[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 240 (Thursday, December 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
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From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30797]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: December 15, 1994]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Draft Branch Technical Position on Site Characterization for
Decommissioning; Notice of Availability
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Branch Technical Position on
Site Characterization for Decommissioning.
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SUMMARY: The NRC is noticing the availability and soliciting comments
on a Draft Branch Technical Position on Site Characterization for
Decommissioning (November 1994). The draft Branch Technical Position
(BTP) describes the type, amount, and quality of information that might
be necessary in Site Characterization Reports prepared and submitted to
NRC by licensees and other responsible parties in support of
decommissioning actions. The BTP may also serve as a template for the
site characterization content of site-specific orders issued by NRC to
compel timely characterization and remediation of contaminated sites.
DATES: Written comments on the draft Branch Technical Position received
by February 13, 1995 will be considered in developing the final Branch
Technical Position on Site Characterization for Decommissioning.
Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical
to do so, but NRC is able to assure consideration only for comments
received on or before this date.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the draft Branch Technical Position
should be sent to: Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001. ATTN: Docketing and Services Branch. Hand
deliver comments to 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852,
between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., on Federal workdays.
Copies of the draft Branch Technical Position may be obtained by
contacting Mary Hood, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop
T7F27, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Phone (301) 415-6644; Fax (301) 415-
5397.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Boby Eid, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T7F27, Washington, DC 20555-
0001. Phone (301) 415-5811.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended,
and the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 assign to the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission the responsibility for licensing and regulating
commercial nuclear facilities. These activities include decommissioning
of nuclear facilities, or the process of removing the facility safely
from service and reducing residual radioactivity to a level that
permits release of the property in accordance with NRC requirements.
NRC decommissioning requirements are specified in the various licensing
regulations in 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, 50, 70, and 72. NRC has also
recently proposed radiological criteria for decommissioning (59 FR
43200; August 22, 1994).
Over the past two decades, NRC has gained experience with the
decommissioning of commercial nuclear facilities. Since 1989, NRC has
placed special attention on the timely remediation and decommissioning
of about 50 sites listed in the Site Decommissioning Management Plan
(SDMP). This experience in overseeing the decommissioning of SDMP sites
and other licensed nuclear facilities has highlighted the importance of
effective site characterization early in the decommissioning process.
On April 16, 1992, NRC published the ``Action Plan to Ensure Timely
Cleanup of SDMP Sites'' (57 FR 13389). Recognizing the importance of
effective site characterization, NRC committed in the Action Plan to
providing guidance on the content of acceptable site characterization
programs conducted in support of decommissioning.
In July 1992, NRC completed a preliminary draft Branch Technical
Position on Site Characterization for Decommissioning. NRC circulated
the preliminary draft for internal review and made copies available to
licensees and other parties upon request. NRC also presented the
concepts of the preliminary draft at a public workshop on the SDMP
Action Plan in November 1992.
In today's notice NRC is announcing the availability of the draft
Branch Technical Position on Site Characterization for Decommissioning
and soliciting comments. The draft Branch Technical Position (BTP) is
an updated version of the 1992 preliminary draft BTP. NRC discussed
this BTP at a public workshop on site characterization for
decommissioning, which was held on November 29 and 30, 1994, in
Rockville, Maryland (59 FR 49423; September 28, 1994). A copy of the
transcript from that workshop will soon be available in the NRC Public
Document Room.
NRC will review the comments and suggestions from the workshop
along with written comments provided in response to this notice in
finalizing the BTP. NRC anticipates completion of the final BTP in
September 1995.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of December 1994.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John H. Austin,
Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, Division of
Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 94-30797 Filed 12-14-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M