1. PROCESS
1.1. notification
1.1.1. after an operator decide to permanently ceases operation
1.1.1.1. it must inform the NRC in writing
1.1.1.1.1. the exact day when it plans to do so
1.1.1.1.2. when it permanently remove the fuel from reactor vessel
1.2. post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR)
1.2.1. the operator must submit the PSDAR to NRC within or before 2 years following the cessation of operation
1.2.2. PSDAR includes
1.2.2.1. description of decommissioning activities
1.2.2.2. the schedule of accomplishment of such activities
1.2.2.3. estimated the expected cost
1.2.2.4. document that environment impact associated with the decommissioning activities falls within previously submitted environment impact statement.
1.2.3. upon receipt the NRC will make notice of the recipe in the federal register and make the PSDAR available for public comment
1.2.4. the NRC holds a public meeting near the decommissioning site for discussion of PSDAR
1.2.5. the license can begin decommission activities 90 days after the PSDAR submission
1.2.6. decommissioning must take place within 60 years after cessation of the operation unless otherwise permitted by he NRC
1.3. License termination plan (LTP)
1.3.1. description of the LTP
1.3.1.1. must be submitted 2 years before the termination date a license
1.3.1.1.1. site characterization
1.3.1.1.2. identification of remaining dismantling activities
1.3.1.1.3. plan for site remediation
1.3.1.1.4. plan for final survey of residual of contamination on the site
1.3.1.1.5. The description of end-use of the site
1.3.1.1.6. supplemental of environment report
1.3.2. upon receipt of the LTP the NRC makes the plan available fo public comment and holds a public meeting near the decommissioning site
1.3.3. the NRC review the LTP and if everything is in accordance with the NRC's regulation it approves the plan
1.4. completion of decommission
1.4.1. at the conclusion of decommissioning activities the license has yo submit a final radiation survey report
1.4.2. the NRC will terminate the license if the determine that the dismantling was performed in accordance to the LTP, and that the final radiation demonstration that the facility and the site are suitable for the release.
1.4.2.1. update estimate of the remaining cost
1.4.3. if the site is released for the unrestricted use, any use of the site is permitted including restoring the natural habitat, farming or continues industrial use.
1.4.4. the decommissioning process is expensive n the NRC estimates that the cost of decommissioning a nuclear power plant are in the range of $280 to $612 million.
1.4.5. the local cost depends on many factor including the sequence and e timing of the various stages of the program , location of the facility, radioactive waste burial costs and plans for spent fuel storage.
1.4.6. the NRC ensures that the license will be able to pay for the decommissioning cost through three different means
1.4.6.1. prepayment
1.4.6.1.1. at the start of operation the license deposits into an account t the funds necessary to pay for the decommissioning costs
1.4.6.1.2. this account is not to be under the licenses control
1.4.6.1.3. forms of prepayment including an escrow account , trust , government fund ,certification or deposit of government securities
1.4.6.2. external sinking fund
1.4.6.2.1. the external sinking fund is established and maintained by sting funds aside periodically in an account outside of the licenses control
1.4.6.2.2. the funds have to be sufficient for the decommissioning cost at the anticipated tie when the plant goes out of the service
1.4.6.2.3. the sinking fund may be n the form of a trust,certification of deposit, screw account, government fund or deposit of government securities
1.4.6.3. surety method or insurance
1.4.6.3.1. the surety method or insurance may be in the form of surety bond, letter of credit or line of credit
1.4.6.3.2. any surety method or insurance must be open ended, provide the full face amount , payable to a trust fund established for decommissioning cost and remain in effect until the commission has terminated the license
2. INTRODUCTION
2.1. as a part of the conditions for receiving an operating license
2.1.1. NRC requires that license make provision for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant after it permanently ceases operations.
2.2. decommissioning is the safe removal of a facility from the service and the reduction of residual radioactive to level that allow the termination of the NRC license.
2.3. remove
2.3.1. the spent fuel
2.3.2. dismantling any system
2.3.3. component containing activation product
2.3.3.1. reactor vesel
2.3.3.2. primary loop
2.4. all activated material have to be shipped off-site to
2.4.1. waste processing
2.4.2. storage
2.4.3. disposal facility
2.5. contaminated materials maybe either
2.5.1. cleaned of contamination
2.5.2. shipped off-site