1. WELCOME to Decommissioning: A County and State Perspective
WELCOME – We are looking for your participating in a group activity with this presentation. We ask that you download the Kahoot app.
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2. Decommissioning: A County and State Perspective
Presented by:
Tracy Nollenberg: Kewaunee County Emergency Management
Robert (Bob) Busch: Department of Health Services- Radiation Protection Section
Ramona Baldoni – Lake: Department of Health Services - Radiation Protection Section

3. WELCOME Highlights Brief History Reaction when closing was announced
Administrative rule changes to state and county due to funding reduction
Monitoring changes
Incidents that have occurred during the decommissioning
Impact on the township/county infrastructure
Impact on county emergency response

4. Wisconsin
When people thing of Wisconsin, there’s generally two things that come to mind. It either dairy cows, or cheese, its not nuclear power plants.
In fact, when I tell people that I monitor the nuclear power plants, their reaction is, “we have nuclear power plants”. Then I attempt to explain where the power plants are located within the state.

5. Enter code and we will begin

6. Kewaunee Power Station

7. Kewaunee County Emergency Management
Exercise every year
Staff was well trained
It started with a phone call
Kewaunee County remained a risk county
For our department it was business as usual

8. Kewaunee County Emergency Management – Current Day
No exercises with Kewaunee Power Station
No dedicated line (switch to 24/7 monitored landline)
Even years – drills/workshops
Odd years – drills/evaluated exercise with Point Beach
Every Year – outreach, educate, train, calibrate

9. Emergency Response and Kewaunee Power Station
Kewaunee Fire
Original contract
Aerial capability of a ladder truck
Number of responses to plant
Plant has always been good to the fire department

10. Town of Carlton and Kewaunee Power Station
Planned ahead and built a strong community
Nuclear Waste Storage Fee
kept informed and felt safe
The safest plant with the least incidents.

11. Closing of the plant Lost that direct communication link
Not a lot of businesses in township
Hold on the property

12. Kewaunee Power Station owns around 900 acres in the Town of Carlton

13. Kewaunee County Loss of annual State Utility Aid 5 Step Draw Down
Receives yearly Nuclear Waste Storage Fee
What was done to fill this gap

14. Kewaunee School District
Loss of 15 students over span of 12 years adds up
Losing Kewaunee Power Station did take away potential high paying jobs for graduating students

15. Environmental Monitoring From a State Perspective
Good afternoon,
My name is Bob Busch, I work for the Radiation Protection Section for the Wisconsin Department of Health. I coordinate the environmental monitoring around our nuclear power plants.
My presentation today is centered around some of my experiences in the Decommissioning of LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor and Kewaunee Power Station.

16. Purpose of the Environmental Monitoring Program
Establish long term Base-line isotopic back-ground
Demonstrate Compliance
Maintain public confidence
Monitoring Started prior to electrical generation
Monitoring area
Within 10 miles (16.1km) of a nuclear power plant
Purpose of the Environmental Monitoring program
The purpose of our environmental monitoring grogram is to establish long term base-line isotopic back-ground monitoring, demonstrate compliance of state regulations, and to maintain the public confidence.
This ties nicely into our mission statement, which is: “To protect and promote the health and safety of the people of Wisconsin”
Environmental monitoring started prior to electrical generation at each nuclear power plant.
At LaCrosse Environmental monitoring started in 1963 with milk samples.
At Kewaunee Environmental monitoring started in 1968, the same year construction started.
In Wisconsin ,currently collect environmental monitoring samples within 10 miles (16.1km) of operating nuclear power plants.
However, state statue allow us to collect environmental monitoring samples within 20 miles on nuclear power plants.
Wisconsin Statue :
The department shall take environmental samples to test for radiation emission in any area of the state within 20 miles of a nuclear power plant. (

17. NRC Decommissioning Timeline State Decommissioning Timeline
Operation
Decommissioning
Land Reuse
Shutdown
SAFSTOR Fuel Decontamination Dismantling
Transfer to
Dry Cask
Land
Reuse
6o year to complete
State Decommissioning Timeline
Before I go any further, I would like to take a minute to discuss two different points of view on the decommissioning process. I always assumed that we were on the same page as the utilities, but once we began discussing rules and regulation, I discovered that our definitions differed slightly from the NRC’s and the Utilities.
The NRC and the Utilities' big picture view of decommissioning are nearly identical with three major parts. The three major phases, they are Operation, Decommissioning and Land Reuse. (point at them with laser pointer)
In the operation phase, the utility starts it’s transition from operational to shutdown by submits a plan for decommissioning and removes the fuel from the reactor.
In the decommissioning phase, the utility has 3 strategies they can employ, they are: DECON, SAFSTOR, or ENTOMB, or a combination of both DECON and SASTOR. In DECON, the nuclear power plant is immediately dismantled right after it closed. This involves the removal, or decontamination to a level that permits the release of the property and termination of the NRC licensee to operate the nuclear power plant. In SAFSTOR, the process allows the radioactive material to decay away, after which the plant is dismantled and decontaminated, sometimes referred to as “deferred dismantling”. And in ENTOMB, which is just as it sounds, the contaminants are permanently encased in a material like concrete and monitored.
Finally, in land reuse, the license is terminated and the land is released for unrestricted use.
Wisconsin’s perspective on decommissioning, is slightly different we have 4 distinct parts:
In the Operation phase – little has changed from the environmental monitoring perspective, until the spent nuclear fuel is out of the spent fuel pool and in dry cast storage on the ISFSI pad.
In SAFSTOR– there’s no active demolition or dismantlement, and no major components are scheduled to be removed. Then, based upon our risk assessment to the public, if there is a reduction in the contamination pathway to the public, we decrease the number of environmental samples collected. This assessment process is conducted on each sample type (soil, veg, precipitation, etc.)
The primary reason that we separate SAFSTOR into it own category is that there is marked reduction in the number of samples take compared to the operational phase.
In the Decommissioning phase – Again, a risk assessment was conducted to determine the potential pathways for contamination to the public. And in response to those possible pathways, environmental monitoring sampling will likely be increased to detect possible radioactive contamination resulting from demolition and dismantling.
In the ISFSI phase – once all of the active demolition has been completed and it has been determined that there is no risk of contamination related to demolition and dismantling and only the ISFSI remains, at which time environmental monitoring will cease.
The triggering process for stopping environmental sampling is when the ISFSI license is transfer back to the owner and demolition and dismantling has been completed along with the final site survey for contamination and only an ISFSI remains.
The red line indices the increase and decrease of sample frequency and size through the various phases of the decommissioning process.
You can see in the operation phase sample collection has not changed in size or frequency and is identical to the number collect during electrical generation.
When the plant moves into the SAFSTOR phase we decrease the number of samples and frequency.
Just prior to active decommissioning and dismantling begins we will increase sampling to parallel the potential risk to environmental pathways. For example, demolition may increase the chance of particulates in the air, as a result we will sample air.
In the ISFSI phase, once the land has been release for unrestricted use the state will stop all monitoring even if an ISFSI remains. We will rely on the utility to self monitoring and report to us on the ISFSI.
Decommission must be completed within 60 years of the plant ceasing operations. That’s a long time…..
Power Reactors undergoing decommissioning
Background on Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants
Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities
5 Minutes with Decommissioning
Decommissioning Nuclear Power - Overview
Operation
SAFSTOR
Decommissioning
ISFSI
Shutdown Fuel
Transfer to
Dry Cask
No Active
Decommissioning
Decontamination and/or Active
Dismantling - Demolition
Land
Reuse

18. State Perspective on Kewaunee Decommissioning Timeline
Operation
SAFSTOR
Decommissioning
ISFSI
Shutdown Fuel
Transfer to
Dry Cask
No Active
Decommissioning
Decontamination and/or Active
Dismantling - Demolition
Land
Reuse
2013
2017
KPS
NRC Decommissioning Timeline
You can see in this slide where Kewaunee is in the process of decommissioning. We have the closure in 2013, and then the transfer of spent nuclear fuel into dry cask storage in 2017.
From Wisconsin's perspective, SAFSTOR doesn’t start until the fuel is transferred to dry cask storage and there isn’t any risk of an accident during the transfer process to dry cask storage. When all of the spend fuel is on the ISFSI pad, that marks the period where we consider the risk to the public to be low enough that we can reduce sampling size and frequency. (click to see NRC overview) That is why we have SAFSTOR as separate phase compared to the NRC, it marks a reduced risk to the pubic allowing a reduction in sample number and frequency of collection.
Once the spent fuel was transferred dry cask storage, and the risk of a accident in the transfer process was gone. We reduced the number and frequency of environmental monitoring samples collected paralleling the risk to environmental pathways.
(click to display the red line)
The red line indicates the relative number of samples collected during the operational phase and a reduction in environmental sample collection with transition into the SAFSTOR phase. So, as the likelihood of environmental pathway contamination is reduced the number and frequency of sample collection is also scaled back to parallel the risk of contamination to a given environmental pathway.
Operation
Decommissioning
Land Reuse
Shutdown
SAFSTOR Fuel Decontamination Dismantling
Transfer to
Dry Cask
Land
Reuse

19. Type of Samples Collected at KPS
SAFSTOR (No Active Decommissioning)
Kewaunee Power Station
Sample Type
Number of Samples Collected
air particulate
156 / 0
Iodine cartridge
78 / 0
Precipitation
24 / 0
TLD
64 / 32
surface water
20 / 2
shoreline sediment
3 / 3
vegetation
9 / 8
soil
well water
5 / 4
Total: 368 / 57
Kewaunee Sample Summery
This slide shows the number of samples taken while Kewaunee was actively generating electrical power production. You can see the number of sample types collected (368). Environmental samples were collected at this number and frequency until the spent nuclear fuel was transferred into dry cask storage and on the ISFSI pad.
Just prior to all of the fuel being transferred to the ISFSI pad, a risk assessment was conducted to determine what samples would be eliminated, which ones would be reduced, and which ones would remain the same. A variety of variables were considered. What effluent will still be coming from the plant, risk to environmental pathway, weather, geography, and hydrology. Because of these variables, each site is unique in its considerations for a new sampling strategy.
(Change slide to show 57 samples and SAFSTOR)
Just to the right of 368, you can see the number of samples collected once Kewaunee entered into the SAFSTOR phase of the decommissioning process. The 57 samples will stay at this level until either DECON or active decommissioning starts.
Just prior to Kewaunee entering either DCON or SAFSTOR a discussion will occur with the utility to determine the type of decommissioning and dismantling activities. Based upon the level of dismantlement a new sample strategy will be developed that will monitor the environmental pathways that are in risk of possible contamination as a result of the dismantling.
Samples during power production / SAFSTOR

20. State Perspective on LaCrosse Decommissioning Timeline
Operation
Decommissioning (DECON)
SAFSTOR
Decommissioning
ISFSI
Shutdown Fuel
Transfer
Dry
Cask
Decontamination and Active
Dismantling
No Active
Decommissioning
Decontamination and/or Active
Dismantling - Demolition
Land
Reuse
1987
2012
1991
2016
2019
LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR)
NRC Decommissioning Timeline
You can see in this slide where LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor is in the process of decommissioning.
LaCross Boiling Water Reactor shut down in 1987
Next, the spent fuel was moved to ISFSI 2012
You can see that some early dismantling in2005 through 2007 and again in 2012 through 2014.
In 1991 SAFSTOR was approved.
License was transferred to Lacrosse Solutions 2016 to complete the decommissioning and dismantlement work, which we (Wisconsin) refer to as “Active Decommissioning”
You can see that LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor’s decommissioning is slightly different that Kewaunee’s. LaCrosse utilized both DECON and SAFSTOR, you can see that they conducted dismantlement operation twice, then went into SAFSTOR.
Then in 2016 they started active decommissioning and dismantlement of LaCrosse. Just prior to the start of the active decommissioning I met with the company conducting the dismantlement and demolition. We discussed the type of work, the approximate timeline for the work. Based upon that conversation a risk analysis was conducted were we looked at the individual environmental pathways that might be impacted during the demolition and dismantlement. We increased the number of environmental samples taken based upon the likelihood of environmental pathway contamination.
As the demolition and dismantlement of LaCrosse whines down we will continue monitoring individual environmental pathways for a period beyond their possible contamination due to the demolition and dismantlement to ensure that there is no changes beyond background. For example, when the possibility of air contamination has ended, we will collect air samples for and additional period of time to ensure that there is no longer any risk.
This monitoring reduction process may differ slightly for each individual environmental pathway primary due to time it takes for a contaminant to traverse the pathway.
For example: in an inhalation pathway can be short, air to man, which could be minutes or days.
Whereas, the process can be longer for potable water, as a contaminate to make their way through an aquifer, which could take months.
(change slide to show redline)
Finally, if we look at the red line representing the number of samples take, you can see that the number remained relatively high until the decontamination and dismantlement activity was complete in 2014.
After the decontamination and dismantlement the number of environmental samples collected were reduced to match the potential contamination risk.
Then when the demolition and dismantling started again in 2016, the number of samples was increased to match the increased possibility of contamination entering an environmental pathway.
Operation
Decommissioning
Land Reuse
Shutdown
SAFSTOR Fuel Decontamination Dismantling
Transfer to
Dry Cask
Land
Reuse

21. Type of Samples Collected at LACBWR
Active Decommissioning
LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor
Sample Type
Number of Samples Collected
air particulate
0 / 52
Iodine cartridge
0 / 0
TLD
16 / 16
surface water
1 / 1
bottom sediment
3 / 3
vegetation
2 / 2
soil
well water
2 / 4
Extra Tritium (Bloom)
0 / 5
Total: 26 / 85
This slide shows the number of samples take at LaCrosse while in SAFSTOR. You can see the number of samples collected (26).
(change slide to show active decommissioning)
Just prior to active decommissioning, I met with the company conducting the demolition and dismantling to discuss their timeline. After which, a risk assessment was conducted to determine what samples would be taken and at what frequency. A variety of variables were considered, wind direction, hydrology, and geography, The sampling plan was designed to parallel the potential risk of contamination. For example, 2 months prior to outdoor demolition, we began collecting air samples to establish a baseline that was compared to the historical records.
Likewise, other samples were increased to parallel the contamination risk to the other environmental pathways.
Once active decommissioning has been completed, and the license has been terminated, the site will be released for unrestricted use, with only the ISFSI remaining. Our monitoring will cease, once the license for the ISFSI has be transferred back to the owner.
Once active decommissioning has been completed, we will continue to monitor each of the environmental pathways for a given time to ensure that the various pathways remain at historic background.
Finally, once the license has been terminated, the site will be released for unrestricted use, with only the ISFSI remaining. Our monitoring will cease, once the license for the ISFSI has be transferred back to the owner.
Issues with Casks:
read:
SAFSTOR / Active Decommissioning

22. Lessons Learned Sample Collection Parallel Decommissioning Activity
Find a way to preserve records (time capsule)
Maintain contacts with appropriate state and federal agencies.
Ensure that you’re on call list for prompt notification
Know the waste route
Document
Lessons Learned:
When I started collecting environmental samples, the number and frequency had not changed in several years and I got very comfortable with the routine. Once I was notified that a plant was undergoing decommissioning, there was initially a little shock, because my routine was disrupted. This resulted in a period of researching environmental sampling for decommissioning nuclear plants on the state side, and there wasn’t much. This resulted in a small group that was expanded to include our emergence preparedness group to assist in a risk assessment. In addition, we talked our neighbors in Illinois about their experience in the decommissioning of Zion. It quickly became apparent that there wasn’t a pat answer. Each site has unique circumstances that will affect the type and number of samples. The epiphany was that the sample collection parallels the decommissioning activity and timeline.
I began accessing the current environmental samples being collected and looking at the possible risk to the public due to the demolition and dismantling. This risk assessment started with a very narrow group and was expanded to include staff in the
Find a way to preserve records (time capsule).
I’m in fact talking to two audiences today, you in the audience and those that will be your successor in years.
What information will your successor need? Make a time capsule for your successor.
Historical micro environmental factors, hydrologic data such as well locations which could be lost over time.
Data that could be used to help establish long term trends
maps – sample locations, hydrology, wind persistent studies, historical environmental impact studies.
Establishing contacts with appropriate state and federal agencies
In Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources has jurisdiction over water
Neighboring states – briefed my colleges whom passed on the information
Reach out to those you would contact should an incident occurs, or who you would want to hear from if something occurs. This may seem like a colossal waste of time but you wont regret it when something happens.
Ensure that you’re on call list for prompt notification
There were times when it felt like it was an after thought when we got contacted.
establish a relationship with contacts
Know the waste route
Know the route the waste will be traveling and notify appropriate jurisdictions
If the waste route enters another state ensure they have been notified, don’t assume.
Place it in writing
Place anything that will increase cost in writing (MOU, contract, etc)
Notification process, so you know where you stand in the notification chain
What the trigger is for environmental sample expansion and who will bear the cost

23. Wisconsin Radiation Monitoring Rulemaking
DHS 158

24. Wisconsin State Statute Radiological Monitoring

25. Administrative Code

26. Define a Nuclear Power Plant
33,600,00 results

27. Proposed Definitions for a Nuclear Power Plant
Nuclear power plant – a facility licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that utilizes or utilized a nuclear power reactor to generate electricity, and includes an operating nuclear power plant and a decommissioning nuclear power plant, but excludes a decommissioned facility.
Operating nuclear power plant – a facility licensed by the NRC that utilizes a nuclear power reactor to make electricity by the continuous splitting of atoms. An operating nuclear power plant may shut down temporarily for refueling or maintenance.
Decommissioning nuclear power plant – a facility licensed by the NRC that has ceased operation and is in the process of safely closing to retire if from service. Decommissioning begins after the nuclear fuel, coolant and radioactive waste are removed from the reactor.
Decommissioned facility – a nuclear power plant which had been retired from service by following a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved process to reduce residual radioactivity so that the site can be safely released for other use other than the continuing use of an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at or near the facility.

28. Fee Structure
Proposed fee structure is now two tiered to identify plant status for both
Operating
&
Decommissioning

29. Current Status

30. Questions ? …

31. Tracy Nollenberg
Kewaunee County Emergency Management Director
Bob Busch
WI-DHS Environmental Monitoring Program Manager
Ramona Lake
WI-DHS Radiation Emergency Unit Supervisor