Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 151ab883-1221-4a79-88d6-a2631cce2239
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Reactors (Rev. 1)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2134/ML21347A080.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-05
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.184
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
censing radioisotope production facilities and aqueous homogeneous reactors (Ref. 19). DG-1347 Revision 1, Page 6 Background As defined by 10 CFR 50.2, “decommission” means to remove a facility or site safely from service and reduce residual radioactivity to a level that permits (1) release of the property for unrestricted use and termination of the license, or (2) release of the property under restricted conditions and termination of the license. The general requirements for decommissioning, codified in 10 CFR 50.75, 50.82, 51.53, 51.95, and 52.110 contain decommissioning technical and financial criteria including requirements for planning, timing, funding mechanisms, and environmental review. After a licensee permanently shuts down a power reactor facility and the facility enters decommissioning, there is a transition period to reconfigure the licensing basis and operational approach to reflect the differences between an operating power reactor facility and a power reactor facility in decommissioning. The decommissioning regulations establish a timeframe for completion of decommissioning, determine which types of activities require prior NRC approval before being implemented, govern the release criteria that the site must meet to qualify for license termination, outline the appropriate use of decommissioning funds, and set up the enveloping environmental considerations for decommissioning. Risk Informed Application Reactors that have permanently ceased operations and have no fuel in the reactor vessel present significantly reduced but different risks to public health and safety as compared to operating reactors. The NRC amended the decommissioning rule to specify applicable requirements for such facilities by eliminating, revising, or extending operating reactor requirements commensurate with their importance to the safety of permanently shutdown reactors. Decommissioning Phases To facilitate understanding of the decommissioning process, the NRC staff has