Decommissioning Guidance

On this page:

• Regulatory Guides
• Primary Decommissioning Guidance Documents
• Reactors
• Materials

Regulatory Guides

Regulatory guides are issued in 10 divisions and are intended to aid licensees in implementing regulations. NRC's Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning Guidance (NUREG-1757) is the primary guidance for decommissioning. Other guides most applicable to decommissioning are in the following:

• Division 1, Power Reactors
• Division 4, Environmental and Siting
• Division 8, Occupational Health

Web (HTML) versions of some regulatory guides are available for viewing or downloading. Those available are highlighted in the index to our Regulatory Guides Document Collection. A guide available at this site has an underscored number. All active final and draft guides are also available in NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS).

Primary Decommissioning Guidance Documents

The primary decommissioning guidance documents are the Consolidated Decommissioning Guidance (NUREG-1757) and the Standard Review Plan for Evaluating Nuclear Power Reactor License Termination Plans (NUREG-1700, Rev. 1). These NUREGs describe and make available to the public: (1) methods acceptable to the NRC staff in implementing specific parts of the Commission's regulations; (2) techniques and criteria used by the staff in evaluating decommissioning actions; and (3) guidance to licensees responsible for decommissioning NRC-licensed sites. Additional NUREGs related to decommision are:

• Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Assessment of Materials and Equipment Manual (MARSAME); A Supplement to MARSSIM (NUREG-1574, Supp. 1)
• Background as a Residual Radioactivity Criterion for Decommissioning (NUREG-1501)
• Solubility and Leaching of Radionuclides in Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) Soil and Ponded Wastes (NUREG/CR-6821)
• Hydrologic Uncertainty Assessment for Decommissioning Sites: Hypothetical Test Case Applications (NUREG/CR-6821)
• Information on Hydrologic Conceptual Models, Parameters, Uncertainty Analysis, and Data Sources for Dose Assessments at Decommissioning Sites (NUREG/CR-6695)
• Solubility and Leaching of Radionuclides in Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) Slags (NUREG/CR-6656)
• Solubility and Leaching of Radionuclides in Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) Slags (NUREG/CR-6632)
• Revised Analyses of Decommissioning Reference Non-Fuel-Cycle Facilities (NUREG/CR-6477)
• History and Framework of Commercial Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management in the United States (NUREG-1853)
• Status of the Decommissioning Program - 2006 Annual Report (NUREG-1814)
• Radiological Surveys for Controlling Release of Solid Materials (NUREG-1761)
• Standard Review Plan for Decommissioning Cost Estimates for Nuclear Power Reactors (NUREG-1713)
• Standard Review Plan for Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facilities (NUREG-1567)
• Standard Review Plan for Dry Cask Storage Systems (NUREG-1536)

Reactors

• Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM)
• Staff Responses to Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Reactors (NUREG-1628)
• Standard Review Plan on Power Reactor Licensee Financial Qualifications and Decommissioning Funding Assurance (NUREG-1577)
• Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Reactors (Regulatory Guide 1.184)
• Fire Protection Program For Nuclear Power Plants During Decommissioning and Permanent Shutdown (Regulatory Guide 1.191)
• Standard Format and Content for Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (Regulatory Guide 1.185)
• Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities (NUREG-0586)
• Assuring the Availability of Funds for Decommissioning Nuclear Reactors ( Regulatory Guide 1.159)
• Standard Format and Content of License Termination Plans for Nuclear Power Reactors (Regulatory Guide 1.179)
• Standard Format and Content of Decommissioning Cost Estimates for Nuclear Power Reactors (Regulatory Guide 1.202)
• Standard Format and Content for Emergency Plans for Fuel Cycle and Materials Facilities (Regulatory Guide 3.67)
• Research and Test Reactor Inspection Program (IMC 2545)
• Decommissioning Power Reactor Inspection Program (IMC 2561)

Materials

• Residual Radioactive Contamination from Decommissioning Parameter Analysis NUREG/CR-5512
  • Vol. 1
  • Vol. 2
  • Vol. 3
  • Vol. 4
• Report on Waste Burial Charges (NUREG-1307)
• Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions Associated with NMSS Programs (NUREG-1748)
• Consolidated Guidance About Nuclear Materials (NUREG-1556, Vols. 1-20)
• NRC Staff Interim Guidance for a Long-Term Control Possession Only License at the Shieldalloy Newfield Site, New Jersey, May 15, 2004
• Decommissioning Oversight and Inspection Program for Fuel Cycle Facilities and Materials Licensees (IMC 2602)

Some guidance documents are also available in ADAMS (see our table listing their availability).

General Guidance - In its September 23, 2005, General Guidance for Inspections and Enforcement to Prevent Future Legacy Sites and Indicators of Higher Risk Subsurface Contamination, staff report the results of a study conducted in FY -05. This guidance will support future staff activities, including a future rulemaking activity and revisions to staff inspection and enforcement procedures for currently operating facilities to address factors that could contribute to the creation of future legacy decommissioning sites. This work was described in the License Termination Rule (LTR) Analysis (SECY-03-0069 and SECY-04-0035).