Exelon Outlines Decades-Long Oyster Creek Decommissioning Plan

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ -It will take 60 years and $1.1 billion to close the Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant, the oldest in the United States.

Exelon, the plant's owner, recently submitted at 42-page decomissioning plan to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission that spells out the various stages of the process, which will take decades.

"The primary objectives of the OCNGS decommissioning project are to remove the facility from service, reduce residual radioactivity to levels permitting unrestricted release, restore the site, perform this work safely, and complete the work in a cost-effective manner," the introduction states.

Exelon plans to shutdown Oyster Creek this fall, at the end of the station’s current fuel cycle, said spokesperson Maria Hudson.

"We have selected mid-September for the timing of the start of the defueling outage," she said.

Exelon has chosen the SAFSTOR method, which calls for maintaining the plant in a safe, stable condition and allowing radioactivity levels to decrease through radioactive decay, followed by decontamination and containment.

The NRC does not have to approve the plan, since it's only for informational purposes, said spokesman Neil R. Sheehan.

"However, as with any report made to the NRC, we review it to determine if it meets our regulatory requirements," Sheehan said. "We only accept it if the submittal meets the criteria the NRC has established in regulatory guidance documents."

SAFSTOR was selected by looking at the cost of each decommissioning alternative, the minimization of radiation exposure, the availability of a high-level spent fuel repository or a Department of Energy Interim storage facility, according to Exelon.

Exelon must complete the decommission in 60 years after Oyster Creek closes.

After Oyster Creek shuts down, the initial decommissioning activities to be performed after plant shutdown include preparing the plant for a period of safe-storage, also known as dormancy.

The reactor will be defueled and the fuel transferred into the spent fuel pool. Fluids and deenergized systems will be drained, the electrical distribution system, ventilation, heating and fire protection systems will be reconfigured, the plan states.

Exelon must submit a license termination plan to the NRC at least two years before the license ends.

The spent fuel transfer is expected to be completed by 2024. After that, the spent fuel pool and systems will be drained and de-energized for long-term storage.

Security during the dormancy period will be conducted to safeguard the spent fuel on site and prevent unauthorized entry. Security barriers, sensors, alarms, and other surveillance equipment will be maintained as required to provide security.

An environmental surveillance program will be put into place to monitor for radioactive material in the environment during the dormancy period.

"Appropriate procedures will be established and initiated for potential releases that exceed prescribed limits," according to the report. "The environmental surveillance program will consist of a version of the program in effect during normal plant operations that will be modified to reflect the plant's conditions and risks at the time."

The eventual goal of the plan is to allow the Oyster Creek site to be safe for unrestricted use, primarily through radioactive decay.

"The disposition of remaining radioactive materials will be accomplished by the decontamination and or dismantlement of contaminated structures," the report states.

Exelon will develop a radioactive waste management plan to use the most cost effective disposal strategy that meets regulatory requirements. That could include disposal at the Barnwell Facility in South Carolina, the EnergySolutions site in Clive, Utah or any other future licensed disposal facilities, according to the plan.

It may also be necessary to dredge in Barnegat Bay to allow passage of barges between
the mouth of Oyster Creek and Barnegat Inlet during the decomissioning process.

Oyster Creek's closure could have a beneficial effect on fish and shellfish in the Forked River, Oyster Creek and the western portion of Barnegat Bay, the report says.

Air quality in the immediate area could be impacted by exhaust from commuting and shipping vehicles that will be used during the decommissioning process, the report says.

But any impacts are expected to be "temporary, localized and small in magnitude," according to the report.

The public comment period on the decommissioning ends on Sept. 10, said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan.

Oyster Creek is the oldest nuclear plant in the United States. It went online on Dec. 23, 1969.

Photo: Patricia A. Miller