ML17128A073

Letter to Rielly, Vista 360, Regarding Zion Nuclear Power Station Site Rehabilitation and License Termination Plan

ML17128A073
Person / Time
Site:	Zion  File:ZionSolutions icon.png
Issue date:	05/12/2017
From:	Hickman J B Reactor Decommissioning Branch
To:	Rielly T P Vista 360
J.B. Hickman NMSS/DUWP/RDB 415-3017
References
Download: ML17128A073 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 May 12, 2017 Thomas P. Rielly, Executive Principal Vista 360° 649 Innsbruck Ct.

Libertyville, IL 60048

SUBJECT:

ZION NUCLEAR POWER STATION SITE REHABILITATION AND LICENSE TERMINATION PLAN

Dear Mr. Rielly:

I am responding to your letter of April 25, 2017, in which you expressed concerns related to the final landscaping plan for the unrestricted use, post license termination, of the Zion Nuclear Power Station (Zion). You also stated that the removal of the water pipe extending into Lake Michigan has not been addressed as part of the decommissioning discussions. You requested that these issues be addressed before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval of the Zion License Termination Plan (LTP).

The NRC values local viewpoints on matters within our regulatory authority. However, as I informed you in my letter dated July 25, 2016, NRC decommissioning regulations only require that a facility be decontaminated to meet our release criteria in 10 CFR Part 20. Our regulations do not require either that a facility be returned to green field or that all the facility structures be removed, and the NRC has no authority to require such actions. As an example, the Trojan and Rancho Seco facilities both had their licenses for the operating facilities terminated with all or most of the concrete structures still standing. The structures had been radiologically decontaminated sufficient for license termination so our regulations allowed the structures to remain. Also, most facilities have left their intake and discharge piping in place at license termination. In most cases the State authorities and/or the Army Corp of Engineers have decided that removing the pipes would have more environmental impact than leaving them in place. Finally, the NRC has no authority over the use of the site after license termination.

Future use of the site is up to the owner and subject to State and local regulatory authorities.

While the NRC appreciates your concern with site restoration and subsequent use after NRC license termination, I suggest that you contact the State or local authorities regarding your issues outside of NRC authority.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure," a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

T. Rielly If you have any questions, please contact me by telephone at (301) 415-3017 or by email at John.Hickman@nrc.gov. Sincerely,

/RA/

John B. Hickman, Project Manager Reactor Decommissioning Branch Decommissioning of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste Programs Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket Nos. 50-295 & 50-304 License Nos. DPR-39 & DPR-48

T. Rielly

SUBJECT:

ZION NUCLEAR POWER STATION SITE REHABILITATION AND LICENSE TERMINATION PLAN - [DOCUMENT DATE]

DISTRIBUTION: OGC MKunowski, RIII ML17128A073 OFFICE RDB/PM DUWP/LA RDB/BC RDB/PM NAME JHickman CHolston BWatson JHickman DATE 5/9/2017 5/10/2017 5/12/2017 5/12/2017 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY