CSA N294:09

(reaffirmed 2019)

Decommissioning of facilities containing nuclear substances

REVISED AUGUST 2014

Legal Notice for Standards

Canadian Standards Association (operating as “CSA Group”) develops standards through a consensus standards development process approved by the Standards Council of Canada. This process brings together volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus and develop a standard. Although CSA Group administers the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in achieving consensus, it does not independently test, evaluate, or verify the content of standards.

Disclaimer and exclusion of liability

This document is provided without any representations, warranties, or conditions of any kind, express or implied, including, without limitation, implied warranties or conditions concerning this document’s fitness for a particular purpose or use, its merchantability, or its non-infringement of any third party’s intellectual property rights. CSA Group does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any of the information published in this document. CSA Group makes no representations or warranties regarding this document’s compliance with any applicable statute, rule, or regulation.

IN NO EVENT SHALL CSA GROUP, ITS VOLUNTEERS, MEMBERS, SUBSIDIARIES, OR AFFILIATED COMPANIES, OR THEIR EMPLOYEES, DIRECTORS, OR OFFICERS, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, INJURY, LOSS, COSTS, OR EXPENSES, HOWSOEVER CAUSED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOST REVENUE, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOST OR DAMAGED DATA, OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL OR ECONOMIC LOSS, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR ANY OTHER THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RESULTING FROM ACCESS TO OR POSSESSION OR USE OF THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF CSA GROUP HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, INJURY, LOSS, COSTS, OR EXPENSES.

In publishing and making this document available, CSA Group is not undertaking to render professional or other services for or on behalf of any person or entity or to perform any duty owed by any person or entity to another person or entity. The information in this document is directed to those who have the appropriate degree of experience to use and apply its contents, and CSA Group accepts no responsibility whatsoever arising in any way from any and all use of or reliance on the information contained in this document.

CSA Group is a private not-for-profit company that publishes voluntary standards and related documents. CSA Group has no power, nor does it undertake, to enforce compliance with the contents of the standards or other documents it publishes.

Intellectual property rights and ownership

As between CSA Group and the users of this document (whether it be in printed or electronic form), CSA Group is the owner, or the authorized licensee, of all works contained herein that are protected by copyright, all trade-marks (except as otherwise noted to the contrary), and all inventions and trade secrets that may be contained in this document, whether or not such inventions and trade secrets are protected by patents and applications for patents. Without limitation, the unauthorized use, modification, copying, or disclosure of this document may violate laws that protect CSA Group’s and/or others’ intellectual property and may give rise to a right in CSA Group and/or others to seek legal redress for such use, modification, copying, or disclosure. To the extent permitted by licence or by law, CSA Group reserves all intellectual property rights in this document.

Patent rights

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this standard may be the subject of patent rights. CSA Group shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights is entirely their own responsibility.

Authorized use of this document

This document is being provided by CSA Group for informational and non-commercial use only. The user of this document is authorized to do only the following:

If this document is in electronic form:

• load this document onto a computer for the sole purpose of reviewing it;

• search and browse this document; and

• print this document if it is in PDF format.

  Limited copies of this document in print or paper form may be distributed only to persons who are authorized by CSA Group to have such copies, and only if this Legal Notice appears on each such copy.

  In addition, users may not and may not permit others to

• alter this document in any way or remove this Legal Notice from the attached standard;

• sell this document without authorization from CSA Group; or

• make an electronic copy of this document.

  If you do not agree with any of the terms and conditions contained in this Legal Notice, you may not load or use this document or make any copies of the contents hereof, and if you do make such copies, you are required to destroy them immediately. Use of this document constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Legal Notice.

  
  

  Revision History

  CSA N294-09, Decommissioning of facilities containing nuclear substances

  
  

  Update No. 1 — August 2014	Revision symbol (in margin)
  Preface Clauses 0, 1, 2, 5, 7.8.2, E.2.3.1, and I.3.2 Annexes H and K Figure 1	①

  
  

  Standards Update Service

  CSA N294:09

  July 2009

  
  

  Title: Decommissioning of facilities containing nuclear substances

  To register for e-mail notification about any updates to this publication

• go to store.csagroup.org

• click on CSA Update Service

The List ID that you will need to register for updates to this publication is 2020171.

If you require assistance, please e-mail techsupport@csagroup.org or call 416-747-2233.

Visit CSA Group’s policy on privacy at www.csagroup.org/legal to find out how we protect your personal information.

CSA N294:09

Decommissioning of facilities containing nuclear substances

®A trademark of the Canadian Standards Association, operating as “CSA Group”

Published in July 2009 by CSA Group

A not-for-profit private sector organization

178 Rexdale Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 1R3

To purchase standards and related publications, visit our Online Store at store.csagroup.org

or call toll-free 1-800-463-6727 or 416-747-4044.

ISBN 978-1-55491-209-4

© 2009 Canadian Standards Association

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior permission of the publisher.

Contents

Technical Committee on the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities 4

Preface 6

0 Introduction 7

1. General 7

2. Background 7

3. Application 7

4. Interface with other CSA Group Standards 7

1. Scope 8

   
   

2. Reference publications 8

   
   

3. Definitions 12

   
   

4. Responsibilities 15

   1. General 15

   2. Rehabilitating part of a facility 16

      
      

5. Decommissioning phases 16

   
   

6. Phase 1 — Planning for decommissioning 17

   1. Decommissioning strategy 17

      1. General 17

      2. Decommissioning strategy options 18

      3. Planning considerations 18

   2. Planning for decommissioning throughout the facility life cycle 18

      1. General 18

      2. Design and construction 19

      3. Commissioning 19

      4. Operation and maintenance 19

      5. Final shutdown 19

   3. Initial decommissioning plan 19

      1. General 19

      2. Ongoing review and revision 20

         
         

7. Phase 2 — Preparation for decommissioning 20

   1. General 20

   2. Notification 20

   3. Permanent shutdown 20

   4. Safe shutdown state 21

      1. General 21

      2. Removal of materials and preparation of systems 21

      3. Surveillance and maintenance 21

   5. Assessment of the state of the facility after shutdown 21

      1. General 21

      2. Investigation and assessment 21

      3. Sources of information 21

   6. Safety assessment of the decommissioning 21

   7. Changes to the decommissioning strategy 22

   8. Final decommissioning plan 22

      1. General 22

      2. Content 22

      3. Waste management plan 23

      4. Human resources plan 24

   9. Requirements for licensed nuclear facilities 24

   10. Public communication 24

       1. General 24

       2. Target audiences 25

       3. Requirements for licensed nuclear facilities 25

          
          

8. Phase 3 — Execution of decommissioning 25

   1. Commencement of decommissioning activities 25

   2. Methods and techniques 26

      1. General 26

      2. Decontamination 26

      3. Dismantling and demolition 27

      4. Surveys 27

   3. Support programs 27

   4. Interim end-state report 28

   5. Periods of storage with surveillance 28

      
      

9. Phase 4 — Completion of decommissioning 28

   1. General 28

   2. Final end state 28

      1. General 28

      2. Final surveys 29

      3. Final end-state report 29

   3. Release of licensed facilities from regulatory control 29

      
      

10. Institutional controls following decommissioning 29

    1. General 29

    2. Type and duration 29

    3. Protective measures 30

       
       

11. Decommissioning records 30

    1. Contents 30

    2. Retention period 30

Annex A (informative) — Preliminary decommissioning plan 32

Annex B (informative) — Financial aspects of decommissioning nuclear facilities 35

Annex C (informative) — Surveys 40

Annex D (informative) — Final end-state report 46

Annex E (informative) — Recommended approaches for the decommissioning of mine waste rock and mill tailings 49

Annex F (informative) — Decommissioning of complex sites 52

Annex G (informative) — Decommissioning of small facilities (other than Class I or Class II) 57

Annex H (informative) — Defining end state objectives for decommissioning 61

Annex I (informative) — Planning for decommissioning throughout the life cycle of the facility 65

Annex J (informative) — Bibliography 68

Annex K (informative) — Decommissioning of high energy reactor facilities 73

Technical Committee on the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities

M. Stephens Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, Ontario

Chair

D. Howard Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottawa, Ontario

Vice-Chair

J. Kennard Nuclear Waste Management Organization, Toronto, Ontario

Vice-Chair

F. Allen Department of National Defence, Ottawa, Ontario

D. Allinson Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Port Hope, Ontario

Associate

M. Attas Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Pinawa, Manitoba

Associate

A. Baweja Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

D. Burgess Cameco Corporation, Port Hope, Ontario

L. DeLong NB Power Nuclear Corporation, Lepreau, New Brunswick

R. Ferch Ottawa, Ontario

D. Gibson Ontario Power Generation, Toronto, Ontario

M. Grey Candesco Corporation, Toronto, Ontario

G. Griffiths TLG Services Inc.,

Bridgewater, Connecticut, USA

R. Ilson Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

N. Jayawardene AMEC Nuclear Safety Solutions,

Toronto, Ontario

S. Kenny Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, Ontario

Associate

A. Krukowski SNC-Lavalin Nuclear Inc., Oakville, Ontario

D. Metcalfe Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

S. Oue Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottawa, Ontario

Associate

A. Rosaasen AREVA Resources Canada Inc., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

S. Sonoc University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

C. Vollrath Burlington, Ontario

S. Wang Canadian Standards Association, Mississauga, Ontario

Project Manager

A. Kwong Canadian Standards Association, Mississauga, Ontario

Project Manager

In addition to the Technical Committee, the following people made valuable contributions to the development of this Standard:

1. Helbrecht, CNSC Consultant, East St. Paul, Manitoba

   AECL Decommissioning Staff at Chalk River Laboratories, Ontario AECL Decommissioning Staff at Whiteshell Laboratories, Manitoba

   Cameco Technical Staff in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Port Hope, Ontario

   The members of the Technical Committee who developed the 1992 draft Standard for nuclear decommissioning

   ① Preface

   This is the first edition of CSA N294, Decommissioning of facilities containing nuclear substances.

   This Standard was developed in response to a need for direction on decommissioning consistent with Canadian and international recommendations. It incorporates current best practices and existing regulatory requirements. This Standard also draws on the decommissioning experience of the Canadian nuclear industry.

   
   

   The CSA N-Series Standards provide an interlinked set of requirements for the management of nuclear facilities and activities. CSA N286 provides overall direction to management to develop and implement sound management practices and controls, while the other CSA Group Nuclear Standards provide specific technical requirements and guidance that support the management system. This Standard works in harmony with CSA N286 and does not duplicate the generic requirements of CSA N286, however it may provide more specific direction for those requirements.

   
   

   Users of this Standard are reminded that additional and site-specific requirements might be specified by federal, provincial, or municipal authorities. This Standard should not be considered as a replacement for the requirements contained in the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and its Regulations or in other legislation, standards, or guides.

   
   

   This Standard was prepared by the Technical Committee on the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities, under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Steering Committee on Nuclear Standards, and has been formally approved by the Technical Committee.

   Notes:

   1. Use of the singular does not exclude the plural (and vice versa) when the sense allows.

   2. Although the intended primary application of this Standard is stated in its Scope, it is important to note that it remains the responsibility of the users of the Standard to judge its suitability for their particular purpose.

   3. This Standard was developed by consensus, which is defined by CSA Policy governing standardization — Code of good practice for standardization as “substantial agreement. Consensus implies much more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity”. It is consistent with this definition that a member may be included in the Technical Committee list and yet not be in full agreement with all clauses of this Standard.

   4. To submit a request for interpretation of this Standard, please send the following information to

      inquiries@csagroup.org and include “Request for interpretation” in the subject line:

      1. define the problem, making reference to the specific clause, and, where appropriate, include an illustrative sketch;

      2. provide an explanation of circumstances surrounding the actual field condition; and

      3. where possible, phrase the request in such a way that a specific “yes” or “no” answer will address the issue.

         Committee interpretations are processed in accordance with the CSA Directives and guidelines governing standardization and are available on the Current Standards Activities page at standardsactivities.csa.ca.

   5. This Standard is subject to review within five years from the date of publication. Suggestions for its improvement will be referred to the appropriate committee. To submit a proposal for change, please send the following information to inquiries@csagroup.org and include “Proposal for change” in the subject line:

      1. Standard designation (number);

      2. relevant clause, table, and/or figure number;

      3. wording of the proposed change; and

      4. rationale for the change.

CSA N294:09

Decommissioning of facilities containing nuclear substances

① 0 Introduction

Note: The information in Clause 0 is informative.

1. General

   This Standard is one of the CSA N-Series of Standards, a set of Standards which provide an interlinked set of requirements for the management of nuclear facilities. This Standard provides direction on defining, planning and executing decommissioning work, and supports the requirements identified in CSA N286, Management system requirements for nuclear facilities.

   
   

2. Background

   This Standard was developed to consolidate and incorporate into one document, decommissioning principles, Canadian and international decommissioning experience, international guidance, and regulatory expectations that could be applied to the decommissioning of all facilities and sites where nuclear substances were used or stored.

   The Standard is consistent with and supplements current Canadian policy and regulatory guidance as follows:

   • CNSC Regulatory Policy P-290, Managing Radioactive Waste (July 2004);

   • CNSC Regulatory Guide G-219, Decommissioning Planning for Licensed Activities (June 2000); and

   • CNSC Regulatory Guide G-206, Financial Guarantees for the Decommissioning of Licensed Activities (June 2000).

     
     

3. Application

   The application of this Standard is intended for all nuclear decommissioning activities in Canada and is mandatory when referenced as a requirement in a CNSC licence or via another regulatory requirement. The Standard is intended to be appropriate for use in decommissioning facilities and sites under CNSC licences, military facilities regulated by the Director Nuclear Safety, and non-licensed facilities and sites containing nuclear substances.

   
   

   The main body of this Standard provides the requirements for the management of decommissioning; the Annexes have been developed to provide information related to specific aspects of decommissioning.

   
   

4. Interface with other CSA Group Standards

This Standard has been developed to capture nuclear decommissioning requirements, but recognizes that the process of decommissioning is complex and interface with other CSA N-Series Standards will be required.

It is recommended that the user of this Standard consider reviewing the following CSA N-Series Standards to determine if the requirements contained within these Standards affect and influence their decommissioning:

• N285 series on pressure retaining components and systems;