For power reactor licensees who, before the effective date of this rule, either submitted a decommissioning plan for approval or possess an approved decommissioning plan, the plan is considered to be the PSDAR submittal required under paragraph (a)(4) of this section and the provisions of this section apply accordingly. For power reactor licensees whose decommissioning plan approval activities have been relegated to notice of opportunity for a hearing under subpart G of 10 CFR part 2, the public meeting convened and 90-day delay of major decommissioning activities required in paragraphs (a)(4)(ii) and (a)(5) of this section shall not apply, and any orders arising from proceedings under subpart G of 10 CFR part 2 shall continue and remain in effect absent any orders from the Commission.

(a) For power reactor licensees—

(1)

(i) When a licensee has determined to permanently cease operations the licensee shall, within 30 days, submit a written certification to the NRC, consistent with the requirements of §50.4(b)(8);

(ii) Once fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel, the licensee shall submit a written certification to the NRC that meets the requirements of §50.4(b)(9) and;

(iii) For licensees whose licenses have been permanently modified to allow possession but not operation of the facility, before the effective date of this rule, the certifications required in paragraphs (a)(1) (i)-(ii) of this section shall be deemed to have been submitted.

(2) Upon docketing of the certifications for permanent cessation of operations and permanent removal of fuel from the reactor vessel, or when a final legally effective order to permanently cease operations has come into effect, the 10 CFR part 50 license no longer authorizes operation of the reactor or emplacement or retention of fuel into the reactor vessel.

(3) Decommissioning will be completed within 60 years of permanent cessation of operations. Completion of decommissioning beyond 60 years will be approved by the Commission only when necessary to protect public health and safety. Factors that will be considered by the Commission in evaluating an alternative that provides for completion of decommissioning beyond 60 years of permanent cessation of operations include unavailability of waste disposal capacity and other site-specific factors affecting the licensee's capability to carry out decommissioning, including presence of other nuclear facilities at the site.

(4)

(i) Prior to or within 2 years following permanent cessation of operations, the licensee shall submit a post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) to the NRC, and a copy to the affected State(s). The PSDAR must contain a description of the planned decommissioning activities along with a schedule for their accomplishment, a discussion that provides the reasons for concluding that the environmental impacts associated with site-specific decommissioning activities will be bounded by appropriate previously issued environmental impact statements, and a site-specific DCE, including the projected cost of managing irradiated fuel.

(ii) The NRC shall notice receipt of the PSDAR and make the PSDAR available for public comment. The NRC shall also schedule a public meeting in the vicinity of the licensee's facility upon receipt of the PSDAR. The NRC shall publish a notice in the Federal Register and in a forum, such as local newspapers, that is readily accessible to individuals in the vicinity of the site, announcing the date, time and location of the meeting, along with a brief description of the purpose of the meeting.

(5) Licensees shall not perform any major decommissioning activities, as defined in §50.2, until 90 days after the NRC has received the licensee's PSDAR submittal and until certifications of permanent cessation of operations and permanent removal of fuel from the reactor vessel, as required under §50.82(a)(1), have been submitted.

(6) Licensees shall not perform any decommissioning activities, as defined in §50.2, that—

(i) Foreclose release of the site for possible unrestricted use;

(ii) Result in significant environmental impacts not previously reviewed; or

(iii) Result in there no longer being reasonable assurance that adequate funds will be available for decommissioning.

(7) In taking actions permitted under §50.59 following submittal of the PSDAR, the licensee shall notify the NRC, in writing and send a copy to the affected State(s), before performing any decommissioning activity inconsistent with, or making any significant schedule change from, those actions and schedules described in the PSDAR, including changes that significantly increase the decommissioning cost.

(8)

(i) Decommissioning trust funds may be used by licensees if—

(A) The withdrawals are for expenses for legitimate decommissioning activities consistent with the definition of decommissioning in §50.2;

(B) The expenditure would not reduce the value of the decommissioning trust below an amount necessary to place and maintain the reactor in a safe storage condition if unforeseen conditions or expenses arise and;

(C) The withdrawals would not inhibit the ability of the licensee to complete funding of any shortfalls in the decommissioning trust needed to ensure the availability of funds to ultimately release the site and terminate the license.

(ii) Initially, 3 percent of the generic amount specified in §50.75 may be used for decommissioning planning. For licensees that have submitted the certifications required under §50.82(a)(1) and commencing 90 days after the NRC has received the PSDAR, an additional 20 percent may be used. A site-specific decommissioning cost estimate must be submitted to the NRC prior to the licensee using any funding in excess of these amounts.

(iii) Within 2 years following permanent cessation of operations, if not already submitted, the licensee shall submit a site-specific decommissioning cost estimate.

(iv) For decommissioning activities that delay completion of decommissioning by including a period of storage or surveillance, the licensee shall provide a means of adjusting cost estimates and associated funding levels over the storage or surveillance period.

(v) After submitting its site-specific DCE required by paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section, and until the licensee has completed its final radiation survey and demonstrated that residual radioactivity has been reduced to a level that permits termination of its license, the licensee must annually submit to the NRC, by March 31, a financial assurance status report. The report must include the following information, current through the end of the previous calendar year:

(A) The amount spent on decommissioning, both cumulative and over the previous calendar year, the remaining balance of any decommissioning funds, and the amount provided by other financial assurance methods being relied upon;

(B) An estimate of the costs to complete decommissioning, reflecting any difference between actual and estimated costs for work performed during the year, and the decommissioning criteria upon which the estimate is based;

(C) Any modifications occurring to a licensee's current method of providing financial assurance since the last submitted report; and

(D) Any material changes to trust agreements or financial assurance contracts.

(vi) If the sum of the balance of any remaining decommissioning funds, plus earnings on such funds calculated at not greater than a 2 percent real rate of return, together with the amount provided by other financial assurance methods being relied upon, does not cover the estimated cost to complete the decommissioning, the financial assurance status report must include additional financial assurance to cover the estimated cost of completion.

(vii) After submitting its site-specific DCE required by paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section, the licensee must annually submit to the NRC, by March 31, a report on the status of its funding for managing irradiated fuel. The report must include the following information, current through the end of the previous calendar year:

(A) The amount of funds accumulated to cover the cost of managing the irradiated fuel;

(B) The projected cost of managing irradiated fuel until title to the fuel and possession of the fuel is transferred to the Secretary of Energy; and

(C) If the funds accumulated do not cover the projected cost, a plan to obtain additional funds to cover the cost.

(9) All power reactor licensees must submit an application for termination of license. The application for termination of license must be accompanied or preceded by a license termination plan to be submitted for NRC approval.

(i) The license termination plan must be a supplement to the FSAR or equivalent and must be submitted at least 2 years before termination of the license date.

(ii) The license termination plan must include—

(A) A site characterization;

(B) Identification of remaining dismantlement activities;

(C) Plans for site remediation;

(D) Detailed plans for the final radiation survey;

(E) A description of the end use of the site, if restricted;

(F) An updated site-specific estimate of remaining decommissioning costs; and

(G) A supplement to the environmental report, pursuant to §51.53, describing any new information or significant environmental change associated with the licensee's proposed termination activities.

(H) Identification of parts, if any, of the facility or site that were released for use before approval of the license termination plan.

(iii) The NRC shall notice receipt of the license termination plan and make the license termination plan available for public comment. The NRC shall also schedule a public meeting in the vicinity of the licensee's facility upon receipt of the license termination plan. The NRC shall publish a notice in the Federal Register and in a forum, such as local newspapers, which is readily accessible to individuals in the vicinity of the site, announcing the date, time and location of the meeting, along with a brief description of the purpose of the meeting.

(10) If the license termination plan demonstrates that the remainder of decommissioning activities will be performed in accordance with the regulations in this chapter, will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public, and will not have a significant effect on the quality of the environment and after notice to interested persons, the Commission shall approve the plan, by license amendment, subject to such conditions and limitations as it deems appropriate and necessary and authorize implementation of the license termination plan.

(11) The Commission shall terminate the license if it determines that—

(i) The remaining dismantlement has been performed in accordance with the approved license termination plan, and

(ii) The final radiation survey and associated documentation, including an assessment of dose contributions associated with parts released for use before approval of the license termination plan, demonstrate that the facility and site have met the criteria for decommissioning in 10 CFR part 20, subpart E.

(b) For non-power reactor licensees—

(1) A licensee that permanently ceases operations must make application for license termination within 2 years following permanent cessation of operations, and in no case later than 1 year prior to expiration of the operating license. Each application for termination of a license must be accompanied or preceded by a proposed decommissioning plan. The contents of the decommissioning plan are specified in paragraph (b)(4) of this section.

(2) For decommissioning plans in which the major dismantlement activities are delayed by first placing the facility in storage, planning for these delayed activities may be less detailed. Updated detailed plans must be submitted and approved prior to the start of these activities.

(3) For decommissioning plans that delay completion of decommissioning by including a period of storage or surveillance, the licensee shall provide that—

(i) Funds needed to complete decommissioning be placed into an account segregated from the licensee's assets and outside the licensee's administrative control during the storage or surveillance period, or a surety method or fund statement of intent be maintained in accordance with the criteria of §50.75(e); and

(ii) Means be included for adjusting cost estimates and associated funding levels over the storage or surveillance period.

(4) The proposed decommissioning plan must include—

(i) The choice of the alternative for decommissioning with a description of activities involved. An alternative is acceptable if it provides for completion of decommissioning without significant delay. Consideration will be given to an alternative which provides for delayed completion of decommissioning only when necessary to protect the public health and safety. Factors to be considered in evaluating an alternative which provides for delayed completion of decommissioning include unavailability of waste disposal capacity and other site-specific factors affecting the licensee's capability to carry out decommissioning, including the presence of other nuclear facilities at the site.

(ii) A description of the controls and limits on procedures and equipment to protect occupational and public health and safety;

(iii) A description of the planned final radiation survey;

(iv) An updated cost estimate for the chosen alternative for decommissioning, comparison of that estimate with present funds set aside for decommissioning, and plan for assuring the availability of adequate funds for completion of decommissioning; and

(v) A description of technical specifications, quality assurance provisions and physical security plan provisions in place during decommissioning.

(5) If the decommissioning plan demonstrates that the decommissioning will be performed in accordance with the regulations in this chapter and will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public, and after notice to interested persons, the Commission will approve, by amendment, the plan subject to such conditions and limitations as it deems appropriate and necessary. The approved decommissioning plan will be a supplement to the Safety Analysis report or equivalent.

(6) The Commission will terminate the license if it determines that—

(i) The decommissioning has been performed in accordance with the approved decommissioning plan, and

(ii) The terminal radiation survey and associated documentation demonstrate that the facility and site are suitable for release in accordance with the criteria for decommissioning in 10 CFR part 20, subpart E.

(c) For a facility that has permanently ceased operation before the expiration of its license, the collection period for any shortfall of funds will be determined, upon application by the licensee, on a case-by-case basis taking into account the specific financial situation of each licensee.

[61 FR 39301, July 29, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 39091, July 21, 1997; 68 FR 19727, Apr. 22, 2003; 76 FR 35571, June 17, 2011; 79 FR 66603, Nov. 10, 2014]