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:
te sensors and robotics. Contamination could also enter utility conduits and move far from the point of origin. If the contamination moves into the subsurface, it could concentrate there over time, or it could migrate through ground water to other locations where it could concentrate. Likewise, airborne effluents may precipitate and concentrate in some pattern because of the local meteorology, such as prevailing wind direction and speed, and relative humidity. Licensees should identify these potential locations and include them in survey and monitoring plans. Appendix A-1 to DG-4014, Page A-1-5 At the time of license termination, 10 CFR Part 20, “Standards for Protection against Radiation,” Subpart E, “Radiological Criteria for License Termination,” requires licensees to remediate existing residual radioactivity above release levels without regard to cost. Therefore, licensees must have a sufficient monitoring plan to identify the complete extent of contamination at that time. The goal of the DPR is to encourage licensees to develop plans that will identify contamination as it occurs rather than wait until license termination when significant amounts of previously unknown contamination can result in sizeable cost and time overruns during decommissioning. For licensees that do not have significant residual radioactivity because they possess small amounts of short-lived radioactive material or sealed sources, the staff does not expect significant changes to the existing monitoring and health and safety programs. For licensees with subsurface residual radioactivity but no ground water implications, a minimal, routine monitoring plan may be sufficient through operations. Licensees other than those described above should enhance the existing programs to include areas of potential contamination not previously identified. The revised plans should also contain provisions for altering the frequency of surveillance in response to contamination events and the