[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 240 (Thursday, December 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
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]
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