, "Technology, Safety, and Costs of Decommissioning a Reference Boiling Water Reactor Power Station," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, June 1980. 0193. Memorandum for J. Martin et al. from L. Shao, "Division Review Request: Amendments to 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, 50, 70, and 72 on Decommissioning Criteria for Nuclear Facilities," July 7, 1982. [8209140007] 0277. NUREG/CR-1930, "Index of Risk Exposure and Risk Acceptance Criteria," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, February 1981. 1364. Federal Register Notice 53 FR 24018, "10 CFR Parts 30, 40, 50, 51, 70, and 72, General Requirements for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities," June 27, 1988. 1569. SECY-87-309, "Final Rule Amendments to 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, 50, 51, 70, and 72: General Requirements for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, December 17, 1987. [8801130361] 1570. SECY-88-94, "Final Rule Amendments to 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, 50, 51, 70, and 72: General Requirements for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities (SECY-87-309)," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, April 5, 1988. [8804120065] 1571. SECY-94-179, "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Reactors," U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, July 7, 1994. [9407180100] 1572. Memorandum for J. Taylor and K. Cyr from J. Hoyle, "SECY-94-179"Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Reactors and COMKR-94-002"Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Reactors and Comments on SECY-94-179," October 5, 1994. [9410270085] 1574. Memorandum for J. Taylor from R. Bernero, "Resolution of Issue Number B-64, "Decommissioning of Reactors," of the Generic Issue Management Control System," September 26, 1994. [9410110028]