OVERVIEW OF THE NRC'S CONSOLIDATED NMSS DECOMMISSIONING GUIDANCE

In response to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Strategic Plan performance goals to (a) make NRC activities and decisions more effective, efficient, and realistic and (b) reduce unnecessary regulatory burden on stakeholders, the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) consolidated and updated the policies and guidance of its decommissioning program. The product is a three-volume report (NUREG-1757) covering the functional categories of (Vol. 1) Decommissioning Process for Materials Licensees; (Vol. 2) Characterization, Survey, and Determination of Radiological Criteria; and (Vol. 3) Financial Assurance, Recordkeeping, and Timeliness. The NRC staff reviewed existing guidance related to decommissioning and compliance with the License Termination Rule (LTR), 10 CFR 20, Subpart E. Parts of these documents have been incorporated into NUREG-1757 and some documents have been superseded. The approaches to decommissioning described in this NUREG report help to identify the information (subject matter and level of detail) needed to terminate a license. This report also incorporates the risk- informed and performance-based flexibility of NRC's LTR. This NUREG describes approaches acceptable to NRC staff. With most of the guidance for terminating materials licenses consolidated in this three-volume report, it should be easier for licensees and NRC staff to access and utilize the updated guidance. This should result in more complete and consistent submittals from licensees and more consistent and efficient reviews by NRC staff. Volume 1 of NUREG-1757 provides guidance for developing those parts of a decommissioning plan addressing general site description and current radiological conditions; decommissioning activities, management, and quality assurance; and modifications to decommissioning programs and procedures. Volume 1 also provides guidance to NRC staff on processing decommissioning plans and related license amendment requests. Volume 1 is applicable to materials licensees (not reactors) that must terminate licenses under the LTR. Volume 2 of the NUREG provides guidance on demonstrating compliance with the radiological criteria for license termination. Specifically, Volume 2 provides guidance on facility radiation surveys, especially final status surveys; dose assessments; and ALARA. Volume 2 is applicable to all licensees (materials and reactor facilities) that must terminate licenses under the LTR. Volume 3 provides guidance on the technical aspects of compliance with "Timeliness in Decommissioning of Materials Facilities" (the Timeliness Rule); financial assurance requirements for decommissioning costs; and the recordkeeping requirements of the technical and financial criteria for decommissioning licensed nuclear facilities. Volume 3 is applicable to materials licensees (not reactors) that must terminate licenses under the LTR. The paper discusses highlights of the guidance of these three volumes, including new guidance, modified guidance, and other important aspects of the guidance to be emphasized.