decommissioning challenges in the u.s.- remediating ...decommissioning challenges in the u. s. –...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy
Sites and Avoiding New Ones
Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D.Deputy Director, Division of Waste
Management and Environmental ProtectionU.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Presented at: Nuclear Decommissioning 2012 – From Safe Decommissioning to Commissioning and Generation
![Page 2: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Presentation Outline
• NRC’s Decommissioning Responsibilities
• NRC’s Current Decommissioning Universe
• Common Characteristics of Legacy Sites in the U.S.
• Factors that Increase Decommissioning Complexity and Cost
• Uranium Recovery Legacy Site Case Study
• Measures Taken to Prevent Legacy Sites
• Voluntary Industry Initiative
• Summary
![Page 3: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
NRC’s Decommissioning Responsibilities
• Regulatory oversight of decommissioning of civilian nuclear facilities
• Power Reactors
• Fuel Cycle Facilities• Fuel Cycle Facilities
• Materials Facilities
• Uranium Recovery Facilities
• Regulatory framework development for preventing legacy sites
![Page 4: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
NRC’s Current Decommissioning Universe
• 10 power & 2 early demonstration reactors• 11 test, training, & research reactors• 22 complex materials sites
1 j f l i f ili• 1 major fuel reprocessing facility • 42 uranium recovery sites
• Legacy sites• New facilities
![Page 5: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Common Characteristics of Legacy Sites in the U.S.
• Large volumes of low specific activity radioactively contaminated liquids
• Large volumes of long-lived radionuclides
• Large throughputLarge throughput
• Liquid processes
• Processes that involve large quantities of solid radioactive material stored outdoors
![Page 6: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Factors That Increase Decommissioning Complexity, Cost and Time• Spills
• Groundwater and soil contamination
• Increased waste inventoryc eased aste e to y
• Increased waste disposal costs
• Facility modifications
• Changes in authorized possession limits
• On-site disposal
• Use of unlined settling ponds
• Design and operating issues
![Page 7: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Uranium Recovery Legacy Site Case Study
Before After
![Page 8: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
42 Uranium Recovery sites
• 38 Inactive conventional mills33 in decommissioning status
5 Completed decommissioning
NRC Uranium Recovery Sites in Decommissioning
5 Completed decommissioning (Licensed for long term stewardship)
• 4 Active ISRs – partial decommissioning
![Page 9: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Title I Uranium Recovery Sites
Spook
Riverton
Lakeview
Lowman
Salt Lake City
Canonsburg and Burrell sites
9
Tuba City
Falls City
Mexican HatDurango
Shiprock
Gunnison
Rifle
Maybell
Naturita
Green River
Ambrosia Lake
Grand Junction
Monument Valley
Atlas
Canonsburg and Burrell sites located in Pennsylvania
![Page 10: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Title II Uranium Recovery Sites in Decommissioning Title II Uranium Recovery Sites in Decommissioning
Pathfinder Lucky Mc
ANC Gas Hills
Umetco Gas Hills
Sweetwater( ti l ill t db )
Western Nuclear Split Rock
Exxon Highland
Union Pacific Bear Creek
Pathfinder Shirley BasinShi l B i S h
Edgemount
Sherwood
Maybell (Colorado)
Rio Algom (Utah)
1010
(conventional mill standby)
Rio Algom
Homestake
Shirley Basin South
UNC Church RockSequoyah Fuels
Arco-Bluewater
L-Bar
Uravan (Colorado)
Cotter Mill (Colorado))
Sweeney Mill, Colorado
Rio Grande, Everest, and Conoco (Texas)
Intercontinental andExxonMobile (Texas)Cogema (Texas)
![Page 11: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
• Milling activities peaked in the 1950’s to 70’s• Law governing uranium mill tailings (Uranium
Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act) – 1978• Standards promulgated in 1983
Historical Perspective on Regulatory Oversight :
• Regulations promulgated in 1985 (no ground water), amended 1987
• Regulatory framework finalized after the peak of milling
![Page 12: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Uranium Recovery Decommissioning Lessons Learned• Adequate financial assurance to
prevent orphaned sites
• Groundwater contamination = Time + $ (€ £)Time + $ (€, £)
• Site Characterization, groundwater flow and transport modeling key
• Long-term stewardship confirms long-term performance
• Established regulatory framework essential to prevent legacy sites
![Page 13: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Measures Taken to Prevent Legacy Sites• Standards and regulations for mill tailings sites (1980’s)
• Defined requirements for decommissioning existing and new uranium recovery mills (mining not included)
• General requirements for decommissioning of nuclear Facilities (1988)Facilities (1988)• Includes requirements for financial assurance
• Timeliness requirements for decommissioning (1994)• Establishes time frames for starting and completing
decommissioning
![Page 14: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Measures Taken to Prevent Legacy Sites (cont.)• License Termination Rule (1997)
• Applicants required to describe how design and procedures for operation would minimize contamination and facilitate decommissioning
• Decommissioning Planning Rule ( 2011)• Licensees establish operational practices to minimize contamination and perform reasonable subsurface radiological surveys
• Prompt Remediation Rulemaking (?)• Effort underway
![Page 15: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Voluntary Industry Initiative
Nuclear Energy Institute – Industry Ground Water Protection Initiative (07-07)
• ACTION 1: Improve management of situations involving inadvertent radiological releases that get into ground water
• ACTION 2: Improve communication with external stakeholders to enhance trust and confidence …
![Page 16: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Summary:
• NRC has a long history of overseeing the remediation of legacy sites
• The characteristics and issues that lead to legacy sites are well understood
M h b t k t dd th• Measures have been taken to address these characteristics and issues
• NRC and licensees continue to evaluate other measures to avoid legacy sites
![Page 17: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Decommissioning References• Uranium Recovery:
• U.S. NRC implementing regulations – 10 CFR Part 40, Appendix A
• U.S. EPA standards for Uranium Recovery – 40 CFR192
• Other FacilitiesOt e ac t es• U.S. NRC regulations – 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart E
• NUREG-1700 – Standard Review Plan for Evaluating Nuclear Power Reactor License Termination Plans
• NUREG-1757 – Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning Guidance
• NUREG-1575 – Multi-Agency Radiation Survey & Site Assessment Manual
• NUREG-1549 – Decision Methods for Dose Assessments
![Page 18: Decommissioning Challenges in the U.S.- Remediating ...Decommissioning Challenges in the U. S. – Remediating Existing Legacy Sites and Avoiding New Ones Keith I. McConnell, Ph.D](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022070808/5f066e887e708231d417f696/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Website Information
U.S. NRC – www.nrc.gov
U.S. EPA – www.epa.gov