U.S. NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DECOMMISSIONING

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1 U.S. NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DECOMMISSIONING Workshop on Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants Tokyo, Japan June 30, 2017 PAUL T. DICKMAN Senior Policy Fellow, Washington DC Office Argonne National Laboratory

2 U.S. DECOMMISSIONING PROCESS The process of safely removing a facility or site from service and the reduction of residual radioactivity to a level that permits either: the release of the property for unrestricted use and termination of the license: 25mR [250 µsv]+ ALARA); Or the release of the property under restricted conditions and termination of the license.

3 REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING OPTIONS DECON (immediate dismantling) - Equipment, structures and portions of the facility containing radioactive contaminants are removed or decontaminated to a level that permits release of property and license termination SAFSTOR (generally considered deferred dismantling ) A facility is maintained and monitored in a condition that allows the radioactivity to decay, followed by dismantlement ENTOMB Radioactive contaminants are permanently encased on site in structurally sound material. The facility is maintained and monitored until the radioactivity decays to a level permitted restricted release of the property.

4 DECOMMISSIONING HISTORY IN THE U.S. 11 reactors have completed site decommissioning, licenses terminated and sites released for unrestricted use, or restricted to the boundary of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation ( ISFSI ). Examples of stand-alone ISFSIs are: Connecticut Yankee, Maine Yankee and Yankee Rowe 19 reactors are in the DECON or SAFSTOR phase Examples of reactors in DECON are: Humboldt Bay, LaCrosse, Zion and San Onofre Units 2 and 3 Examples of reactors currently in SAFSTOR are: Crystal River 3, Millstone 1, Vermont Yankee and Kewaunee Several reactors have plans to decommission including: Pilgrim, Oyster Creek, Palisades, Three Mile Island Unit 2, Diablo Canyon, and Indian Point Units 2 and 3 No facilities in the U.S. have chosen the ENTOMB option

5 U.S. POWER REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING

6 OTHER COMMERCIAL DECOMMISSIONING

7 CONNECTICUT YANKEE (HADDAM NECK)

8 TROJAN NPP

9 RISK INFORMED EXEMPTIONS The licensing basis for nuclear reactors is demonstrated ability to prevent release of radioactivity into the environment this standard applies throughout decommissioning until license is terminated As plants undergo decommissioning, the risk of release is significantly reduced or eliminated Fission has stopped; Fuel is removed from the reactor vessel and moved to the spent fuel pool; Fuel is moved to the pool and allowed to sufficiently cool Usually Fuel is removed from the pool and transferred to dry storage Ultimately fuel will be removed from the site either for storage pending disposal or directly for disposal

10 RISK INFORMED EXEMPTIONS-CONT. Additional key milestones that further reduce the risk of a radioactive release or contamination include: Reduction of fire hazards; combustible materials and large volumes of contaminated liquids; Removal and disposal of certain radiologically contaminated systems, structures and component In recognition of this reduced risk, Licensees will request exemptions from certain regulations that are no longer necessary to protect public health and safety. Exemption requests must be approved by the NRC and may include: reduced emergency planning; security; and fire protection requirements; the retention of documents for equipment no longer in service and reduction in staffing requirements.

11 DECOMMISSIONING COST ESTIMATES

12 DECOMMISSIONING TRUST FUND NRC requires every licensee to demonstrate it has the financial capability of paying for decommissioning. Funds are collected from consumers as part of their electric bill over the lifetime of the plant and deposited in a trust fund Trust funds are not the property of the electric utility; in bankruptcy situations, these trust funds cannot be used to satisfy creditors claims NRC regulations and guidance detail those expenses incurred post plant shutdown that may be paid for from trust funds Decommissioning funding has been and continues to be - assured by current NRC regulations

13 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Plant closure is a traumatic experience for local communities Significant source of jobs, property tax and other local revenue is going away Uncertainty and lack of familiarity with decommissioning process leads to many questions NRC regulations provide opportunities for public participation. Federal opportunities are supplemented by state and local governments related to their authorities Many times a community engagement panel is created to serve as an independent and neutral communications bridge between the local community, the licensee, key stakeholders and regulators

14 IMPACT OF SPENT FUEL STORAGE Original decommissioning regulations assumed the US DOE would take ownership of spent fuel in a timely manner Decommissioning is not complete nor can the NRC licenses be terminated until the spent fuel removed from the site. Maintenance and security costs continue indefinitely. Current proposed legislation would create central interim storage site(s)

15 SUMMARY The U.S. has been decommissioning commercial nuclear power plants for over 30 years. Decommissioning occurs under a well understood regulatory framework and risk informed process. Public engagement is a fundamental part of achieving end-state objective for the plant site. Decommissioning cannot be completed until the federal government meets its obligation to remove the spent fuel - and Congress must act in order for that to happen.

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