Decommissioning of Nuclear FacilitiesThe nuclear regulatory activities of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) include decommissioning nuclear facilities, which means safely removing a facility or site from service and reducing residual radioactivity to a level that permits either of the following actions:
Release the property under restricted conditions, and terminate the license.
The NRC and its Agreement States regulate the decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities, with the ultimate goal of license termination. These currently include the following facilities:
Power Reactor Sites Undergoing Decommissioning
Research and Test Reactor Sites Undergoing Decommissioning
Uranium Recovery Sites Undergoing Decommissioning
Fuel Cycle Facilities Undergoing Decommissioning
Approximately 200 materials licenses are terminated each year. Most of these license terminations are routine, and the sites require little, if any, remediation to meet the NRC's criteria for unrestricted release.
Decommissioning program activities include (1) developing regulations and guidance to assist staff and the regulated community; (2) conducting research to develop data, techniques, and models used to assess public exposure from the release of radioactive material resulting from site decommissioning; (3) reviewing and approving decommissioning plans (DPs) and license termination plans (LTPs); (4) reviewing and approving license amendment requests for decommissioning facilities; (5) inspecting licensed and non-licensed facilities undergoing decommissioning; (6) developing environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EISs) to support the NRC’s reviews of decommissioning activities; (7) reviewing and approving final site status survey reports; and (8) conducting confirmatory surveys.
The NRC ensures that safety requirements are being met throughout the decommissioning process by reviewing decommissioning or license termination plans, conducting inspections, and monitoring the status of activities to ensure that radioactive contamination is reduced or stabilized.
Process
Financial Assurance
Oversight of Materials and Reactors
Public Involvement
The NRC’s decommissioning regulatory activities are coordinated by the Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs (FSME), Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection.
The Role of the Office of Investigations
OI develops policy, procedures, and quality control standards for the conduct of all NRC investigations of alleged wrongdoing by licensees, certificate holders, permittees, or applicants; by contractors or vendors of such entities; or by employees of the foregoing entities. OI conducts and supervises investigations within the scope of NRC authority except those of NRC employees and NRC contractors; assures the quality of investigations; maintains current awareness of inquiries and inspections by NRC offices to identify the need for formal investigations; keeps the Commission and involved NRC Offices currently apprized of matters under investigation as they affect public health and safety, common defense and security, or environmental quality; maintains liaison with other agencies and organizations to ensure the timely exchange of information of mutual interest; makes appropriate referrals to the Department of Justice (DOJ) as provided in the Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies effective November 23, 1988, 53 FR 50317; and assists the NRC staff in pursuing enforcement options and DOJ in prosecution of criminal violations.
OI may commence appropriate investigative activity when a matter is brought to the attention of OI indicating that wrongdoing is alleged to have been committed by a person or entity within NRC jurisdiction. Investigations may also be conducted of any matter within NRC jurisdiction that the Commission desires to be investigated.
