Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities

Abstract

The decommissioning of nuclear facilities at the end of their useful life has received increased attention during the last several years. There have been several conferences dedicated to the subject, expert groups have been assembled to discuss particular aspects and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently re-evaluating decommissioning policy and regulations. All of this activity has led to several conclusions, the most important one being that decommissioning of retired nuclear facilities is technically feasible and that the costs though-sometimes large are manageable.

This paper provides an overview of the decommissioning process with particular emphasis on planning and regulations.