Study on the Experiences of Subsurface Soil Remediation at Commercial Nuclear Power Plants in the United States

Regulatory agency and licensee are preparing for the site restoration of Kori unit 1, the first commercial NPP in Korea, scheduled for 2031. Developing regulatory guidelines and strategies is essential for effective restoration work. Unfortunately, Korea does not have experience of site restoration of commercial NPPs. Therefore, it is important to review cases from experienced countries to establish a strategy and regulatory standards. The U.S. has had numerous soil remediation experiences using RESRAD and MARSSIM. However, formalized evaluation methodologies for subsurface soil have not yet been established in MARSSIM. This survey focused on subsurface soil remediation by reviewing the five decommissioned NPPs under regulation of the US NRC. Overall process of remediating a contaminated subsurface soil and groundwater was reviewed to identify considerations and lessons that could be applicable in Korea. In addition, an applied methodology for evaluation of contaminated subsurface soil and related major issues between regulatory agency and licensees were reviewed in detail to support establishment of remediation strategy for Kori unit 1. KCI Citation Count: 0