ML010300068
| 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)
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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.
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
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
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