'

^ o *tcu4>n

c-A UNITED ST ATES

,,

2 %e, - 7. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONI | c<

4.\ ^ / E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555.:s /,

C s ^ '~ ~ems -

-- .~ ~ ,%, *.....C

July 17, 1979

The Ecnorable Rober: C. Bailey, Chair annashingten Utilities and Transper:ation Cc==issicaHighways-Licenses 3uildingCly: pia,'4A 95504

Dear Mr. Chair:an:

The Nuclear Regulatory Cen=ission (NRC) has been engaged in the develer-cent cf a core explicit pclicy for nuclear facility decc==issioning. In

Septe:ber 1978 we held a set of regicnal verksheps to review with Stateefficials the specifics of the NRC plan. In respense to the co :ents, theplan was =cdified. NUREG-0436, Revisien #1 was issued in "etember 1978 andsent to all the States fcr cc= ent. A fellerup set of verkshops to discusstechnical studies ce=pleted since las year, a preliminary draft cf a genericervircrental impact state ent, and draft propcsed rule changes, will be helden Septe ber 12-14, Cole:bia, Scu:h Carolina and Septe:ber 25-27, Seattle,Washington. An agenda is enclosed.

I invite you to participate or designate a represen:ative to participate inthese workshops. Ycu may, of ccurse, send others as observers. In the event: hat there are budgetary difficulties, se e funds say be available for travel.I an also sending letters of invitatien to the leadership of the State legis-la:ure and the Geverner. A lis: cf the State's attendees at the Septe:ber.ye8 wer,xshop is enc,ese,..-- .

.

We have had suggestiens at the previcus werksheps that it wculd be useful for:he participants to cur a nuclear facili:y prior to discussing any new NRCrrepesed regulatiens er guidelines. The attendees generally agreed that sucha : cur wculd give the participants a better peispective of what would beentailed in decca:issicning these facilities. Over the past few cenths weMave polled :he participants of the Septe:ber 1978 worksheps :c see if therewas still interes: in taking a tour prier :c this wcrkshcp. Eu: the respense

was gecgraphically di.ided. There was a contineed interest f ce these partic-1; ants who wculd go :c the workshop in Celu:bia, South Carolina. Hence, we

Ma-ce arranged fcr a ferral cur en September 11 cf Sun.er I. a nuclear ;ccerriant urder ccnstruc:icn, and the Icw-level burial ;rcund in Earnwell, Scu:h:arolina.

7900120' jy. 2>-~/'7

o .v . ~ o=>d t h JLtd

- 2-

Surprisingly, there was little interes in a tour cf Hanford fro = thoseStates that veuld participate in the Seattle workshops. Therefore, we arenot conducting a for:al tour. k'e have , hevever, made arrangenents with theRichland Operatiens Office of the Department of Energy :o provide a tour ifsome of the participants want to travel to Hanford en September 23 for a touren Septe=ber 24 They would have to return to Seattle en the evening of the24th in order to be available for the start of the workshop, on the followingcorning.

Another suggestion that came out of our Septe ber 1978 vorkshops was that eachState's representatives to the next workshcp have the oppertunity to caucurbefore cccing to the workshop. The purpose of the caucus veuld be to developthe State's positien en the issues that will be discussed. I support this ideaand vill provide you er ycur designated representative with the appropriateinfor=atien in advance of the =eeting.

I uculd appreciate it if ycu would designate ycur representative, his position,address and telephene number and notify the centractor who is providingsupport for the verkshop: Ms. Sharen Thc=pson-Cchen, PIER Consultants, Inc.,1260 Rockville Pike, Suite 202, Rockville, Maryland 20552, (301) 340-7990. Sothat we can make the necessary travel and tour arrangements, we need to knowwho ycur representatives are by July 27.

Ia enclosing background =aterial en the issues to be discussed.~'

, Sincerely,

s#f

I

Rcbert C. Ryan, ireq :orOffice of State ProgEams

Enclosures:

1. Agenda2. Eackground State ent3. State Attendee List

<v'e'' gy.p d (ru n_.

.

STATE WORKSHOPS ON DECOMMISSIONINGAGENDA

Septemoer 1979

Day 1

Registration 8:00 a.m. - 12 Noon

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. PLENARY SESSION

Welcore and Orientation

Brief Review and Status of Reevaluation Program

New Tecnnical Stucies - Battelle

Pressuri:ed Water Reactor Addencum

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. BREAK

10:30 a.m. - Noon PLENARY SESSION

New Tecnnical Studies (continued)

B oiling Water Reactors

Low-Level Waste Eurial Ground

hoon - 1 :00 p.u. LUNCH

PLENARY SESSION1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Special Task Force Reports

financial Assurance

Resicual Racioactivi ty

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. B REAX

2:00 p.m. 4: 30 c.m. PLENARY SESSION

Generic Environmental Impac: 5:ateren:

a:30 :.T.. - 6:00 p.m. PLENARY SESSION

Suggestec ;olicy ar.c Rule Changes

Ques: ions for Discussion

0 ganize anc crr scrking Groups

<>n ns.o c 4 .a 0

2-

STATE WORKSHOPS ON DECOM.MISSIONING|continuec;

.

Day 2

9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Working Group Discussion of Questions

TTT'FTTTTTTT

Day 3

S:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

'arking Group Review of Draf t Report

9:00 a. m. - 11:00 a.m. CLOSING PLENARY SESSION

Summary of Workshcp

Responses - Workshop Chairpersons

,

e% * 83 ''g,

Jd of is 5 U

.

Background Pacer

Durine Sectember 1978, a series of State wcrksnocs were held en the

Nuclear Regula: cry Co.mmission's (NRC's) plan for reevaluation of policy

on deconmissioning of nuclear facilities. It was the intent of these

workshops to allow for effective State participation on critical issues

at an early stage in the decisionmaking process.

As a result of critical comments, suggestiens and delineation of

State and public needs effered curinc the worksheps, a public nee:ing

following -he workshecs and various c:her Sta:e anc public responses, .he

NRC plan has been modified accordingly. A summary of the varicus State-

and public comments received, as well as a descriction of :ne ensuing

_NRC response and modifica:icns of the plan was presentec in NUREG-0436,

Eevision 1 (Cocies were mailed tc the States n Decer.cer 1978). Ccnfe r-

ence preceecings for the State workshecs were cocumented in NUREG/CP-0003

(Copies nailed Ic States in December 1978).

A seconc series of State workshcts will be neid curing September

1979 to ciscuss this modified plan and recer: cn :ne progress made since

the las; series cf wcrkshc;s.

Inrcugh the workshops, NRC staff will seek:

criticus of the mocified clan--

criticue of the expanced RWR and SWR -e:c ;s--

c-iticue of the l ow level waste burial re; cr:--

commen s cr financial assurance--

-- can.ments 05 resiCual activ' y 'imits

criticue cf *.he CEIS--

criticue cf creccsed rules--

( s = } *' ' t N P")sy d t f.s 1.1

.

.

2

The workshops will oegin with a general ciscussion of ne revised

oeconnn ssioning plan anc the progress thus f ar acnievec in fulfilling

its requirements. Battelle Northwest Pacific Laboratory (FNL) has been

the NRC's prime contractor in oeveloping the cecommissioning inforration

base. For continuity, a brief sutcary will De presentec of ne ta'o PNL

reports presented at tne previous workshops: the decommissioning of a fuel

reprocessing plant and pressuri:ec water reactor (PWR), NUREG-U270 anc

WUREG/CR-0130. In accition, a orief suarary wili ce presentec cf

NUREG/CR-0129 on :ne cecommissioning of a mixec oxioe fuel f aorication

plant, wnich was issuec af ter ne 1978 worKsncps. Researcn will De cescrioec

:na: nas oeen initiatec to complement certain recognizaole ceficiercies in e

ne cata base utili ec in :ne PWR cecommissioning stucy.

. This incluces:

a stucy of reactor irraciatec materiais ;c mere cefinitivelyo

icentify anc characterire potential lonc livec racionuclices;

e a stucy of lign: water reactor racicactive inventcry anc

cistribution to help characterize current reactor contami na-

tien problems as well as facilitate projections as to wnat such

contaminaticn preolems mign: be at the enc of cperating life;

anc finally,

a stucy to icentify possible cecon amina:icn tecnniques fore

cec 0=T.i ssioninc anc cuantitatively cescrice :nei r ef f ectiveness.

n e% tecnnical stucies nearinc ccmpletien oy FNL will ce ci scussec

in ce:aii . Tnese incluce:

ar. accencum c :ne FAR stucy wnere various acci:icnal cicerna-c

tives anc sensitivities are analy:ec. Tnese encom: ass a orcacer

rance cf possibilities : nan in :ne on ginal FLE s ucy. Tneo . 3 ..- . . n ,,

s J t) t te l (b

..

.

_3

analyses contain cetailec consideration of :ne en:Dmbment

cption, effect of plant size on safety anc costs, impact of

higner reactor contamination levels, effect on costs of

utilizing incivicual contractors, anc effect on cc,sts of

increases in cisposal enarges at waste cisposal f acilities;

o a parallel treatment cf cecommissioning a boiling water reactor

to ccmplement ne PWR stucy; anc finally,

o censioe' ration of the options, safety anc costs for oecommissioning

a l ow level waste burial grounc f or typical eastern anc -estern

sites.

Special NRC staff task force craf t reports en two issues of central concern,

- financial assurance and racicactive resioue, will aisc be cd scussec. Tne

presentations will incluce:

o a ciscussion of the ceveicping cata base anc preiiminary conclusions

reacnec regarcing viable financial cecommissioning assurance

estions for nuclear f acilities; and

a ciscussion of preliminary conclusions reacnec regarcing acceptacle

res;cual racicactive contamina:1cn leveis for unrestrictec

release cf nuclear facilities.

Tne ferm.al presentaticn will enc witn a ciscussion cf :ne preliminary

craf t generic envi ronmental imcact statement on :ne cecommi ssioning of

c.ciea- f acilities, f ciio-ec cy a ci scussion of suggestec pciicy anc raie

cnanges. Tne ciscussicn on :ne envi rcnmental im:ac; statement will

d h [ io# 1(3cr.~o4 ,

.

.

*.c

concern itself with putting into perspective :ne various viaole

alternative cecorrn ssioning cptions for nuclear f acilities, inclucing

those for non-fuel cycle Dyprocuct material usage, anc celineate their

potential impacts wi-h respect to public anc occupational nealth and

safety, environmental oegradatica, and economic costs. The minimization

of aaverse potential impacts through possible regulatory activities

will also be consicerec. Finally, a ciscussion of suggestec pclicy anc

rule changes based on the results of :ne impact statemen will De

presentec. NRC staff will use ne infornation from :nese workshops to

evaluate its preliminary conclusions with regarc to cecommissioning

policy anc implementation plan. A report will be preparec wnien will be

_

par cf the occurentaticn used oy NRC staff, anc availacle to :ne general

public._,

The NRC cecommissioning program is at :ne stage where :ne staff has

given preliminary consideration to cecommissioning policy. In accorc-

ance with NRC's Pian for Reevaluation of policy, WUREG-U436, Revision

=1, we are hoicing tne seconc series of worksnop Tnese will con-

sist of two regional workshops: Septencer 12-l a,1979 -- Colurci a,

Soutn Carolina; Sep temoer 25-27, 1979 - Seattle, ='asni ne:cn (see attacn-

me nt ) . 1; is our nope :na essentially :ne same people will attenc :nis

workshcp as cio in Septemoer 1978. We co not intenc to concuct an ince; n

revie- cf material coverec at :ne 1978 worksnop.

1m'C30

. ..

.

.

Prior o ne workshop, NRC will provide to participants :ne necessary

information on issues to be ciscussec. An optional tour nas been

arranged for September 11 near Columnia South Carolina to aic partici-

pants in their uncerstancing of reactors and a low level waste curial

f acili ty. A tour can be arrangec at Hanfore prior to tne star: of tne

Seattle worksnop for any participant wno is interested. Information on

:ne tour will de sent cirectly to cesignatec participants.

Attacnment:

Wor (snop iccations,

~~.,

{ %.* )) < ,u . u . .s

o

.

.

1979 REGIONAL WORKSHOP LOCATIONS

Carolina Inn937 Assembly St.Septemoer 12 - 14 Columbia, SC

For the Following States:

Alabara, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Fler1da, Georgia, Kentucky,Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Masscchusetts, Mississippi, Missouri,New Hamoshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,Dennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee,Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.

The Conference Centerat Seattle CenterSeptember 25 - 27 Seattle, Washington

For the Following States:

Alaska, Ari:ena, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idanc, Illinois, Indiana,Iowa , Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, bbntana , Nebraska , Nevada, New Mexico ,North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

(The names of hotels where sleeping rooms have been reserved will be sent todesignated participants)

,,.,. .., ,a,.y() ( (s 'wi%

p.,

.

WASHIflGTCN

Daniel C. McLeanWashington Utilities &

Transportatierr Cor:n.

Sen. R. Ted BottigerLegislative Building

0.obert C. ! JillRadiation Control

Fred AdairEnergy Cffice

Ken MadsenWasnington State Senate

...

Sen. "ax E. Senit:Legislative Building

'3eorce HansenEnergy Facility Site valuation

Ccuncil

Charles KilburyPasco, WA

ao i .u.yae . ,.~ vs.>