Groundwater Protection InitiativeAnd Other Issues Of Interest
George Oliver
RETS/REMP Conference
Charlotte, NC
June 23, 2008
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NEI Groundwater Protection Initiative
Nuclear Generating Unit Issues 2005-2006
–Indian Point, Braidwood…..
NRC Also Formed “The Liquid RadioactiveRelease Lesson Learned Task Force
–Report September 1, 2006
–26 Recommendations
Not A Health And Safety Issue
It Was An Issue About Communications AndPublic Perception (Transparency)
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NEI Groundwater Protection Initiative
Applies To All Nuclear Generating Plants
Technical Groundwater Protection Requirements
–Hydrogeology And Geology
–Risk Assessment
–Monitoring
–Remediation And Records
Communication Of Leaks/Spills And Monitoring
Program Oversight
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NEI Groundwater Protection Initiative
What Has Happened In The Last Year?
–NEI 07-07 Guidance Document Issued7-31-2007
•One Year Period For Implementation
•NRC Public Meeting 9-27-2007
–EPRI Groundwater Protection Guidelines Issued11-2007
•NRC Public Meeting 2-5-2008
–NRC RIS 2008-03 Return & Reuse of PreviouslyDischarged Radioactive Effluents
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NEI Groundwater Protection Initiative
What Has Happened In The Last Year?
–NRC Issues TI 2515/173
“GWPI Implementation Assessment Issued”
5-29-2008
Coming Attractions
–NRC Begins Assessment 9-1-2008
–GWPI Self Assessments (One Year AfterImplementation)
–NEI Sponsored Peer Assessments
–EPRI/NEI Groundwater Protection Workshop
September 23-25, 2008 - Augusta GA
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Additional Issues of Interest Decommissioning Planning Rules
Decommissioning Planning Rulemaking
–Federal Register Notice 1-22-2008
–Very Extensive Rulemaking
•10 CFR Parts 20, 30, 50, 70, 72
•Financial And Monitoring Guidance
–Comments Submitted 5-8-2006
•NEI & 12 Nuclear Utilities
•32 Sets of Comments 21 From Industry
–NEI Decommissioning Taskforce
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Additional Issues of Interest Decommissioning Planning Rules
The Nuclear Industry Shares The NRC Goal OfPreventing Legacy Sites
We Do Not Believe The Proposed Rules AreRequired To Prevent Future Legacy Sites
Any Health And Safety Benefits Do Not Justify TheBurden Created By The Rules
We Also Believe The Proposed Rules Are ABackfit
The Nuclear Industry Is Prepared To Work WithNRC To Improve The Regulatory Process RelatedTo Decommissioning
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Additional Issues of Interest Decommissioning Planning Rules
Rules Provide For Adjustment of FinancialAssurances Based On Soil Or GroundwaterContamination
Rules Provide For Subsurface EvaluationsThat May Generate Extensive OperationalCharacterization & Remediation Based OnDecommissioning Criteria
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Additional Issues of Interest Decommissioning Planning Rules
MARSSIM Is Being Established ForOperational Monitoring Preformed UnderThis Proposed Rule
New Requirements For Leak DetectionAnd Containment
May Require Extensive GroundwaterModeling Even With No SubsurfaceContamination
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Additional Issues of Interest Decommissioning Planning Rules
Use Of The GWPI CommunicationThresholds (100 Gal Spill) To DefineSignificant For Decommissioning Records
Future Activity
–NRC Is Reviewing The Comments From ThePublic Comment Period
–A NRC Stakeholder Workshop IsAnticipated Later This Year
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Additional Issues of InterestRegulatory Guide 4.21
NEC Issues Regulatory Guide 4.21
June 6, 2008 “Minimization ofContamination and Radioactive WasteGeneration: Life Cycle Planning”
AKA 20.1406 & DG 4012
Industry Contributions To Regulatory Guide
Template To Be Developed