The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has signed off on transferring the reactor and spent-fuel storage licenses for the Zion nuclear power plant in Illinois from decommissioning contractor EnergySolutions to site owner Exelon.
The order from agency staff took effect on Nov. 26, according to a Dec. 6 notice in the Federal Register. It is good for one year, covering Zion reactor Units 1 and 2 and the site’s independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI).
“The NRC determined that [Exelon Generation Co.] is qualified to be the holder of the licenses and that the transfer of the licenses is otherwise consistent with applicable provisions of law, regulations, and orders issued by the Commission,” the notice says.
The actual license transfer would occur after EnergySolutions completes decommissioning. The Salt Lake City-based nuclear services firm expects that to happen in spring 2020.
Zion, in the city of the same name, featured two pressurized-water reactors. Unit 1 received its NRC operating license in October 1973 and operated until February 1997. Unit 2 was licensed in November 1973 and operated to September 1996.
EnergySolutions subsidiary ZionSolutions began decommissioning in 2010, including the transfer of the reactors’ used fuel into on-site dry storage, segmentation and removal of the reactor vessels, and demolition and disassembly of other structures.
Upon completion of decommissioning, the NRC would conduct a final site survey and restrict the site license to only the ISFSI. That license would remain active until the used fuel is removed from the property. The NRC expects to complete the site survey and license reduction by Sept. 30, 2020.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission intends to issue a follow-on contract for support in finalizing the emergency preparedness portion of its ongoing decommissioning rulemaking.
ICF Incorporated LLC would receive a two-year noncompetitive award for “Completion of Emergency Preparedness Decommissioning Rulemaking and Guidance,” according to a Dec. 5 procurement notice from the NRC.
Agency staff in May 2018 provided the commission with a package of proposed updates for regulations covering nuclear power plants and other production and utilization facilities making the transition from operations to decommissioning.
The rulemaking addresses 14 technical areas, including emergency preparedness. It is broadly intended to relieve plant owners from having to request exemptions or license amendments for regulations that are intended to apply to operational facilities that pose a greater hazard.
On emergency preparedness, along with a handful of other power plant operational areas, the new rules would provide a graded approach for reducing requirements as decommissioning proceeds and risk levels drop.
The commission has not yet taken action on the rules proposal, either approving the document or directing changes by agency staff. There is no set date for a decision.
ICF Incorporated is a business unit of ICF, a Fairfax, Va.-based global professional services consultant for government and commercial clients. The company has been working on the rulemaking’s emergency preparedness segment since March 2016, the procurement notice says. Under the new contract, it would support NRC staff in updating the regulatory proposal in line with any orders from the commission.
“The contractor will assist in the organization, review, and adjudication of public comments received during the public comment period in a highly effective manner consistent with approach used for the public comments received on the Draft Regulatory Basis,” according to the notice. “The contractor shall revise the proposed rule based on adjudicated public comments and develop the final rule. Guidance and inspection procedures shall be finalized.”
The agency did not say by deadline Friday when it expects to issue the new contract or how much it is worth.
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