ML19193A183

Summary of Meeting with Zion Solutions on Zion Decommissioning Performance

ML19193A183
Person / Time
Site:	Zion  File:ZionSolutions icon.png
Issue date:	07/26/2019
From:	John Hickman Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs
To:
Hickman J
References
Download: ML19193A183 (5)

Text

July 26, 2019 LICENSEE: Zion Solutions FACILITY: Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2

SUMMARY

OF JUNE 27, 2019, MEETING WITH ZIONSOLUTIONS ON ZION DECOMMISSIONING PERFORMANCE On June 27, 2019, a Category 1 public meeting was held between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and representatives of ZionSolutions via teleconference. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss recent performance issues with the decommissioning of the Zion facility. A list of attendees is provided as Enclosure 1. A summary of the meeting is provided as .

Members of the public were in attendance.

Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-3017, or john.hickman@nrc.gov.

/RA/

John B. Hickman, Project Manager Reactor Decommissioning Branch Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No(s). 50-295 and 50-304

Enclosures:

1. List of Attendees

2. Meeting Summary cc: Zion Service List

ML19193A183 OFFICE NMSS/RDB/PM NMSS/LA MNSS/RDB/BC NMSS/RDB/PM NAME JHickman CHolston BWatson JHickman DATE 7/23/2019 7/23/2019 7/25/2019 7/26/2019 LIST OF ATTENDEES June 27, 2019 Meeting with Zion Solutions Decommissioning Performance Issues Zion Solutions:

John Sauger Gerald VanNordennen Jerry Houff NRC:

John Tapert David Pelton Bruce Watson Michael Lafranzo Shawn Harwell Marlayna Doell Michael Kunowski Christine Lipa Prema Chandrathil Bill Lin John Hickman Enclosure 1

MEETING

SUMMARY

June 27, 2019 Meeting with Zion Solutions Decommissioning Performance Issues The NRC opened the meeting with a summary of recent performance issues involving the Zion decommissioning project. Quality control issues include the submittal of a final status survey report with multiple systemic issues which prevented completion of the review, and submittal of a decommissioning funding report which showed a negative balance in the radiological decommissioning and irradiated fuel management trust with a contemporaneous document requesting a disbursement from the fund. Coordination and communication issues include the licensee making plans to reuse concrete as fill material in areas not authorized by the license termination plan, and scheduling NRC confirmatory surveys in areas the licensee has not completed their own radiological surveys. The NRC noted that several of these issues have already been addressed to some extent by supplemental submittals from the licensee.

ZionSolutions (ZS) provided a summary of the current site status including the radiological source term removed and radiological dose to workers.

ZS discussed actions taken to address the FSS errors, including a QA audit by persons not directly involved in the work, an emphasis on administrative excellence, and the preparation of a checklist for future submittals. ZS noted that they identified other errors in the report which are also being corrected.

ZS acknowledged the survey process errors that lead to the confirmatory survey issues and noted that they are implementing a checklist for readiness for future confirmatory surveys.

Finally, ZS explained that the funding report showed a negative balance because they reflected future disbursements as part of the balance calculation. ZS stated that they will provide supplemental funding as necessary and the project will be funding to completion. ZS has submitted a revised funding report clarifying the financial sufficiency.

Several members of the pubic expressed concern with the NRCs oversight of the decommissioning trust fund. These issues included questions if the NRC conducted a line item review of expenditures to ensure that funds are actually spent on decommissioning, concerns that there is no independent analysis done for decommissioning trust fund expenditures, and why the NRC does not object to the trust fund disbursements. The public stated that these concerns have been expressed in prior public meetings and the NRC did not conduct an audit as requested.

The NRC explained that the NRCs financial oversight is limited to ensuring that there are sufficient funds in the decommissioning trust to complete the radiological decommissioning.

The NRC does not perform a detailed financial audit of the licensees expenditures. The NRC has no statutory basis to perform such an audit. The NRC reaffirmed responses from prior meetings, that appropriate State authorities would have oversight of business processes.

Enclosure 2