NRC Does Not Yet Know the Number of Sites Requiring Additional Cleanup

In our 1989 review of NRC’s decommissioning procedures and criteria, we found that NRC had improperly terminated licenses at two of the eight sites we reviewed. NRC has determined that 22 of the 29,000 licenses involved sites that exceed radioactive guidelines for unrestricted use and, consequently, require additional cleanup. NRC does not expect that a large number of former sites will require additional cleanup, although the total number of these sites will not be known for several years. According to NRC, the contractor will complete its review of the remaining 9,500 terminated licenses in 1996. However, NRC officials told us that it will take several more years to review the contractor’s work and conduct any site inspections that may be needed to assess contamination resulting from these licenses. Little Progress Has Been Made in Cleaning Up Sites Under the Site Decommissioning Management Plan

In March 1990, NRC established a program—termed the Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP)—to help ensure the timely cleanup of sites facing difficult and/or prolonged decommissioning. In July 1993, NRC issued new regulations that required licensees and others who use or possess radioactive materials to prepare and maintain adequate documentation on activities that could affect decommissioning at their sites. Delays in cleaning up contaminated sites can also result in more difficult cleanups. However, neither disposal option is viable for many SDMP sites contaminated with large quantities of radioactive waste. NRC expects the studies will take at least 2 years to complete. Litigation, Coordination, and Negotiations Have Delayed Many SDMP Site Cleanups

Litigation, coordination, and negotiations between affected parties also have delayed cleanups at many SDMP sites. According to NRC, it has acted to improve the timeliness of its document reviews. Another 895 licenses require additional review to determine if the sites require further cleanup. Additional copies are $2 each.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the effectiveness of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) decommissioning program, focusing on: (1) NRC progress in identifying all former licensees' sites that require additional cleanup; (2) NRC progress in ensuring that sites on its Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) are cleaned up in a timely manner; and (3) factors that impede the timely cleanup of sites.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) NRC has reviewed about 75 percent of its terminated licenses to identify sites that need additional cleanup and has found 22 sites that exceed its radioactive contamination guidelines; (2) NRC is seeking additional information on another 895 terminated licenses to determine if those sites need additional remediation; (3) NRC will not know the total number of sites that will require additional cleanup until it completes its review; (4) NRC expects to complete its initial review in 1996, but it will take several more years to conduct site inspections to determine contamination levels; (5) although NRC established SDMP in 1990 to ensure the timely remediation of sites facing difficult or prolonged cleanups, it has made little progress in cleaning up those sites; (6) NRC has issued additional regulations that require licensees to document their activities that could affect decommissioning operations; (7) the delays in cleaning up contaminated sites increase the risk of human exposure to radioactive wastes; and (8) factors that have delayed or halted cleanup at SDMP sites include difficulties in disposing of large quantities of a certain radioactive waste, litigation, coordination and negotiations between affected parties, and time consuming administrative reviews of decommissioning documents.