Nuclear Regulatory Commission February 9, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to an October 27, 2014, request from ZionSolutions, LLC (ZS), for Zion Nuclear Power Station (ZNPS), Units 1 and 2 (Docket Nos. 50-295 and 50-304), from the requirement to investigate and report to the NRC when ZS does not receive notification or receipt of a shipment, or part of a shipment, of low-level radioactive waste within 20 days after transfer. ZionSolutions is currently in the process of decommissioning the ZNPS site. Inherent to the decommissioning process, large volumes of slightly contaminated debris are generated and require disposal at distant locations. Historical data from the experiences of other decommissioning reactor sites indicates that rail transportation time to waste disposal facilities frequently exceeded the 20-day reporting requirement. The licensee requested that the time period for it to receive acknowledgement that the shipment has been received by the intended recipient be extended from 20 to 45 days to avoid an excessive administrative burden because of required investigations and reporting arising from rail shipments that frequently take more than 20 days to reach their destination.