License Termination Research Articles

Legalization of Land and Peatland Policy in Riau

There is a conflict between the policy of new license termination in forest and peat areas with the legalization of land due to the interpretation of Presidential Instruction which is considered unsuitable. The policy obstructs the legalization of community land, which should be a priority for mapping and registration. For these conditions, this study is conducted to determine the overlap of regulations related to the one arranging the legalization of land, peatlands, and the Indicative Map of New License Termination (Peta Indikatif Penghentian Pemberian Izin Baru-PIPPIB). Specifically, the study examines the practices of land possession, ownership, use, and utilization policies in Air Hitam Village against spatial planning and Indicative Map of New License Termination policies. This research uses a qualitative method with a normative and spatial juridical approach. The results of the study found that there is an overlap of regulations in their implementation. The spatial analysis results showed that the area affected was about 66% of the area of the Air Hitam Village, and also not contained in the RTRW for Riau Province in 2018. While in Pekanbaru City, the RTRW in 2020 only contained peat-protected areas that were unsuitable. In conclusion, the PIPPIB policy obstructs the legalization of community land and causes economic losses and the absence of legal certainty of land rights for some communities in Air Hitam.

Calculation approach to building DCGLs of waste treatment facilility for Kori unit 1 decommissioning and comparative analysis of the results

The Derived Concentration Guideline Levels (DCGLs) of remaining buildings in decommissioning site realistically need to be considered because all nuclear power plants in Korea are operated with the adjacent plant in multi-unit site. In addition, a few buildings are expected to be utilized for the decommissioning such as waste treatment facility to reduce the final disposal volume of radioactive waste. Therefore, DCGLs of buildings postulated for the decommissioning of Kori site have been assessed by using RESRAD-BUILD code. As a result, DCGLs were derived, reflecting the site reuse criteria and input prameters based on site conditions and assumptions, and compared and analyzed how they differ from DCGLs of other nuclear plants depending on radionuclides. The occupancy and renovation scenarios were applied and more than half of the target radionuclides were conservatilvely evaluated in the occupancy scenarion, while some were evaluated in the renovation scenario. The approach and methodology presented in this paper, which can be considered at the level of the transition phase, can be utilized for deriving results that reflect reality at the time of license termination.

The impact of below detection limit samples in residual risk assessments for decommissioning nuclear power plant sites

As the number of nuclear power plants (NPPs) being decommissioned increases internationally, many issues are being raised. One such issue is related to site soil analyses for the determination of residual risk for license termination. In a typical site-cleanup analysis, the majority of soil samples at the site are at or below the detection limit (BDL). Conventional approaches to managing BDL data are to simply ignore or substitute the data with a value of zero or the detection limit itself. However, these approaches are statistically biased, limiting their usefulness. Within the environmental science community, the issue of how to treat BDL data has been examined by a number of investigators. This study reviewed the issue of BDL data in nuclear decommissioning using the analytical methods suggested by studies in the environmental science, including the Kaplan-Meier method, robust regression on order statistics, and maximum likelihood estimation. The use of these methods to handle BDL data was examined using a case study with respect to its potential impact on dose/risk assessment, the soil volume removal estimate, and the associated costs. The case study was based on the Colorado School of Mines Research Institute's site soil data. Our analysis included the consideration of the uncertainties associated with residual dose/risk, waste soil volume estimation, and costs. An uncertainty analysis was conducted using a Latin hypercube sampling approach. Results showed that using BDL data can have a large impact on the estimation of dose/risk, waste volume, and waste disposal cost of a NPP decommissioning project.

국내 원전 부지 해제 기준 준수 입증을 위한 미국의 유도농도기준(DCGL) 설정 방법에 대한 분석

원전 해체 이후 원전 부지의 제한적 또는 무제한적 이용에 대해서 미국 NRC는 NUREG-1757 문서를 통해 제한적 또는 무제한적 부지 이용에 관한 방사선학적 기준을 제시하였고 사업자가 제염 및 복원 후 이 선량 기준이 충족됨을 증명할 수 있어야만 부지가 제한적 또는 무제한적으로 해제될 수 있다고 하였다. 이와 관련하여 NRC는 운영허가종료계획서(LTP; License Termination Plan)에 방사선학적 부지 해제 기준 준수를 입증하기 위하여 부지 해제 기준, 부지 특성 평가, 최종 방사선 조사 계획에서 주요 방사선원항, 유도농도기준(DCGL) 등을 기재하도록 하고 있다. 이 논문은 국내 원전 해체에 있어서 참조사례가 될 수 있는 Rancho Seco 원전 해체 사례를 참고 및 절차를 분석함으로써 2017년 영구정지가 예정된 고리 1호기뿐만 아니라 향후 해체 원전 부지의 해제 기준 마련에 있어 사용될 수 있는 방법을 검토하였다. The U.S. NRC establishes a radiological criteria with regard to restricted or unrestricted use of nuclear plant site after decommissioning in NUREG-1757. According to this, a nuclear plant site can be released in a restricted way or unrestricted way only if a licensee demonstrates that the dose criteria is fulfilled after the site decontamination and remediation. In order to prove compliance with the radiological criteria of site release, LTP(License Termination Plan) must include the site release criteria, site characterization, final survey plan with major radionuclides and DCGL(Derived Concentration Guideline Levels), etc. Based on the decommissioning case of Rancho Seco nuclear power plant in the United States, this paper analyzed a method of setting the DCGL that can be applied to Kori NPP Unit 1 which will be permanently disabled in 2017.

A Radionuclides Suite Selection for Site Characterization and Final Status Survey in the U.S. NPPs

노후 원전 해체의 경우 부지 특성 및 최종 상태 조사 보고서에 해당 부지내 잔존가능성이 있는 방사성 핵종 정보에 대한 내용을 포함하여야 한다. 미국 NRC의 경우 이에 해당하는 해체기술관련문서(DTBD)를 부지 특성 조사시에 부지이력조사(HSA) 와 같이 사업자 측이 제출하도록 규제하고 있다. 또한 해체기술관련문서는 방사선학적 부지 조사와 해체완료계획서에 포함되어야 하는 내용으로써 부지 규제 해제와 재이용에 관해서 중요한 자료를 제공한다. 이 논문은 부지 별 잠재적 핵종에 대해미국 원전의 해체 사례중 부지 특성 및 최종 상태조사 과정에서 결정하는 방법론을 분석하고 2017년 고리 1호기의 영구 운전정지 후 이루어질 해체 과정에 필수적인 규제 지침과 기술적 근거 수립에 도움이 되고자 한다.

Web-Based Training Course for Evaluating Radiological Dose Assessment in NRC’s License Termination Process

As part of the requirement for terminating the licenses of nuclear power plants or other nuclear facilities, license termination plans or decommissioning plans are submitted by the licensee to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for review and approval. Decommissioning plans generally refer to the decommissioning of nonreactor facilities, while license termination plans specifically refer to the decommissioning of nuclear reactor facilities. To provide a uniform and consistent review of dose modeling aspects of these plans and to address NRC-wide knowledge management issues, the NRC, in 2006, commissioned Argonne National Laboratory to develop a Web-based training course on reviewing radiological dose assessments for license termination. The course, which had first been developed in 2005 to target specific aspects of the review processes for license termination plans and decommissioning plans, evolved from a live classroom course into a Web-based training course in 2006. The objective of the Web-based training course is to train NRC staff members (who have various relevant job functions and are located at headquarters, regional offices, and site locations) to conduct an effective review of dose modeling in accordance with the latest NRC guidance, including NUREG-1757, Volumes 1 and 2. The exact size of the staff population who will receive the training has not yet been accurately determined but will depend on various factors such as the decommissioning activities at the NRC. This Web-based training course is designed to give NRC staff members modern, flexible access to training. To this end, the course is divided into 16 modules: 9 core modules that deal with basic topics, and 7 advanced modules that deal with complex issues or job-specific topics. The core and advanced modules are tailored to various NRC staff members with different job functions. The Web-based system uses the commercially available software Articulate, which incorporates audio, video, and animation in slide presentations and has glossary, document search, and Internet connectivity features. The training course has been implemented on an NRC system that allows staff members to register, select courses, track records, and self-administer quizzes.

Appropriability and Commercialization: Evidence from MIT Inventions

The effects of appropriability on invention have been well studied, but there has been little analysis of the effect of appropriability on the commercialization of existing inventions. Exploiting a database of 805 attempts by private firms to commercialize inventions licensed from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) between 1980 and 1996, we explore the influence of several appropriability mechanisms on the commercialization and termination of projects to develop products based on university inventions. Our central hypothesis is that the relationship between a licensee's decision to either terminate or commercialize the invention is driven by the current market value of the invention, as well as the option value of delaying its commercialization. We use a competing risks framework that allows for nonparametric heterogeneity and correlated risks. We find that better appropriability in the sense of more effective patent strength and secrecy has a strong negative effect on the hazard of license termination. The effectiveness of learning has a strong positive effect on the hazard of technology commercialization, while lead time has a negative effect.

Partial site release at a power reactor facility.

U.S. NRC licensed facilities undergoing decommissioning may wish to remove portions of their site from the jurisdiction of their license, prior to final license termination. The method of partial site release, relevant to radiological conditions, described herein employs NUREG-1505 methodology for demonstrating indistinguishability from background. The partial site release process was also informed by NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2000-19 "Partial Release of Reactor Site for Unrestricted Use Before NRC Approval of the License Termination Plan." However, the focus of this discussion is the radiological aspects of partial site release, relevant to the implementation of NUREG-1505 methodology for demonstrating indistinguishability from background, based on the 137Cs concentrations at the site and a suitable background reference area. This type of approach was found acceptable by the NRC, and the partial site release was granted.

Appropriability and the Timing of Innovation: Evidence from MIT Inventions

At least since Arrow (1962), the effects of appropriability on invention have been well studied, but there has been little analysis of the effect of appropriability on the commercialization of existing inventions. Exploiting a database of 805 attempts by private firms to commercialize inventions licensed from MIT between 1980 and 1996, we explore the influence of several appropriability mechanisms on the commercialization and termination of projects to develop products based on university inventions. Our central hypothesis is that the relationship between a licensee's decision to either terminate or commercialize the invention is driven by the current market value of the invention, as well as the option value of delaying its commercialization. We use a competing risks framework that allows for non- parametric heterogeneity and correlated risks. We find that better appropriability in the sense of more effective patent strength and secrecy has a strong negative effect on the hazard of license termination. The effectiveness of learning has a strong positive effect on the hazard of technology commercialization, while lead time has a negative effect.

Selling University Technology: Patterns from MIT

Many research universities engage in efforts to license inventions developed by university-affiliated inventors. However, no systematic explanation of the conditions under which university inventions will be licensed or commercialized has been provided. Drawing on transaction cost economics, I provide a conceptual framework to explain which university inventions are most likely to be licensed, commercialized, and generate royalties, and who will undertake that commercialization. I test this framework on data on the 1,397 patents assigned to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the 1980-1996 period. The results showthat (1) university inventions are more likely to be licensed when patents are effective; (2) when patents are effective, university technology is generally licensed to noninventors; (3) when patents are effective, licensing back to inventors increases the likelihood of license termination and reduces the likelihood of invention commercialization; and (4) the effectiveness of patents increases royalties earned for inventions licensed to noninventors. The implications of these findings for innovation management and strategy, entrepreneurship, and university technology commercialization are discussed.

Development of a Performance Assessment Capability in the Waste Management Programs of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has developed a performance assessment capability to address three programmatic areas in nuclear waste management: high‐level waste, low‐level waste, and decommissioning of licensed facilities (license termination). The NRC capability consists of (1) methodologies for performance assessment; (2) models and computer codes for estimating system performance; (3) regulatory guidance in various forms, such as regulations, Branch Technical Positions, and Standard Review Plans; and (4) a technical staff experienced in executing and evaluating performance assessments for a variety of waste systems. Although the tools and techniques are refined for each programmatic area, general approaches and similar issues are encountered in all areas.

Development of a performance assessment capability in the waste management programs of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has developed a performance assessment capability to address three programmatic areas in nuclear waste management: high-level waste, low-level waste, and decommissioning of licensed facilities (license termination). The NRC capability consists of: (1) methodologies for performance assessment; (2) models and computer codes for estimating system performance; (3) regulatory guidance in various forms, such as regulations, Branch Technical Positions, and Standard Review Plans; and (4) a technical staff experienced in executing and evaluating performance assessments for a variety of waste systems. Although the tools and techniques are refined for each programmatic area, general approaches and similar issues are encountered in all areas.