U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION REGULATORY GUIDE

DIRECTORATE OF REGULATORY STANDARDS

JUNE 1974

[Retyped by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - August 1997]

REGULATORY GUIDE 1.86

TERMINATION OF OPERATING LICENSES FOR NUCLEAR REACTORS

A. INTRODUCTION

Section 50.51, "Duration of license, renewal," of 10 CFR Part 50, "Licensing of

Production and Utilization Facilities," requires that each license to operate a production and utilization facility be issued for a specified duration. Upon expiration of the specified period the license may be either renewed or terminated by the Commission. Section 50.82,

"Applications for termination of licenses," specifies the requirements that must be satisfied to terminate an operating license including the requirement that the dismantlement of the facility and disposal of the component parts not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public. This guide describes methods and procedures considered acceptable by the Regulatory staff for the termination of operating licenses for nuclear

reactors. The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards has been consulted concerning this guide and has concurred in the regulatory position.

B. DISCUSSION

When a licensee decides to terminate his nuclear reactor operating license, he may, as a first step in the process, request that his operating license be amended to restrict him to possess but not operate the facility. The advantage to the license is reduced surveillance requirements in that periodic surveillance of equipment important to the safety of reactor operation is no longer required. Once this possession-only license is issued, reactor operation is not permitted. Other activities related to cessation of operations such as unloading fuel from

the reactor and placing it in storage (either onsite of [sic] offsite) may be continued.

A licensee having a possession-only license must retain, with the Part 50 license,

authorization for special nuclear material (10 CFR Part 70, "Special Nuclear Material"), byproduct material (10 CFR Part 30, "Rules of General Applicability to Licensing of Byproduct Material"), and source material (10 CFR Part 40, "Licensing of Source Material") until the fuel, radioactive components, an sources are removed from the facility. Appropriate administrative controls and facility requirements are imposed by the Part 50 license and the technical specifications to assure that proper surveillance is performed and that the reactor

facility is maintained in a safe condition and not operated.

A possession-only license permits various options and procedures for decommissioning, such as mothballing, entombment, or dismantling. The requirement imposed depend on the option selected.

Section 50.82 provides that the licensee may dismantle and dispose of the component parts of a nuclear reactor in accordance with existing regulations. For research reactors and critical facilities, this has usually meant the disassembly of a reactor and its shipment offsite sometimes to another appropriately licensed organization for further use. The site from which a reactor has been removed must be decontaminated, as necessary, and inspected by the Commission to determine whether unrestricted access can be approved. In the case of nuclear

power reactors, dismantling has usually been accomplished by shipping fuel offsite, making the reactor inoperable, and disposing of some of the radioactive components.

Radioactive components may be either shipped off-site for burial at an authorized burial ground or secured on the site. Those radioactive materials remaining on the site must be isolated from the public by physical barriers or other means to prevent public access to hazardous levels of radiation. Surveillance is necessary to assure the long term integrity of the barriers. The amount of surveillance required depends upon (1) the potential hazard to the

health and safety of the public from radioactive material remaining on the site and (2) the integrity of the physical barriers. Before areas may be released for unrestricted use they must have been decontaminated or the radioactivity must have decayed to less than prescribed limits (Table I).

The hazards associated with the retired facility is evaluated by considering the amount and type of the remaining contamination, the degree of confinement of the remaining radioactive materials, the physical security provided by the confinement, the susceptibility to release of radiation as a result of natural phenomena, and the duration of required surveillance.

C. REGULATORY POSITION

1. APPLICATION FOR A LICENSE TO POSSESS BUT NOT OPERATE

(POSSESSION-ONLY LICENSE)

A request to amend an operating license to a possession-only license should be made to the Director of Licensing, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C. 20545. The request should include the following information:

1. A description of the current status of the facility
2. A description of measures that will be taken to prevent criticality or reactivity changes and to minimize releases of radioactivity from the facility.
3. Any proposed changes to the technical specifications that reflect the possession-only facility status and the necessary disassembly/retirement activities to be performed.

d. A safety analysis of both the activities to be accomplished and the proposed changes to the technical specifications.

e. An inventory of activated materials and their location in the facility.

2. ALTERNATIVES FOR REACTOR RETIREMENT

Four alternatives for retirement of nuclear reactor facilities are considered acceptable by the Regulatory staff. These are:

1. Mothballing. Mothballing of a nuclear reactor facility consists of putting the facility in a state of protective storage. In general, the facility may be left intact except that all fuel assemblies and the radioactive fluids and waste should be removed from the site. Adequate radiation monitoring, environmental surveillance, and appropriate security procedures should be established under a possession-only license to ensure that the health and safety of the public is not endangered.

b. In-place entombment. In-place entombment consists of sealing all the remaining highly radioactive or contaminated components (e.g., the pressure vessel and reactor internals) within a structure integral with the biological shield after having all fuel assemblies, radioactive fluids and wastes, and certain selected components shipped offsite. The structure should provide integrity over the period of time in which significant quantities (greater than Table I levels) of radioactivity remain with the material in the entombment. An appropriate

and continuing surveillance program should be established under a possession-only license.

c. Removal of radioactive components and dismantling. All fuel assemblies, radioactive fluids and waste, and other material shaving activities above accepted unrestricted activity levels (Table I) should be removed from the site with no requirement for a license. If the facility owner so desires, the remainder of the reactor facility may be dismantled and all vestiges removed and disposed of.

d. Conversion to a new nuclear system or a fossil fuel system. This alternative, which applies only to nuclear power plants, utilizes the existing turbine system with a new steam supply system. The original nuclear steam supply system should be separated and disposed of in accordance with one of the previous three retirement alternatives.

3. SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY FOR THE RETIREMENT ALTERNATIVES WHOSE FINAL STATUS REQUIRES A POSSESSION-ONLY LICENSE

A facility which has been licensed under a possession-only license may contain a

significant amount of radioactivity in the form of activated and contaminated hardware and multiple locked barriers. The presence of these barriers should make it extremely difficult for an unauthorized person to gain access to areas where radiation or contamination levels exceed those specified in Regulatory Position C.4. To prevent inadvertent exposure, radiation areas above 5 mR/hr, such as near the activated primary system of a power plant, should be appropriately marked and should not be accessible except by cutting of welded closures or the disassembly and removal of substantial structures and/or shielding material. Means such as a remote readout intrusion alarm system should be provided to indicate to designated personnel when a physical barrier is penetrated. Security personnel that provide access control to the facility may be used instead of the physical barriers and the intrusion alarm systems.

b. The physical barriers to unauthorized entrance into the facility, e.g., fences, buildings, welded doors and access openings should be inspected at least quarterly to assure that these barriers have not deteriorated and that locks and locking apparatus are intact.

c. A facility radiation survey should be performed at least quarterly to verify that no radioactive material is escaping or being transported through the containment barriers in the facility. Sampling should be done along the most probable path by which radioactive material such as that stored in the inner containment regions could be transported to the outer regions of the facility and ultimately to the environs.

d. An environmental radiation survey should be performed at least semiannually to verify that no significant amounts of radiation have been released to the environment from the facility. Samples such as soil, vegetation, and water should be taken at locations for which significant statistical data has been established during reactor operations.

e. A site representative should be designated to be responsible for controlling authorized access into and movement within the facility.

f. Administrative procedures should be established for the notification and reporting of abnormal occurrences such as (1) the entrance of an unauthorized person or persons in to the facility and (2) a significant change in the radiation or contamination levels in the facility or the offsite environment.

g. The following reports should be made:

(1) An annual report to the Director of Licensing, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C. 20545, describing the results of the environmental and facility radiation surveys, the status of the facility, and an evaluation of the performance of security and surveillance measures.

(2) An abnormal occurrence report to the Regulatory Operations Regional Office by license is terminated, after which they may be stored with other plants records:

(1) Environmental surveys,

(2) Facility radiation surveys,

(3) Inspections of the physical barriers, and

(4) Abnormal occurrences.

4. DECONTAMINATION FOR RELEASE FOR UNRESTRICTED USE

If it is desired to terminate a license and to eliminate any further surveillance

requirements, the facility should be sufficiently decontaminated to prevent risk to the public health and safety. After the decontamination is satisfactorily accomplished and the site inspected by the Commission, the Commission may authorize the license to be terminated and the facility abandoned or released for unrestricted use. The licensee should perform the decontamination using the following guidelines:

a. The licensee should make a reasonable effort to eliminate residual contamination.

b. No covering should be applied to radioactive surfaces of equipment or structures by paint, plating, or other covering material until is known that contamination levels (determined by a survey and documented) are below the limits specified in Table I. In addition, a reasonable effort should be made (and documented) to further minimize contamination prior to any such covering.

c. The radioactivity of the interior surfaces of pipes, drain lines, or ductwork should be determined by making measurements at all traps and other appropriate access point, provided contamination at these locations is likely to be representative of contamination on the interior of the pipes, drain lines, or ductwork. Surfaces of premises, equipment, or scrap which are likely to be contaminated but are of such size, construction, or location as to make the surface inaccessible for purposes of measurement should be assumed to be contaminated in excess of the permissible radiation limits.

d. Upon request, the Commission may authorize a licensee to relinquish possession or control of premises, equipment, or scrap having surfaces contaminated in excess of the limits specified. This may include, but is not limited to, special circumstances such as the transfer of premises to another licensed organization that will continue to work with radioactive materials. Request for such authorization should provide: on surface areas, together with other considerations such as the prospective use of the premises, equipment, or scrap, are unlikely to result in an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of the public.

e. Prior to release of the premises for unrestricted use, the licensee should make a

comprehensive radiation survey establishing that contamination is within the limits specified in Table I. A survey report should be filed with the Director of Licensing, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C. 20545, with a copy to the Director of the Regulatory operations Regional Office having justification. The report should be filed at least 30 days prior to the planned date of abandonment.

The survey report should:

(1) Identify the premises;

(2) Show that reasonable effort has been made to reduce residual contamination to as low as practicable levels;

(3) Describe the scope of the survey and the general procedures followed; and

(4) State the findings of the survey in units specified in Table I.

After review of the report, the Commission may inspect the facilities to confirm the survey prior to granting approval for abandonment.

5. REACTOR RETIREMENT PROCEDURES

As indicated in Regulatory Position C.2, several alternatives are acceptable for reactor facility retirement. If minor disassembly or "mothballing" is planned, this could be done by the existing operating and maintenance procedures under the license in effect. Any planned actions involved an unreviewed safety question or a change in the technical specifications should be reviewed and approved in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR §50.59.

If major structural changes to radioactive components of the facility are planned, such as removal of the pressure vessel or major components of the primary system, a dismantlement plan including the information required by §50.82 should be submitted to the Commission. A dismantlement plan should be submitted for all the alternatives of Regulatory Position C.2 except mothballing. However, minor disassembly activities may still be performed in the absence of such a plan, provided they are permitted by existing operating and maintenance

procedures. A dismantlement plan should include the following: d. A safety analysis of the facility in its ultimate status.

Upon satisfactory review and approval of the dismantling plan, a dismantling order is issued by the Commission in accordance with §50.82. When dismantling is completed and the Commission has been notified by letter, the appropriate Regulatory Operations Regional Office inspects the facility and verifies completion in accordance with the dismantlement plan. If residual radiation levels do not exceed the values in Table I, the Commission may terminate the license. If these levels are exceeded, the licensee retains the

TABLE I

ACCEPTABLE SURFACE CONTAMINATION LEVELS

Nuclide Average Maximum Removable

Where surface contamination by both alpha- and beta-gamma-emitting nuclides exists, the a limits established for alpha- and beta-gamma-emitting nuclides should be applied independently.

As used in this table, dpm (disintegrations per minute) means the rate of emission by b radioactive material as determined by correcting the counts per minute observed by an appropriate detector by background, efficiency, and geometric factors associated with the instrumentation.

Measurements of average contaminant should not be averaged over more than 1 square c

meter. For objects of less surface area, the average should be derived for each such objects.

The maximum contamination level applies to an area of not more than 100 cm . d 2

The amount of removable radioactive material per 100 cm of surface area should be e 2 determined by wiping that area with dry filter or soft absorbent paper, applying moderate pressure, and assess

USAEC Regulatory Guides

Regulatory Guides are issued to describe and make available to the public methods acceptable

to the AEC Regulatory staff of implementing specific parts of the Commission’s regulations,

to delineate techniques used by the staff in evaluating specific problems or postulated

accidents, or to provide guidance to applicants. Regulatory Guides are not substitutes for

regulations and compliance with them is not required. Methods and solutions different from

those set out in the guides will be acceptable if they provide a basis for the finding requisite to

the issuance or continuance of a permit or license by the Commission.

Published guides will be revised periodically, as appropriate, to accommodate comments and

to reflect new information or experience.

Copies of published guides may be obtained by request indicating the divisions desire to the

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C. 20545, Attention: Director of

Regulatory Standards. Comments and suggestions for improvements in these guides are

encouraged and should be sent to the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Atomic Energy

Commission, Washington, D.C. 20545, Attention: Chief, Public Proceedings Staff.

The guides are issued in the following ten broad divisions:

1. Power Reactors 6. Products

2. Research and Test Reactors 7. Transportation

3. Fuels and Materials Facilities 8. Occupational Health

4. Environmental and Siting 9. Antitrust Review

5. Materials and Plant Protection 10. Generaling the amount of radioactive material on the wipe with an appropriate

instrument of know efficiency. When removable contamination on objects of less surface area

is determined, the pertinent levels should be reduced proportionally and the entire surface

should be wiped.

possession-only license under which the dismantling activities have been conducted or, as an alternative, may make application to the State (if an Agreement State) for a byproduct materials license.

a. A description of the ultimate status of the facility.

b. A description of the dismantling activities and the precautions to be taken.

c. A safety analysis of the dismantling activities including any effluents which may be released.

(1) Detailed, specific information describing the premises, equipment, scrap, and

radioactive contaminants and the nature, extent, and degree of residual surface contamination.

(2) A detailed health and safety analysis indicating that the residual amounts of materials

telephone within 24 hours of discovery of an abnormal occurrence. The abnormal occurrence

will also be reported in the annual report described in the preceding item.

h. Records or logs relative to the following items should be kept and retained until the

structure materials. Surveillance and commensurate security should be provided to assure that

the public health and safety are not endangered.

a. Physical security to prevent inadvertent exposure of personnel should be provided by

to minimize releases of radioactivity from the facility.

c. Any proposed changes to the technical specifications that reflect the possession-only

facility status and the necessary disassembly/retirement activities to be performed.