Vermont on Monday officially became the 39th agreement state to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It now assumes primary responsibility for regulatory oversight of radioactive materials within state borders, though that does not include the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant being decommissioned.
The four NRC commissioners in early September voted unanimously in favor of giving Vermont agreement sate status.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) and NRC Chairman Kristine Svinicki signed the agreement on Sept. 13. It was formalized in a Federal Register notice published Monday.
“Under the Agreement, the Commission discontinues its regulatory authority, and the State of Vermont assumes regulatory authority over 11e. (1), 11e. (3), and 11e. (4) byproduct materials [under the Atomic Energy Act], source materials, and special nuclear materials in quantities not sufficient to form a critical mass,” the notice says. “As of the effective date of the Agreement, a person in Vermont possessing these materials is exempt from certain Commission regulations.”
Specifically, the federal regulator on Monday shifted jurisdiction for 36 academic, commercial, and medical radioactive materials licenses to the state, according to an NRC press release.
Wyoming became the 38th agreement state to the NRC in September 2018.
Prior to sealing the agreement, the NRC evaluated Vermont’s radiation control capabilities to ensure they were sufficient to protect the public and are in line with federal regulations, according to the press release. Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the federal agency can suspend the agreement if the commission determines the state has failed to manage “within a reasonable time” an emergency involving covered radioactive materials that demands immediate response.
Vermont Yankee was the only nuclear power plant in the state, featuring a boiling-water reactor that operated from 1972 to 2014. Owner Entergy subsequently sold it to NorthStar Group Services for decommissioning. The New York City-based demolition specialist anticipates completing decommissioning by 2030.
