ML20147A801
| ML20147A801 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/28/1978 |
| From: | Arlotto G NRC OFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT |
| To: | Drinan R HOUSE OF REP. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7809190109 | |
| Download: ML20147A801 (2) | |
Text
e
['*jd4 %
Q UNITED STATES
- v NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMisslON
$([
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 d
4
%f ep, ty
' e 9o j
[.,
- .e AUG 2 81970 ff.
7
$g) 4 5
T L
5 f
The Honorable Robert F. Drinan b
g United States House of Representatives en i
Washington', D. C.
20515
Dear Congressman Drinan:
Your comments to me on our current plan for reevaluation of NRC policy on decommissioning are most welcome.
Your letter of August 7,1978 emphasized what we too feel is a crucial issue, financial provisions for decommissioning. As we see it, there are three crucial issues that must be considered in our reevaluation of our decommissioning policy; generic applicability, cleanup criteria and financial assurance.
The NRC policy must be generic for all the facilities we regulate. We must base our requirements and our cost estimates on vall established cleanup criteria. One need only look to currently proposed legislation for cleanup of old uranium milling sites to see the seed to use proper criteria in the first place. And third, when we set what the require-ments and the costs are, we must provide the public -ith reasonable assurance that the owners and users of these facilities will pay the bill.-
We at NRC consider these three issues to be crucial ones, and we realize that we cannot act unilaterally in addressing all of them.
Cleanup criteria for radioactivity must be consistent with generally applicable standards for radioactivity in the environment; these standards are to be set oy the Environmental Protection Agency. And equally important, in our view', is the need for the host States to i
endorse Federal criteria for cleanup.
We would start a chain of l
endless remedial actions if Federal controls permit cleanup to criteria which tre not well founded and endorsed by those communities which are host to the facilities or cperations we license.
In the area of financial assurance for decocn:issioning we are con-strained to work with others by the statutes. Although NRC is authorized to license nuclear power reactors, the right to set and control the rates paid for electricity produced by these reactors is assigned to the States. The rates paid ter electricity are set for the most part by State utility commissions. As you know there are some exceptions to this, such as the rates for wholesale-for-retail pcwer which involve the Federal Energy Commission and rates for power l
7899 R 05 \\ p t
The Menorable Pebert F. Drinan frer the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Washington Public Pcwer A number of the State utility comissions, acting under Surply Syster.
the reacter owners the authority they hold, have set recuirerents on and the raterayers to accumulate and centrol funds fcr reacter decer-State people have suggested to us that NRC should cen-r.i ssioni ng.
centrate on sound criteria for cleanup and the technical analysis of rethods and ccsts, and that we shculd leave the financial control to the States.
\\
He have organized cur plan for reevaluation of decomissioning with We have
\\
recccnition of the need for deep involvement by the States.
\\
r.at with State bodies many times and are holding a set of regional verkshops en this subject between September 18 and September 30 of this i
In addition a public meeting will be held here in Washincton year.
on Octcber la,1978.
A copy of the Federal Register notice for the Because of the interest you have State worksheps is enclosed.
expressed in this matter, you or your staff may wish to discuss it in further detail.
I wculd be happy to have Mr. Robert M. Bernero (a43-5g0S) of cy staff, who is in charge of this effort, brief you er ycur staff at ycur convenience.
Sincerely, og:21 si;ned by G. A.L-letto Guy A. Arlotto, Directer Divisicn cf Engineering Standards Office cf Standards Develeprent E r.cl esure:
Federal Recister Notice Vol.43, No. 151,(?/4/78)
DISTRIBUTI0ft P3tiino gue SECY RGSmi th PDR GAArl o tto Central File Rt3ernero SD r/f & a/f KGS teyer MSS r/ f GCCalkins CA CFHa rmon DSLS GIE r::er lt!.S a pp t l,] ?
SD:"Si l
SD!!S[
l I
l l
J l
,. y l
s. =. w n. j. Fle.C.n.e.r.? !.'9. '... lM.r.l. p.t.t.a.................... I j
S/23/73 l
S/'}/78 l
l I