Status of the NRC Decommissioning Program

This paper provides an update, based on a staff briefing of the Commission in July 1999, on the status of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission=s (NRC=s) decommissioning program. It discusses the staff=s rebaselining (management reviews of major milestones; staff review schedules; major technical and regulatory issues; etc...) of complex decommissioning cases and of sites listed in the Site Decommissioning Management Plan. The paper will also address the status of permanently shut-down commercial power reactors and touch upon the impacts related to the transfer of complex decommissioning sites and sites listed on the SDMP to Agreement States. The status of NRC=s reviews of site decommissioning in accordance with: 1) the NRC=s Action Plan Criteria (Agrandfathered,'' pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1401(b)); and 2) site decommissioning under the NRC=s license termination rule criteria published in July 1997, will also be provided. In addition this paper will offer an overview of NRC staff responsibilities related to reactor decommissioning and the measures that the staff has implemented to ensure a seamless exchange of decommissioning responsibilities among the involved NRC organizations.