ML20195D958

Notice Providing Supplemental Info Re Implementation of NRC Final Rule on Radiological Criteria for License Termination Which Was Issued on 970721

ML20195D958
Person / Time
Issue date:	11/12/1998
From:	Jim Hickey NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
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Shared Package
ML20195D907	List: ML20195D900 ML20195D920 ML20195D958
References
NUDOCS 9811180209
Download: ML20195D958 (7)

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[7590-01-P]

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FINAL RULE ON RADIOLOGICAL CRITERIA FOR LICENSE TERMINATION

SUMMARY

This notice provides supplementalinformation regarding implementation of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) Final Rule on Radiological Criteria for License Termination (License Termination Rule, LTR) which was issued on July 21,1997 (62 FR 39058). The information provided in this notice pertains to: 1) the end of the "grandfathering period" on August 20,1998; 2) issuance of the draft regulatory guide on the LTR for interim use;

3) availability of the NRC's screening computer code (DandD, Version 1) for calculating screening values to demonstrate compliance with the dose limits in the LTR; 4) screening values for building surface contamination for beta / gamma radiation emitters; 5) NRC plans to hold public workshops to discuss issues related to the draft guidance and implementation of the LTR;

6) staff plans to develop a standard review plan (SRP) for decommissioning; and 7) status of NRC decommissioning guidance documents.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

1. END OF THE GRANDFATHERING PERIOD Subpart E to 10 CFR Part 20 contains a provision,20.1401(b)(3), that the criteria in the LTR do not apply to sites that submit a sufficient decommissioning plan (DP) or license termination plan (LTP) before August 20,1998, provided the NRC approves the DP or the LTP before August 20,1999, and the plan is in accordance with the criteria identified in the Site 9811180209 981112 %

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Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) Action Plan (57 FR 13389; April 16,1992). The period from the effective date of the LTR, August 20,1997 through August 20,1998, is referred to as the "grandfathering period," during which the criteria in the SDMP Action Plan could continue to be proposed. This notice reminds licensees that the grandfathering period has ended, and that all future requests to terminate a license must be in accordance with the provisions in Part 20, Subpart E. Note that the NRC review of the licensee plans submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 20.1401(b)(3), incorporating the SDMP Action Plan criteria, will continue through August 20,1999.

2. DRAFT REGULATORY GUIDE The NRC has issued Draft Regulatory Guide DG-4006, " Demonstrating Compliance with the Radiological Criteria For License Termination," for a two-year interim use period (i.e., July 8, 1998 through July 7,2000). NRC has also issued draft NUREG reports in support of DG-4006 (the applicable draft NUREG reports are referenced in DG-4006). A notice of availability of the Draft Regulatory Guide was published in the Federa! Reaister on August 4,1998 (63 FR 41604).

3. AVAILABILITY OF NRC DandD SCREENING CODE On August 20,1998, NRC issued a screening computer code DandD, Version 1. The DandD code, when used with default parameters, is an acceptable method for licensees to calculate screening values to demonstrate compliance with the unrestricted use dose limit in the

- LTR. The DandD code can be installed by downloading the self-extracting program file, setup.exe, accessed through the web site: "http:/techconf.llnl. gov /radcrl/ java.html," clicking on " dose assessment," and then on " decontamination and decommissioning software."

The installation instruction file "readme.txt" can also be downloaded, using the above web site, to help users installing the code, important support documents (e.g., NUREG-1549, " Decision Methods for Dose Assessment to Comply With Radiological Criteria for License Termination"

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and NUREGICR-5512, Vol. #3, " Residual Radioactive Contamination From Decommissioning, Parameter Analysis) can also be accessed through the above web site. As discussed in DG-t i

4006, use of DandD with the default parameters is intended for screening calculations only. If screening results indicate that remediation might be needed, a site-specific dose assessment is recommended before deciding on remedial actions. NRC expects pathway analysis / dose l

assessment codes other than DandD to be more appropriate for some conditions. Regulatory i Guide DG-4006 contains guidance regarding the information required to support the use of other codes and models. In the interim period, NRC will review all dose assessment results on a )

case-by-case basis.

The DandD code, when used with the default parameter set, provides a method for calculating screening concentrations for radionuclides in soil, and screening levels for surface contamination on building surfaces. It should be noted that the screening values, based on DandD, differ from the criteria listed in the SDMP Action Plan. In most cases, the screening values for beta / gamma emitters are higher than the SDMP Action Plan criteria, while the values for alpha emitters are much lower.

During the two-year interim use period for the draft guidance (DG-4006), NRC plans to continue to refine the screening approach and to evaluate the extent of conservatism of the results of the DandD code. It may be more appropriate to develop a different screening method or approach for alpha emitters. NRC will assess the results of the DandD screening method, particularly the low screening values for alpha emitters, during the workshops to be held on the LTR guidance development. Note that DG-4006 clearly encourages the use of site-specific dose assessments, whenever needed, and recognizes that the screening values will not be appropriate in all cases.

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4. SCREENING VALUES FOR BUILDING SURFACE CONTAMINATION The staff has developed, as a tool to facilitate the efficient implementation of the LTR, a screening table (Table 1) of unrestricted release values for building surface contamination of common betalgamma emitting radionuclides. The screening table was derived using the DandD screening code, Version 1, and its default input parameters. Table 1 provides criteria which permit licensees to demonstrate compliance with the unrestricted release dose criterion in the LTR. The values in Table 1 correspond to surface concentrations of radionuclides contamination that would be deemed in compliance with the unrestricted use dose limit in 10 CFR 20.1402 (i.e.,0.25 mSv/yr, (25 mrem /yr)). The values correspond to screening

" derived concentration guidelines" (DCGL) for each specific radionuclide based on the methodology described in DG-4006. Sites with building surface contamination levels below those listed in Table 1 would be deemed acceptable for release for unrestricted use in accordance with the dose criteria in 10CFR 20.1402, provided that residual radioactivity has been reduced to "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA) levels. The table is intended for use as criteria to facilitate license termination for many simple routine decommissioning cases without a site-specific dose assessment. For facilities with contamination levels above those in Table 1, additional site-specific dose assessments may be necessary, and licensees should refer to DG-4006 regarding acceptable methods for conducting the appropriate dose assessment.

Table 1 does not include screening values for radionuclides that emit alpha particles, or for soil contamination. The NRC staff is assessing current screening approaches for sites with alpha emitters and for soil contamination. For such sites, licensees are encouraged to use, in the interim period, site-specific dose assessments based on actual site conditions.

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5. FUTURE PUBLIC WORKSHOPS NRC will hold a series of public workshops over the two-year interim period to describe the status of the ongoing development of both DG-4006 and the SRP, to provide industry and other interested parties an opportunity to provide comments, and te discuss users' experiences with implementing the guidance. The future dates for the workshops are: December 1-2,1998; January 21-22,1999; March 18-19,1999; June 16-17,1999; August 18-19,1999; and October 20-21,1999. All workshops will be conducted in the Auditorium located at NRC's Headquarters (Two White Flint North Building,11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-2738). For further details on workshops, see the Federal Reaister notice published on October 21,1998 (63 FR l

56237).

6. STANDARD REVIEW PLAN I

The NRC staff is developing an SRP for the evaluation of licensee submittals related to compliance with the radiological criteria in the LTR. The goal of the SRP is to enable NRC staff to evaluate information submitted by licensees in a timely, efficient, and consistent manner, and to determine if the decommissioning will be conducted such that the public health and safety is protected and the facility can be released in accordance with NRC's requirements. The development of the SRP will be coordinated with the effort to revise and finalize DG-4006. The web site "http://techconf.llnl. gov /cgi-bin /toples"provides updated information on the status of the guidance and the SRP, and a mechanism for the pubhc to provide comments on the draft guidance.

7. STATUS OF DECOMMISSIONING GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS Guidance materialin DG-4006 and the SRP will incorporate or supersede most existing NRC decommissioning guidance documents. Guidance documents will be revised to be l

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consistent with the LTR, or they will be phased out. Table 2 lists the status of existing NRC guidance documents affected by the LTR and associated new guidance.

Under the SDMP Action Plan criteria, the tables of surface contamination values contained in Regulatory Guide 1.86, " Termination of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Reactors,"

and Policy and Guidance Directive FC 83-23," Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of Byproduct, Source, or Special Nuclear Material Licenses," were used as the decommissioning criteria for building surfaces. The values in Table 1 are intended to replace the tables in the above two documents for license termination purposes.

The surface contamination criteria in Regulatory Guide 1.86 have been applied by reactor licensees for license termination only. However, for materials licenses (under 10 CFR Parts 30,40, and 70), the guidelines in Policy and Guidance Directive FC 83-23 have been used by licensees for two purposes: (a) as criteria for license termination, and (b) as criteria for unrestricted release of equipment and other materials during operations. On June 30,1998, the Commission directed the NRC staff to develop a dose-based regulation for clearance of equipment and materials having residual radioactivity. The criteria that eventually emerge from this rulemaking effort are intended to replace the surface contamination values in Policy and Guidance Directive FC 83-23. Until that time, licensees may continue to use the criteria in Policy and Guidance Directive FC 83-23 for unrestricted release of equipment and material, to the extent authorized by their licenses.

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, , Table 1 l ACCEPTABLE LICENSE TERMINATION SCREENING VALUES OF COMMON l RADIONUCLIDES FOR BUILDING SURFACE CONTAMINATION l Radionuclide Symbol Acceptable Screening Levels' for l

Unrestricted Release (dpm/100 cm 2)2 Hydrogen 3 (Tritium) H 1.2E+08 Carbon-14 "C 3.7E+06 Sodium-22 22Na 9.5E+03 Sulfur -35 5 8 1.3E+07 Chlorine-36 38CI 5.0E+05 Manganese-54 "Mn 3.2E+04 Iron-55 55Fe 4.5E+06 Cobalt-60 5 Co 7.1 E+03 Nickel-63 53Ni 1.8E+06 Strontium-90 S Sr 8.7E+03 Technstium-99 "Tc 1.3E+06 lodine-129 12'l 3.5E+04 Cesium-137 '37Cs 2.8E+04 Iridium-192 a2lr 7.4 E+04

' Screening levels are based on the assumption that the fraction of removable surface contamination is equal to 0.1. For cases when the fraction of removable contamination is undetermined or higher than 0.1, users may assume, for screening purposes, that 100% of surface contamination is removable, and therefore the screening levels should be decreased by a factor of 10. Alternatively, users having site-specific data on the fraction of removable contamination (e.g., within the 10% to 100% range) may calculate site-specific screening levels using DandD Version 1.

2 l 2 Units are disintegrations per minute per 100 square centimeters (dpm/100 cm ). I dpm l is equivalent to 0.0167 becquerel (Bq). The screening values represent surface concentrations of

individual radionuclides that would be deemed in compliance with the 0.25 mSv/yr (25 mrem /yr) unrestricted release dose limit in 10 CFR 20.1402. For radionuclides in a mixture, the " sum of

. fractions" rule applies; see 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Note 4. Refer to NRC Draft Guidance DG-4006 for further information on application of the values in this table.

Table 2 S EXISTING GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS APPLICABLE TO DECOMMISSIONING THAT WILL REQUIRE REVISION OR DISCONTINUATION IN ORDER ,.

TO IMPLEMENT THE LICENSE TERMINATION RULE (LTR).

DECOMMISSION!NG GUIDANCE DOCUMENT STATUS WITH RESPECT TO LTR Decommissioning Criteria in Action Plan to Ensure Timely Superseded by LTR and DG-4006 Cleanup of Site Decommissioning Management Plan Sites Note: Still applicable to sites " grandfathered" in (SDMP Action Plan)(57 FR 13389) accordance with 10 CFR 20.1401(b)

Policy and Guidance Directive FC 83-23, " Guidelines for Superseded by DG-4006 for License Termination the Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Note: This document may continue to be used as criteria Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of Byproduct, for unrestricted release of equipment and material from Source, or Special Nuclear Material Licenses" licensed material facilities during operational activities prior to license termination, to the extent authorized by the licenses.

Draft Branch Technical Position on " Screening Superseded by LTR and DG-4006 Methodology for Assessing Prior Land Burials of Radioactive Wastes Authorized Under Former 10 CFR 20.304 and 20.302"(96 FR 28223)

" Preliminary Hazards Analysis for Contaminated Buildings Superseded by DG-4006 at Formerly Licensed Sites" NUREG/BR-0241, "NMSS Handbook for Decommissioning References to decommissioning criteria are superseded by Fuel Cycle and Materials Licensees" the LTR and DG-4006. The Handbook will be updated as appropriate to be consistent with the LTN and current guidelines.

Regulatory Guide 1.86," Termination of Operating Licenses Superseded by DG-4006 for Nuclear Reactors" Draft NUREGICR-5849, " Manual for Conducting Superseded by DG-4006 Radiological Surveys in Support of License Termination" J

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7-l FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

i Mr. David N. Fauver, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, at (301) 415-6625, or Dr. Rateb (Boby) Abu Eid, Performance Assessment and High-Level Waste Integration Branch, at (301) 415-5811, both of the Division of Waste Management, Office of l Nuclear Material Safety and Safegyards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington i-

! - DC, 20555-0001.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this S day of November 1998.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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M John W. N. Hickey, Chief L.

Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards i

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