Decontamination and Decommissioning

NRC schedules public meetings on D&D rulemaking

April 7, 2022, 7:00AMRadwaste Solutions

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced that it will hold public meetings this month to present its proposed regulations for nuclear power plants transitioning from operating status to decommissioning.

The meetings will be held on April 12 in Chicago, April 19 in Atlanta, and April 21 in Plymouth, Mass. The meetings will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time and will include an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions. Those unable to attend in person can participate via Microsoft Teams. Details on meeting venues and virtual participation are provided in the public meeting notices at the above links.

The rule: Current NRC regulations establish safety requirements for the operation of nuclear power plants. These regulations do not have separate requirements appropriate for the significantly lower safety hazards associated with a permanently shut down and defueled reactor undergoing decommissioning.

The proposed rule would implement specific regulatory requirements for various phases of the decommissioning process commensurate with the reduced risk and based on lessons learned from plants that have recently transitioned to decommissioning. The proposed rule and related information are available on the NRC website.

Public comments: The proposed rule was published on March 3, and public comments are being accepted through May 17. While NRC staff will not be taking formal comments at the public meetings, they will present the proposed amendments to NRC regulations and point out specific areas of interest the public could consider addressing in comments on the proposed rule.

Tags:
decommissioningmeetingsnrcrulemaking
Share:
LinkedInTwitterFacebookEmail

Related Articles

Laying the foundation for advanced reactors

November 15, 2023, 9:31AMNuclear NewsRichard A. Meserve

Climate change presents a grave threat, demanding increasing reliance on low-carbon energy over the coming decades. Nuclear power today contributes half of U.S. low-carbon generation, and...

Deep geologic repository progress

November 10, 2023, 3:07PMNuclear NewsEmily Stein

Outside my office, there is a display case filled with rock samples from all over the world. It contains a disk of translucent, orange salt from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad,...

Safford named NRC’s commission secretary

November 2, 2023, 9:30AMNuclear News

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced that Carrie M. Safford will be the new secretary of the commission, effective November 5. She is the fifth person in the 48-year history of the...