ML010300068

10 CFR 50.75(f)(1) Reports on the Status of Decommissioning Funds (Due March 31, 2001)

ML010300068
Person / Time
Issue date:	02/23/2001
From:	Matthews D Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs
To:
Dusaniwskyj M
References
RIS-01-007
Download: ML010300068 (5)

See also: RIS 2001-07

Text

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001

February 23, 2001

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARY 2001-07

10 CFR 50.75(f)(1) REPORTS ON THE STATUS OF

DECOMMISSIONING FUNDS (DUE MARCH 31, 2001)

ADDRESSEES

All holders of operating licenses for nuclear power reactors.

INTENT

The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this regulatory issue summary

(RIS) to clarify the reporting requirements of 10 CFR 50.75(f)(1) regarding the status of

decommissioning funding. Licensees submitting financial reports pursuant to the requirements

of 10 CFR 50.75(f)(1) (due by March 31, 2001) are expected to separate funding estimates

related to the costs of decommissioning included in the NRCs definition of decommissioning in

10 CFR 50.2, from those related to other decommissioning costs not so included.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.75(f)(1), power reactor licensees are required to report the financial

status of decommissioning funds to the NRC every two years, with the first reports being

submitted by March 31, 1999. The information in the March 31, 1999 reports included:

(1) the amount of decommissioning funds estimated to be required pursuant to

10 CFR 50.75 (b) and (c)

(2) the amount accumulated to the end of the calendar year preceding the date of the

report (December 31,1998)

(3) a schedule of the annual amounts remaining to be collected

(4) the assumptions used in determining rates of escalation in decommissioning costs,

rates of earnings on decommissioning funds, and rates of other factors used in funding

projections

(5) any contracts upon which the licensee is relying pursuant to 10 CFR 50.75(e)(1)(v)

ML010300068

RIS 2001-07

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(6) any modifications occurring to a licensees current method of providing financial

assurance since the last submitted report

(7) any material changes to trust agreements.

Licensees are to estimate the funding needed for radiological decommissioning either by using

the formulas included in 10 CFR 50.75(c) or by using a site-specific methodology. The site-

specific decommissioning estimate cannot be lower than the decommissioning estimate using

the 10 CFR 50.75(c) formulas. According to NUREG-1577, Revision 1, Standard Review Plan

on Power Reactor Licensee Financial Qualifications and Decommissioning Funding Assurance

(SRP), the NRC formulas in 10 CFR 50.75(c) include only decommissioning costs incurred by

licensees 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

formulas do not include the costs of dismantling non-radiological systems and structures or the

costs of managing and storing spent fuel on site. Therefore, the SRP states that licensees

should either omit these costs in their calculations or list them separately. The NRC staff

compiles this information to assist the Commission in assessing the status of decommissioning

funding assurance. In 1999, some licensees reporting under 10 CFR 50.75(f) indicated a

combined total and did not distinguish between the radiological and non-radiological estimates.

The staff is issuing this RIS to inform licensees of the need to preserve the distinction between

NRC-defined cost estimates and all other decommissioning cost estimates in the reports they

must submit by March 31, 2001.

SUMMARY OF ISSUE

In reporting the financial status of decommissioning funds, licensees should either omit or list

separately, the costs of non NRC-defined decommissioning activities, such as dismantling non-

radiological systems and structures and the costs of managing and storing spent fuel on site.

These non-radiological costs are not counted as part of NRCs required decommissioning

funding assurance.

BACKFIT DISCUSSION

This RIS requires no action or written response and is, therefore, not a backfit under 10 CFR 50.109. Consequently, the staff did not perform a backfit analysis.

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTIFICATION

A notice of opportunity for public comment was not published in the Federal Register because

this RIS is informational and pertains to a matter that was open to public comment during its

promulgation.

RIS 2001-07

Page 3 of 3

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT

This RIS does not request the collection of any new information.

This RIS requires no specific action or written response. If you have any questions about this

matter, please contact the person listed below or the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

project manager for your specific nuclear power plant.

/RA/

David B. Matthews, Director

Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Contact: Michael A. Dusaniwskyj

301-415-1260

E-mail: mad1@nrc.gov

Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Regulatory Issue Summaries

RIS 2001-07

Page 3 of 3

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT

This RIS does not request the collection of any new information.

This RIS requires no specific action or written response. If you have any questions about this

matter, please contact the person listed below or the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

project manager for your specific nuclear power plant.

/RA/

David B. Matthews, Director

Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Contact: Michael A. Dusaniwskyj

301-415-1260

E-mail: mad1@nrc.gov

Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Regulatory Issue Summaries

Distribution:

RIS File

PUBLIC

DOCUMENT NAME: C:\dusaniws.wpd

Accession No.: ML010300068 Template No.:NRR-052

' Publicly Available ' Non-Publicly Available ' Sensitive ' Non-Sensitive

OFFICE RGEB:DRIP Tech Editor RGEB:DRIP RGEB:DRIP

NAME MDusaniwskyj* PKleene* RWood* BZalcman*

DATE 01/30/01 01/24/01 01/31/01 01/31/01

OFFICE C:RGEB:DRIP REXB OGC C:REXB:DRIP D:DRIP

NAME CCarpenter* NFields* SUttalw/chgs* LMarsh* DMatthews

DATE 01/31/01 02/21/01 02/15/01 02/21/01 02/23/01

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Attachment

RIS 2001-07

Page 1 of 1

LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC REGULATORY ISSUE SUMMARIES

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Regulatory Issue Date of

Summary No. Subject Issuance Issued to

_____ _______________________________________________________________________________

2001-06 Criteria for Triggering a Review 02/15/01 All holders of operating licenses

Under 10 CFR 50-80 for Non- for nucleqr power reactors

Owner Operator Service

Companies

2001-05 Guidance on Submitting 01/25/01 All holders of operating licenses

Documents to the NRC by for nuclear reactors and all

Electronic Information Exchange vendors who are required to make

or on CD-ROM submittals to the U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission (NRC)

pursuant to Part 50 of Title 10 of

the Code of Federal Regulations

(10 CFR Part 50), Domestic

Licensing of Production and

Utilization Facilities.

2001-04 Issuance of Updated Guidance on 01/24/01 All material and fuel cycle

the Transfer of Ownership or licensees.

Control of Licensed Activities

(NUREG-1556, Volume 15)

2001-03 Changes, Tests, and Experiments 01/23/01 All U.S. NRC Part 50 and Part 72

licensees and Part 72 Certificate

of Compliance holders.

2001-02 Guidance on Risk-Informed 01/18/01 All holders of operating licenses

Decisionmaking in License for nuclear power reactors, except

Amendment Reviews those who have permanently

ceased operations and have

certified that fuel has been

permanently removed from the

reactor vessel.

2001-01 Eligibility of Operator License 01/18/01 All holders of operating licenses

Applicants for nuclear power reactors, except

those who have permanently

ceased operations and have

certified that fuel has been

permanently removed from the

reactor vessel.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit