Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: d812c779-c17b-4eb3-9d66-b532cd68bd03
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Decommissioning Planning During Operations + HISTORY - HISTORY 12/2011 – DG-4014 , Proposed New Guide
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 4
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1115/ML111590642.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-4.22
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
describes a method acceptable to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for use in implementing the Decommissioning Planning Rule (DPR) that revises Title 10, Section 20.1406, “Minimization of Contamination,” and Section 20.1501, “Surveys and Monitoring, General,” of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 20.1406 and 20.1501) (Ref. 1). Licensees of operating facilities are required to minimize contamination and radioactive waste generation, conduct appropriate radiological surveys, and maintain records. The DPR revisions to 10 CFR 20.1406 and 10 CFR 20.1501 apply during the operational phase of facilities’ life cycles. Background In 1997, the NRC issued Subpart E, “Radiological Criteria for License Termination,” to 10 CFR Part 20, “Standards for Protection Against Radiation” (Ref. 1), known as the “License Termination Rule.” At that time, 10 CFR 20.1406 of the LTR required license applicants to describe in their applications how the design and procedures for operation of new facilities would minimize contamination and facilitate decommissioning. This requirement is an inherent, integral part of the requirements for any 10 CFR 20.1101 Radiation Protection Program. Guidance on implementing the minimization of contamination provisions of the 1997 LTR appears in Regulatory Guide (RG) 4.21, “Minimization of Contamination and Radioactive Waste Generation: Life-Cycle Planning” (Ref. 2), that states, in part: “[T]he development of a contaminant DG-4014, Page 2 management philosophy… requires the use of…conservative radiation protection principles, and attention to operational practices.” At the direction of the Commission, the NRC staff reviewed implementation of the LTR and developed several recommendations for revisions (Ref. 3). In its response to the staff recommendations, the Commission authorized the staff to develop rules (Ref. 4) to minimize the likelihood of new “legacy sites” — those sites with insufficient resources