[cdn-nucl-l] The Regulatory Challenges of Decommissioning Nuclear Reactors

["Adam McLean" <adam.mclean@utoronto.ca>]

Posted on the Nuclear Energy Agency email publications list on May 6, 2003,
and at:
http://www.nea.fr/html/nsd/reports/nea4375-decommissioning.pdf
Entitled "The Regulatory Challenges of Decommissioning Nuclear Reactors".
Free download.  See the forward and table of contents below.

Note the projected end of lifetimes for Canadian reactors from:
http://www.llrwmo.org/en/programs/ongoing/inventory.pdf, page 31.
(note: based on estimates as of November, 1999 - appears to reflect mid-life
extensions on all reactors)

Gentilly	2010-2015
Bruce A	2015-2020
Pickering A	2020-2025
Pickering B	2020-2025
Bruce B	2025-2030
Pt. Lepreau	2032
Darlington	2030-2035

See more at:
http://www.opg.com/info/safety_files/NWM2000.pdf

Adam

----------------------

FOREWORD

The Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA) of the OECD
Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is an international body made up of senior
representatives from nuclear regulatory bodies. The Committee guides the NEA
programme concerning the regulation, licensing and inspection of nuclear
installations with respect to safety. It acts as a forum for the exchange of
information and experience, and for the review of developments which could
affect regulatory requirements.

In 1999, the Committee established a Task Group to reflect and advance
the discussion on specific issues of regulatory policy. Over the years, the
Task
Group produced a series of short reports dealing with early signs of
declining
safety performance; regulatory response strategies for safety culture
problems;
the regulatory challenges arising from competition in electricity markets;
and
the regulatory challenge of judging safety backfits.
Continuing in the series, this report describes the broad set of safety,
environmental, organisational, human factors and public policy issues that
may
arise during the decommissioning of nuclear reactors and that the regulatory
body should be prepared to deal with in the framework of its national
regulatory
system.

The present report was prepared by Dr. Thomas E. Murley, on the basis
of discussions with, and input provided by, the members of the Task Group
listed below:

Dr. Serge PRETRE (Chairman, Switzerland),
Mr. Michel DUTHÉ (France),
Dr. Bernd REHS (Germany),
Mr. José L. REVILLA (Spain),
Mrs. Anna LEKBERG (Sweden),
Mrs. Frances TAYLOR (United Kingdom),
Mr. Jon JOHNSON (United States of America),
Dr. Gianni FRESCURA (OECD Nuclear Energy Agency),
Mr. Miroslav HREHOR (OECD Nuclear Energy Agency).

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
............................................................................
......................... 3
1.
Introduction................................................................
............................ 7
2. Changes from operation to
decommissioning........................................ 9
3. Regulatory challenges
............................................................................
13
A. Organisation and human factors
....................................................... 15
B. Shutdown and preparation for dismantlement
.................................. 16
C. Regulatory guidance on radiological and environmental controls.... 18
D. Safety and security challenges
.......................................................... 20
E. Waste management
...........................................................................
22
F. License
termination.................................................................
.......... 23
4. Regulatory oversight during decommissioning
..................................... 25
5. Summary and conclusions
..................................................................... 27