“POWER REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING“POWER REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAM CHALLENGES AND ISSUES”...
Transcript of “POWER REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING“POWER REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAM CHALLENGES AND ISSUES”...
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“POWER REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING
PROGRAM CHALLENGES AND ISSUES”
REG CON 2019
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
BRUCE A. WATSON, CHP
Chief, Reactor Decommissioning Branch
Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and
Waste Programs
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
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Decommissioning Topics
• Decommissioning Program
• Decommissioning Rulemaking Activities and
Guidance
• Reactor Decommissioning Business Models
• Stakeholder Input and Feedback
• Current Issues
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NRC’s Decommissioning Mission
NRC’s decommissioning mission is to
ensure safety, protect public health and
the environment until the site has been
radiologically decommissioned and the
license terminated.
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Decommissioning Experience
❖ The NRC’s current decommissioning regulations are performance-
based and risk-informed
❖ Extensive decommissioning experience
❖ A total of 10 power reactor sites have completed decommissioning
and had the reactor licenses terminated for unrestricted use
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0
20
40
60
80
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Cumulative Completion of
Decommissioning Sites
1998-2018
Materials Sites Research Reactors Power Reactors
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Recent Power Reactor Shutdowns
Kewaunee
2013
San Onofre 2, 3
2013
Crystal
River
2013
Vermont
Yankee 2014
Fort Calhoun
2016
Oyster Creek
2018 Pilgrim 2019TMI – 1
Sept 2019
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Decommissioning Rulemaking
SECY 14-0118
• The Commission directed the staff in 2014 to
proceed with reactor decommissioning
rulemaking with a completion goal of 2019 (now
2021) to improve efficiency of the transition from
operations to decommissioning, including:
- license amendments
- emergency plan exemptions
- security plans
• Evaluate the roles of the States and the 60-year
requirement to complete Reactor
Decommissioning
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Decommissioning Rulemaking
Process
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Dec 2014
Rulemaking Trigger:
Commission direction
(SRM-SECY-14-0118)
Nov 2015
Public involvement:
ANPR published for
comment (120 days)
March 2017
Public involvement:
Draft Regulatory Basis
published for
comment (120 days)
Nov 2017
Regulatory Basis
published
May 2018
Draft Proposed Rule
provided to
Commission for vote
TBD
Publish proposed rule
and draft guidance for
comment (75 days)
TBD
Staff evaluates public
comments and revises
rule and guidance
Goal: mid 2020
Commission review
and approval of draft
final rule
Goal: 2021
Publish final ruleRule takes effect Compliance date
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Comprehensive Rulemaking
1.
Emergency
preparedness
2.
Physical security
3.
Cyber security
4.
Drug and alcohol
testing
5.
Certified fuel handler
definition and elimination
of the shift technical
advisor
6.
Decommissioning
funding assurance
7.
Offsite and onsitefinancial protection
requirements and
indemnity agreements
8.
Environmental
considerations
9.
Record retention
requirements
10.
Low-level waste
transportation
11.
Spent fuel
management
planning
12.
Application of the
backfit rule
13.
Foreign ownership,
control, or
domination
14.
Clarification of the scope
of the license termination
plan requirement
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• Proposed Rule/Draft Regulatory Guidance
– Awaiting Commission direction
• Public meeting will be held after Proposed
Rule and Draft Regulatory Guidance are
issued for public comment
• Final Rule/Final Regulatory Guidance
– Provide to the Commission in mid 2021
• Public meeting will be held to discuss
implementation of the rule prior to delivering rule
to the Commission for vote
Path Forward
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The GEIS for Nuclear Power Reactors is a generic evaluation of the potential environmental impacts from decommissioning activities at nuclear power facilities.
The GEIS for Nuclear Power Reactors was published in 2002. NUREG-0586, Supplement 1, Generic Environmental Impact
Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities
• Reflects the 1996 Decommissioning rule changes
• Impacts supersede those described in 1988 GEIS
The NRC issued the supplement to:
• Further the purposes of NEPA
• Update information in the GEIS
• Provide additional information to public on decommissioning activities
• Establish envelope of environmental impacts that could be associated with decommissioning activities
Decommissioning Generic
Environmental Impact Statement
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Decommissioning Guidance
• NUREG 1700, “Standard Review Plans for License
Termination Plans”
• NUREG 1757, Volume 2, “Consolidated Decommissioning
Guidance”
• NUREG 1507, “Minimum Detectable Concentrations with
Typical Radiation Survey Instruments for Various
Contaminants and Field Conditions”
• NUREG 1757, Volume 1, “Decommissioning Process for
Materials Licensees”
• Regulatory Guides
• Revised Inspection Manual Chapter 2561 and revising
the Inspection Procedure
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U.S. Reactor Decommissioning
Business Models
• License Self Performs
• Licensee manages a Decommissioning Contractor
• Temporary License Transfer to a Decommissioning
Company and return of the land and spent fuel to the
utility
• Asset Sale and license transfer – plant, decommissioning
trust fund, and spent fuel are sold and permanent license
transfer to a non-utility
• Crystal River – still different under review
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Humboldt Bay – Decommissioning
Contractor and Self Perform
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October 2018
Before
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2010 Zion License Transfer
2010 to ZionSolutions
April 2019
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La Crosse Self Perform
and 2016 License Transfer
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March 2019
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Asset Sale and License Transfer
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Vermont Yankee 2019
Oyster Creek 2019
Pilgrim 2019
Palisades 2022
Indian PointTMI – 2 2020
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Active Decommissioning
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San Onofre
N.S. Savannah
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Active Decommissioning
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Crystal River
Fort Calhoun
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Future Shutdowns?
• To date, 5 plants made economically
viable and continue to operate
• Three Mile Island – September 30, 2019
• Duane Arnold, Davis Besse, and Indian
Point 2 – 2020
• Perry, Beaver Valley 1&2, Indian Point 3 –
2021
• Palisades – 2022
• Diablo Canyon 1&2 – 2024 and 2025
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Reactor Decommissioning
Public Interfaces
NRC Public Meetings
✓Annual Assessments Meetings
prior to ceasing operations
✓ Post Shutdown
Decommissioning Activities
Report Meetings
✓ License Termination Meetings
✓ Partial Site Release Meetings
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Reactor Decommissioning
Stakeholder Involvement
• Over 30 briefings to
Senate/House staff
• Capitol Hill meetings with
Senate and House staff
• Congressional Briefings
and Town Hall Meetings
• Native American Tribes
• Community Advisory
Boards
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Decommissioning Issues
of Stakeholders• Asset sale license transfer
applicants
• Decommissioning funding
& adequacy
• Decommissioning strategies:
Prompt vs. Deferred –
Decommissioning – 60 Years
• Economic losses to the
local community
• Future uses of the site
• Emergency Response
Reductions
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Decommissioning Issues
of Stakeholders
• Safety of Spent Fuel
Pools versus Dry Spent
Fuel Storage in storage
casks
• Long Term Spent Fuel
Waste Storage due to
thin walled casks
• Transportation
• Security of the Facility
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Current NRC Issues
• Managing a growing decommissioning reactor
program
• Rightsizing the NRC with an aging workforce,
consolidating organizations at HQ and Region
Offices
• NRC being more Innovative, becoming more
efficient and Risk-Informed Decision Making
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Current Decommissioning Issues
• Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act of
January 2019
➢ Conduct a Minimum of 10 Public Meetings
➢Citizen Advisory Boards Best Practices Report to
Congress by July 14, 2020.
• Managing the transitioning of the plants shutting down
and public meetings and concerns
• GE Vallecitos’ Exemption request to exceed 60 years to
complete decommissioning
• DOE Naval Reactors potential support for surface ship
decommissioning
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GE Vallecitos – Request to Exceed
60-Year Completion Requirement
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Imagery ©2016 DigitalGlobe, U.S. Geological Survey, USDA Farm Service Agency, Map data ©2016
200ft
GETR
VBWREVESR
NTR
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Potential NRC Oversight Role
for Naval Reactors Surface Ships
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EX - CVN - 65 Enterprise
Surface Ship Support Barge (SSSB)
Notational Framework Meeting and
Solicitation of Interest, Memorandum
of Understanding Drafted.
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New Decommissioning Licensee
Management Challenges
• Are the new licensees Compliance
driven? Safety Culture?
• Near-Misses and Preventable safety
events
• Weaknesses observed in licensing and
health physics/rad safety
• The License Termination Plan is a
license amendment
• Decommissioning Fund Reporting
• Work Control Issues
• Following NRC Guidance –
MARSSIM
• Are there enough qualified personnel
to perform the decommissioning?
• Qualifications of Personnel 28
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NRC’s 2019 Decommissioning Program
• With Three Mile Island Unit 1 shutting down, 23 Power Reactors
will be in decommissioning, 9 more Power Reactors have
announced ceasing operations by 2025
• 13 Power Reactors in Active Decommissioning, 10 in SAFSTOR
• Humboldt Bay, La Crosse and Zion 1, 2 license terminations
expected in 2020
• 3 Research Reactors, with the 2 General Atomics license
terminations expected in 2020
• 4 Complex Materials Legacy Sites
• 11 Uranium Sites in Decommissioning/Remediation
• 28 Mill Tailing Sites in Long-Term Monitoring
• 1 Operating InSitu Uranium Recovery Site (Wyoming
Agreement State in 2018)
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Questions?
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