ML24200A236
| ML24200A236 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/23/2024 |
| From: | Jennifer Whitman Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs |
| To: | |
| References | |
| NRC-2023-0145, DUWP-ISG-02 | |
| Download: ML24200A236 (1) | |
Text
[7590-01-P]
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2023-0145]
Interim Staff Guidance: Radiological Survey and Dose Modeling of the Subsurface
to Support License Termination
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Final guidance; issuance.
SUMMARY
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing the Division of
Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste Programs (DUWP), Interim Staff
Guidance (ISG), DUWP-ISG-02, Radiological Survey and Dose Modeling of the
Subsurface to Support License Termination. The purpose of this ISG is to provide
guidance on surveys of open surfaces in the subsurface, including open excavations,
materials planned for reuse, and substructures. This ISG also provides guidance on the
use of commonly used decommissioning dose modeling codes for submerged and
partially submerged substructures to develop clean-up levels, and on methods to
evaluate risk from existing groundwater contamination. This ISG supplements guidance
found in NUREG-1757, Volume 2, Revision 2, which pertains to licensees subject to the
license termination rule found in NRC regulations. This ISG is intended for use by
applicants, licensees, and NRC staff. The guidance is also available to Agreement
States and the public.
DATES: This guidance is effective on October 28, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2023-0145 when contacting the NRC
about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly
available information related to this document using any of the following methods:
- Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and
search for Docket ID NRC-2023-0145. Address questions about Docket IDs in
Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; telephone: 301-415-0624; email:
Stacy.Schumann@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the
For Further Information Contact section of this document.
- NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public
Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the
search, select Begin Web-based ADAMS Search. For problems with ADAMS, please
contact the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at
301-415-4737, or by email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number
for each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it
is mentioned in this document. The ISG Radiological Survey and Dose Modeling of the
Subsurface to Support License Termination, is available in ADAMS under Accession
No. ML24197A219.
- NRCs PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies of publicly
available documents, is open by appointment. To make an appointment to visit the PDR,
please send an email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-
4737, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Barr, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-4015; email: Cynthia.Barr@nrc.gov.
2 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The NRC is issuing this ISG to supplement guidance provided in NUREG-1757,
Volume 2, Revision 2, Consolidated Decommissioning Guidance, Characterization,
Survey, and Determination of Radiological Criteria, which was issued in July 2022
(ADAMS Accession No. ML22194A859). The ISG provides additional guidance
developed after Revision 2 to NUREG-1757, Volume 2, was published related to surveys
of open surfaces in the subsurface, including open excavations, materials planned for
reuse, and substructures. The ISG also provides guidance on the use of commonly used
decommissioning dose modeling codes to develop clean-up levels for submerged and
partially submerged substructures, and on methods to evaluate risk from existing
groundwater contamination. NRC staff held two subsurface investigations workshops on
July 14-15, 2021, and May 11, 2022, to help support the development of this ISG, and
contracted with Oak Ridge Associated Universities to develop guidance on acceptable
survey methods.
On October 19, 2023, the NRC issued a Federal Register notice (88 FR 72112)
soliciting public comment on its draft ISG, Radiological Survey and Dose Modeling of
the Subsurface to Support License Termination. The NRC received comments from the
Nuclear Energy Institute, by letter dated December 13, 2023 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML24009A037); EnergySolutions, by letter dated December 18, 2023 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML23353A243); and the State of New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection, by email dated December 21, 2023 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML24009A080). No other comments were submitted. The NRC staff considered those
comments in developing the final version of the ISG. The staff's responses to the
comments are provided in Appendix D, Comment Responses, of the final ISG. The
3 NRC also issued a draft Regulatory Analysis for the draft ISG for public comment
(ADAMS Accession No. ML23177A009). No comments were received on the draft
Regulatory Analysis. The final Regulatory Analysis is available in ADAMS under
II. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality
Issuance of this ISG will not (i) constitute backfitting as defined in sections
50.109, 70.76, or 72.62 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR),
Backfitting, and as described in Management Directive (MD) 8.4, Management of
Backfitting, Forward Fitting, Issue Finality, and Information Requests; (ii) affect issue
finality of any approval issued under 10 CFR part 52, Licenses, Certifications, and
Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants; or (iii) constitute forward fitting as that term is
defined and described in MD 8.4. This ISG states the NRC staff's position on acceptable
methods for surveys of open surfaces in the subsurface, including open excavations,
materials planned for reuse, and substructures, as well as guidance on the use of
commonly used decommissioning dose modeling codes for submerged and partially
submerged substructures to develop clean-up levels, and on methods to evaluate risk
from existing groundwater contamination. Applicants and licensees will not be required
to comply with the positions set forth in this ISG.
4 III. Congressional Review Act
This ISG is a rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801-
808). However, the Office of Management and Budget has not found it to be a major rule
as defined in the Congressional Review Act.
Dated: September 23, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
/RA/
Jennifer Whitman, Acting Director, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
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