The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said its rulemaking for nuclear power reactor decommissioning will address both physical and cyber security, along with six other operational areas.
The list is included in the final regulatory basis for the rulemaking, posted Nov. 20 on the NRC website.
The commission in December 2014 mandated the rulemaking, which is aimed at clarifying and enhancing requirements for nuclear power plants making the transition from operations to decommissioning. The updates to current regulations emphasize reducing the need for site-specific exemptions to existing rules or license amendments for facilities that pose a lower danger following closure.
The final list of issues to be addressed in the rulemaking was developed with input gleaned from a 90-day public comment period that began in March, the NRC said. Staff ultimately concluded there was sufficient basis to proceed with rulemaking in eight areas: emergency preparedness, physical security, cybersecurity, drug and alcohol testing, training requirements for certified fuel handlers, decommissioning trust funds, off-site and on-site financial protection requirements and indemnity agreements, and application of backfitting provisions.
The rulemaking will also address amendments to several sections of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which covers NRC licensees.
Meanwhile, NRC staff has determined it can address five other topics with non-rulemaking options such as development of regulatory guidance: minimum staffing for non-licensed operators, the role of state and local governments in decommissioning, the level of NRC review in site post-activity decommissioning activities reports, revising the 60-year cap for power reactor decommissioning, and aging management.
No changes are needed for rules on fatigue management, staff said.
An updated preliminary draft of the regulatory analysis for the rulemaking is being prepared, the NRC said this week in a Federal Register notice. The document, expected in January, will “update and refine the analysis of costs and benefits” to the rulemaking, the agency said.
The commission expects to release the draft decommissioning rule for input next year, and to complete the rulemaking in 2019.
