Licenses

10 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart B
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

10 C.F.R. § 61.10 Content of application.

An application to receive from others, possess and dispose of wastes containing or contaminated with source, byproduct or special nuclear material by land disposal must consist of general information, specific technical information, institutional information, and financial information as set forth in §§ 61.11 through 61.16. An environmental report prepared in accordance with subpart A of part 51 of this chapter must accompany the application.

10 C.F.R. § 61.11 General information.

The general information must include each of the following: (a) Identity of the applicant including: (1) The full name, address, telephone number and description of the business or occupation of the applicant; (2) If the applicant is a partnership, the name, and address of each partner and the principal location where the partnership does business; (3) If the applicant is a corporation or an unincorporated association, (i) the state where it is incorporated or organized and the principal location where it does business, and (ii) the names and addresses of its directors and principal officers; and (4) If the applicant is acting as an agent or representative of another person in filing the application, all information required under this paragraph must be supplied with respect to the other person. (b) Qualifications of the applicant: (1) The organizational structure of the applicant, both offsite and onsite, including a description of lines of authority and assignments of responsibilities, whether in the form of administrative directives, contract provisions, or otherwise; (2) The technical qualifications, including training and experience, of the applicant and members of the applicant's staff to engage in the proposed activities. Minimum training and experience requirements for personnel filling key positions described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be provided; (3) A description of the applicant's personnel training program; and (4) The plan to maintain an adequate complement of trained personnel to carry out waste receipt, handling, and disposal operations in a safe manner. (c) A description of: (1) The location of the proposed disposal site; (2) The general character of the proposed activities; (3) The types and quantities of radioactive waste to be received, possessed, and disposed of; (4) Plans for use of the land disposal facility for purposes other than disposal of radioactive wastes; and (5) The proposed facilities and equipment. (d) Proposed schedules for construction, receipt of waste, and first emplacement of waste at the proposed land disposal facility.

10 C.F.R. § 61.12 Specific technical information.

The specific technical information must include the following information needed for demonstration that the performance objectives of subpart C of this part and the applicable technical requirements of subpart D of this part will be met: (a) A description of the natural and demographic disposal site characteristics as determined by disposal site selection and characterization activities. The description must include geologic, geotechnical, hydrologic, meteorologic, climatologic, and biotic features of the disposal site and vicinity. (b) A description of the design features of the land disposal facility and the disposal units. For near-surface disposal, the description must include those design features related to infiltration of water; integrity of covers for disposal units; structural stability of backfill, wastes, and covers; contact of wastes with standing water; disposal site drainage; disposal site closure and stabilization; elimination to the extent practicable of long-term disposal site maintenance; inadvertent intrusion; occupational exposures; disposal site monitoring; and adequacy of the size of the buffer zone for monitoring and potential mitigative measures. (c) A description of the principal design criteria and their relationship to the performance objectives. (d) A description of the design basis natural events or phenomena and their relationship to the principal design criteria. (e) A description of codes and standards which the applicant has applied to the design and which will apply to construction of the land disposal facilities. (f) A description of the construction and operation of the land disposal facility. The description must include as a minimum the methods of construction of disposal units; waste emplacement; the procedures for and areas of waste segregation; types of intruder barriers; onsite traffic and drainage systems; survey control program; methods and areas of waste storage; and methods to control surface water and groundwater access to the wastes. The description must also include a description of the methods to be employed in the handling and disposal of wastes containing chelating agents or other non-radiological substances that might affect meeting the performance objectives in subpart C of this part. (g) A description of the disposal site closure plan, including those design features which are intended to facilitate disposal site closure and to eliminate the need for ongoing active maintenance. (h) An identification of the known natural resources at the disposal site, the exploitation of which could result in inadvertent intrusion into the low-level wastes after removal of active institutional control. (i) A description of the kind, amount, classification and specifications of the radioactive material proposed to be received, possessed, and disposed of at the land disposal facility. (j) A description of the quality assurance program, tailored to LLW disposal, developed and applied by the applicant for the determination of natural disposal site characteristics and for quality assurance during the design, construction, operation, and closure of the land disposal facility and the receipt, handling, and emplacement of waste. (k) A description of the radiation safety program for control and monitoring of radioactive effluents to ensure compliance with the performance objective in § 61.41 of this part and occupational radiation exposure to ensure compliance with the requirements of part 20 of this chapter and to control contamination of personnel, vehicles, equipment, buildings, and the disposal site. Both routine operations and accidents must be addressed. The program description must include procedures, instrumentation, facilities, and equipment. (l) A description of the environmental monitoring program to provide data to evaluate potential health and environmental impacts and the plan for taking corrective measures if migration of radionuclides is indicated. (m) A description of the administrative procedures that the applicant will apply to control activities at the land disposal facility. (n) A description of the facility electronic recordkeeping system as required in § 61.80.

10 C.F.R. § 61.13 Technical analyses.

The specific technical information must also include the following analyses needed to demonstrate that the performance objectives of subpart C of this part will be met: (a) Pathways analyzed in demonstrating protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity must include air, soil, groundwater, surface water, plant uptake, and exhumation by burrowing animals. The analyses must clearly identify and differentiate between the roles performed by the natural disposal site characteristics and design features in isolating and segregating the wastes. The analyses must clearly demonstrate that there is reasonable assurance that the exposure to humans from the release of radioactivity will not exceed the limits set forth in § 61.41. (b) Analyses of the protection of individuals from inadvertent intrusion must include demonstration that there is reasonable assurance the waste classification and segregation requirements will be met and that adequate barriers to inadvertent intrusion will be provided. (c) Analyses of the protection of individuals during operations must include assessments of expected exposures due to routine operations and likely accidents during handling, storage, and disposal of waste. The analyses must provide reasonable assurance that exposures will be controlled to meet the requirements of part 20 of this chapter. (d) Analyses of the long-term stability of the disposal site and the need for ongoing active maintenance after closure must be based upon analyses of active natural processes such as erosion, mass wasting, slope failure, settlement of wastes and backfill, infiltration through covers over disposal areas and adjacent soils, and surface drainage of the disposal site. The analyses must provide reasonable assurance that there will not be a need for ongoing active maintenance of the disposal site following closure.

10 C.F.R. § 61.14 Institutional information.

The institutional information must include: (a) A certification by the Federal or State government which owns the disposal site that the Federal or State government is prepared to accept transfer of the license when the provisions of § 61.30 are met, and will assume responsibility for custodial care after site closure and postclosure observation and maintenance. (b) Where the proposed disposal site is on land not owned by the Federal or a State government, the applicant must submit evidence that arrangements have been made for assumption of ownership in fee by the Federal or a State government before the Commission issues a license.

10 C.F.R. § 61.15 Financial information.

The financial information must be sufficient to demonstrate that the financial qualifications of the applicant are adequate to carry out the activities for which the license is sought and meet other financial assurance requirements as specified in subpart E of this part.

10 C.F.R. § 61.16 Other information.

Depending upon the nature of the wastes to be disposed of, and the design and proposed operation of the land disposal facility, additional information may be requested by the Commission including the following: (a) Physical security measures, if appropriate. Any application to receive and possess special nuclear material in quantities subject to the requirements of part 73 of this chapter shall demonstrate how the physical security requirements of part 73 will be met. In determining whether receipt and possession will be subject to the requirements of part 73, the applicant shall not consider the quantity of special nuclear material that has been disposed of. (b) Safety information concerning criticality, if appropriate. (1) Any application to receive and possess special nuclear material in quantities that would be subject to the requirements of § 70.24, “Criticality accident requirements” of part 70 of this chapter shall demonstrate how the requirements of that section will be met, unless the applicant requests an exemption pursuant to § 70.24(d). In determining whether receipt and possession would be subject to the requirements of § 70.24, the applicant shall not consider the quantity of special nuclear material that has been disposed of. (2) Any application to receive and possess special nuclear material shall describe proposed procedures for avoiding accidental criticality, which address both storage of special nuclear material prior to disposal and waste emplacement for disposal.

10 C.F.R. § 61.20 Filing and distribution of application.

(a) An application for a license under this part, and any amendments thereto, must be filed with the Director, must be signed by the applicant or the applicant's authorized representative under oath or affirmation, and, if the document is in paper form, must be the signed original. (b) The applicant shall maintain the capability to generate additional copies of the application for distribution in accordance with written instructions from the Director or the Director's designee. (c) Fees. Application, amendment, and inspection fees applicable to a license covering the receipt and disposal of radioactive wastes in a land disposal facility are required by part 170 of this chapter.

10 C.F.R. § 61.21 Elimination of repetition.

In its application, the applicant may incorporate by reference information contained in previous applications, statements, or reports filed with the Commission if these references are clear and specific.

10 C.F.R. § 61.22 Updating of application.

(a) The application must be as complete as possible in the light of information that is available at the time of submittal. (b) The applicant shall supplement its application in a timely manner, as necessary, to permit the Commission to review, prior to issuance of a license, any changes in the activities proposed to be carried out or new information regarding the proposed activities.

10 C.F.R. § 61.23 Standards for issuance of a license.

A license for the receipt, possession, and disposal of waste containing or contaminated with source, special nuclear, or byproduct material will be issued by the Commission upon finding that the issuance of the license will not be inimical to the common defense and security and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of the public, and: (a) The applicant is qualified by reason of training and experience to carry out the disposal operations requested in a manner that protects health and minimizes danger to life or property. (b) The applicant's proposed disposal site, disposal design, land disposal facility operations (including equipment, facilities, and procedures), disposal site closure, and postclosure institutional control are adequate to protect the public health and safety in that they provide reasonable assurance that the general population will be protected from releases of radioactivity as specified in the performance objective in § 61.41, Protection of the general population from releases of radioactivity. (c) The applicant's proposed disposal site, disposal site design, land disposal facility operations (including equipment, facilities, and procedures), disposal site closure, and postclosure institutional control are adequate to protect the public health and safety in that they will provide reasonable assurance that individual inadvertent intruders are protected in accordance with the performance objective in § 61.42, Protection of individuals from inadvertent intrusion. (d) The applicant's proposed land disposal facility operations, including equipment, facilities, and procedures, are adequate to protect the public health and safety in that they will provide reasonable assurance that the standards for radiation protection set out in part 20 of this chapter will be met. (e) The applicant's proposed disposal site, disposal site design, land disposal facility operations, disposal site closure, and postclosure institutional control are adequate to protect the public health and safety in that they will provide reasonable assurance that long-term stability of the disposed waste and the disposal site will be achieved and will eliminate to the extent practicable the need for ongoing active maintenance of the disposal site following closure. (f) The applicant's demonstration provides reasonable assurance that the applicable technical requirements of subpart D of this part will be met. (g) The applicant's proposal for institutional control provides reasonable assurance that institutional control will be provided for the length of time found necessary to ensure the findings in paragraphs (b) through (e) of this section and that the institutional control meets the requirements of § 61.59, Institutional requirements. (h) The information on financial assurances meets the requirements of subpart E of this part. (i) The applicant's physical security information provides reasonable assurance that the requirements of part 73 of this chapter will be met, insofar as they are applicable to special nuclear material to be possessed before disposal under the license. (j) The applicant's criticality safety procedures are adequate to protect the public health and safety and provide reasonable assurance that the requirements of § 70.24, Criticality accident requirements, of part 70 of this chapter will be met, insofar as they are applicable to special nuclear material to be possessed before disposal under the license. (k) Any additional information submitted as requested by the Commission pursuant to § 61.16, Other information, is adequate. (l) The requirements of subpart A of part 51 of this chapter have been met.

10 C.F.R. § 61.24 Conditions of licenses.

(a) A license issued under this part, or any right thereunder, may be transferred, assigned, or in any manner disposed of, either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, through transfer of control of the license to any person, only if the Commission finds, after securing full information, that the transfer is in accordance with the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act and gives its consent in writing in the form of a license amendment. (b) The licensee shall submit written statements under oath upon request of the Commission, at any time before termination of the license, to enable the Commission to determine whether or not the license should be modified, suspended, or revoked. (c) The license will be transferred to the site owner only on the full implementation of the final closure plan as approved by the Commission, including post-closure observation and maintenance. (d) The licensee shall be subject to the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act now or hereafter in effect, and to all rules, regulations, and orders of the Commission. The terms and conditions of the license are subject to amendment, revision, or modification, by reason of amendments to, or by reason of rules, regulations, and orders issued in accordance with the terms of the Atomic Energy Act. (e) Any license may be revoked, suspended or modified in whole or in part for any material false statement in the application or any statement of fact required under Section 182 of the Act, or because of conditions revealed by any application or statement of fact or any report, record, or inspection or other means which would warrant the Commission to refuse to grant a license to the original application, or for failure to operate the facility in accordance with the terms of the license, or for any violation of, or failure to observe any of the terms and conditions of the Act, or any rule, regulation, license or order of the Commission. (f) Each person licensed by the Commission pursuant to the regulations in this part shall confine possession and use of materials to the locations and purposes authorized in the license. (g) No radioactive waste may be disposed of until the Commission has inspected the land disposal facility and has found it to be in conformance with the description, design, and construction described in the application for a license. (h) The Commission may incorporate in any license at the time of issuance, or thereafter, by appropriate rule, regulation or order, additional requirements and conditions with respect to the licensee's receipt, possession, and disposal of source, special nuclear or byproduct material as it deems appropriate or necessary in order to: (1) Promote the common defense and security; (2) Protect health or to minimize danger to life or property; (3) Require reports and the keeping of records, and to provide for inspections of activities under the license that may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the purposes of the Act and regulations thereunder. (i) Any licensee who receives and possesses special nuclear material under this part in quantities that would be subject to the requirements of § 70.24 of part 70 of this chapter shall comply with the requirements of that section. The licensee shall not consider the quantity of special nuclear material that has been disposed of. (j) The authority to dispose of wastes expires on the date stated in the license except as provided in § 61.27(a) of this part. (k)(1) Each licensee shall notify the appropriate NRC Regional Administrator, in writing, immediately following the filing of a voluntary or involuntary petition for bankruptcy under any Chapter of Title 11 (Bankruptcy) of the United States Code by or against: (i) The licensee; (ii) An entity (as that term is defined in 11 U.S.C. 101(14)) controlling the licensee or listing the license or licensee as property of the estate; or (iii) An affiliate (as that term is defined in 11 U.S.C. 101(2)) of the licensee. (2) This notification must indicate: (i) The bankruptcy court in which the petition for bankruptcy was filed; and (ii) The date of the filing of the petition.

10 C.F.R. § 61.25 Changes.

(a) Except as provided for in specific license conditions, the licensee shall not make changes in the land disposal facility or procedures described in the license application. The license will include conditions restricting subsequent changes to the facility and the procedures authorized which are important to public health and safety. These license restrictions will fall into three categories of descending importance to public health and safety as follows: (1) those features and procedures which may not be changed without (i) 60 days prior notice to the Commission, (ii) 30 days notice of opportunity for a prior hearing, and (iii) prior Commission approval; (2) those features and procedures which may not be changed without (i) 60 days prior notice to the Commisson, and (ii) prior Commission approval; and (3) those features and procedures which may not be changed without 60 days prior notice to the Commission. Features and procedures falling in paragraph (a)(3) of this section may not be changed without prior Commission approval if the Commission, after having received the required notice, so orders. (b) Amendments authorizing site closure, license transfer, or license termination shall be included in paragraph (a)(1) of this section. (c) The Commission shall provide a copy of the notices of opportunity for hearing provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section to State and local officials or tribal governing bodies specified in § 2.104(c) of this chapter.

10 C.F.R. § 61.26 Amendment of license.

(a) An application for amendment of a license must be filed in accordance with § 61.20 and shall fully describe the changes desired. (b) In determining whether an amendment to a license will be approved, the Commission will apply the criteria set forth in § 61.23.

10 C.F.R. § 61.27 Application for renewal or closure.

(a) Any expiration date on a license applies only to the above ground activities and to the authority to dispose of waste. Failure to renew the license shall not relieve the licensee of responsibility for carrying out site closure, postclosure observation and transfer of the license to the site owner. An application for renewal or an application for closure under § 61.28 must be filed at least 30 days prior to license expiration. (b) Applications for renewal of a license must be filed in accordance with §§ 61.10 through 61.16 and § 61.20. Applications for closure must be filed in accordance with §§ 61.20 and 61.28. Information contained in previous applications, statements or reports filed with the Commission under the license may be incorporated by reference if the references are clear and specific. (c) In any case in which a licensee has timely filed an application for renewal of a license, the license for continued receipt and disposal of licensed materials does not expire until the Commission has taken final action on the application for renewal. (d) In determining whether a license will be renewed, the Commission will apply the criteria set forth in § 61.23.

10 C.F.R. § 61.28 Contents of application for closure.

(a) Prior to final closure of the disposal site, or as otherwise directed by the Commission, the applicant shall submit an application to amend the license for closure. This closure application must include a final revision and specific details of the disposal site closure plan included as part of the license application submitted under § 61.12(g) that includes each of the following: (1) Any additional geologic, hydrologic, or other disposal site data pertinent to the long-term containment of emplaced radioactive wastes obtained during the operational period. (2) The results of tests, experiments, or any other analyses relating to backfill of excavated areas, closure and sealing, waste migration and interaction with emplacement media, or any other tests, experiments, or analysis pertinent to the long-term containment of emplaced waste within the disposal site. (3) Any proposed revision of plans for: (i) Decontamination and/or dismantlement of surface facilities; (ii) Backfilling of excavated areas; or (iii) Stabilization of the disposal site for post-closure care. (b) An environmental report or a supplement to an environmental report prepared in accordance with subpart A of part 51 of this chapter must accompany the application. (c) Upon review and consideration of an application to amend the license for closure submitted in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section, the Commission shall issue an amendment authorizing closure if there is reasonable assurance that the long-term performance objectives of subpart C of this part will be met.

10 C.F.R. § 61.29 Post-closure observation and maintenance.

Following completion of closure authorized in § 61.28, the licensee shall observe, monitor, and carry out necessary maintenance and repairs at the disposal site until the license is transferred by the Commission in accordance with § 61.30. Responsibility for the disposal site must be maintained by the licensee for 5 years. A shorter or longer time period for post-closure observation and maintenance may be established and approved as part of the site closure plan, based on site-specific conditions.

10 C.F.R. § 61.30 Transfer of license.

(a) Following closure and the period of post-closure observation and maintenance, the licensee may apply for an amendment to transfer the license to the disposal site owner. The license shall be transferred when the Commission finds: (1) That the closure of the disposal site has been made in conformance with the licensee's disposal site closure plan, as amended and approved as part of the license; (2) That reasonable assurance has been provided by the licensee that the performance objectives of subpart C of this part are met; (3) That any funds for care and records required by § 61.80 (e) and (f) have been transferred to the disposal site owner; (4) That the post-closure monitoring program is operational for implementation by the disposal site owner; and (5) That the Federal or State government agency which will assume responsibility for institutional control of the disposal site is prepared to assume responsibility and ensure that the institutional requirements found necessary under § 61.23(g) will be met.

10 C.F.R. § 61.31 Termination of license.

(a) Following any period of institutional control needed to meet the requirements found necessary under § 61.23, the licensee may apply for an amendment to terminate the license. (b) This application must be filed, and will be reviewed, in accordance with the provision of § 61.20 and of this section. (c) A license is terminated only when the Commission finds: (1) That the institutional control requirements found necessary under § 61.23(g) have been met; and (2) That any additional requirements resulting from new information developed during the institutional control period have been met, and that permanent monuments or markers warning against intrusion have been installed. (3) That the records required by § 61.80 (e) and (f) have been sent to the party responsible for institutional control of the disposal site and a copy has been sent to the Commission immediately prior to license termination.

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