web analytics

Information Directory

Reference Directory

Cost-Conscious D&D

Our Cost-Conscious D & D Program

The problem

Most radioactive material licensees routinely use available in-house resources in responding to spills and relatively small decontamination operations. And if the uses of radioactive materials at the site have never resulted in wide-spread contamination (i.e., to air handling systems, sewer discharge lines, etc), the licensee typically has no problem in mounting an in-house-based decommissioning operation . . . assuming, of course, that their license permits them to do so and that they can avoid negative impact on ongoing operations throughout the process.

But what if the clean-up or decommissioning action falls somewhere between a small spill and a major decommissioning action? What if the site is one of the following:

  • A small-scale state or federal licensee that wants to terminate their radioactive materials license but is unfamiliar with their regulator’s site-wide decommissioning process.
  • A licensee that wishes to remove a single restricted area or building from the listing of permanent restricted areas on an existing license.
  • A facility facing a small but challenging clean-up issue, such as one that involves mixed wastes, interferences with ongoing operations, or a sensitive workforce and/or neighboring community.
  • A licensee that, for cost-saving purposes, wishes to complete as much site clean-up as possible before entering into the formal decommissioning and license termination process.
  • A facility with a limited scope license that does not authorize the performance of remedial actions without a license amendment.
  • A facility with a tight clean-up deadline and/or a restrictive clean-up budget.
  • A licensee whose in-house staff is unable to complete a decontamination effort while still supporting routine and on-going operations.
  • A site where the pending decontamination job is too small to attract the interest of a large, full-service decommissioning contractor.

The solution

What these licensees need is a company with a special mix of skills. What these licensees need is a support service that offers:

  • The ability to act as an extension of the licensee’s operation, to minimize the impact of decontamination efforts on their business
  • Expertise in licensing and regulator interactions to ensure that decontamination activities meet all regulatory requirements
  • Experience in characterizing radiological contamination, removing it safely and cost-effectively, and disposing of it properly
  • Ready access to the other types of expertise (analytical, construction/demolition, geotechnical, waste treatment, etc.) that might be needed to complete a project successfully
  • The ability to accurately project costs, willingness to perform decontamination work on a fixed-price basis, and demonstrable skill at managing decommissioning funding effectively
  • Pollution liability insurance in amounts sufficient to cover the ramifications of any unforseen/unplanned events
  • Heightened/continuous consciousness of and the ability to address both licensee resource limitations and existing operating philosophy

The company that has these skills is Plexus-NSD.  We specialize in assisting primarily commercial clients in the cost-effective management and licensing of ionizing radiation sources and radioactive materials. Plexus-NSD has worked with a wide variety of firms in applying for and updating licenses, improving radiation protection programs, training, conducting surveys/characterizing sites, including the implementation of MARSSIM guidance, and assisting in decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) programs.

The Plexus-NSD approach

Plexus-NSD is pleased to offer its ‘Cost Conscious D & D Program’, a cost- and time-sensitive means of addressing full or partial license termination efforts. We take charge of the effort in its entirety and on your behalf, thus minimizing the drain on your in-house resources. We manage the work effectively so that you won’t ‘break the bank’, and we stay involved in regulator interactions to ensure that they are satisfied with the process and with the final product. Here are some more facts to consider:

  • Plexus-NSD has successfully completed many small- to mid-sized projects, all to the satisfaction of both the customer (cost/schedule) and regulators (compliance/release).
  • Plexus-NSD’s personnel have experience in all aspects of this unique topical area, a fact that is recognized and utilized by training organizations and by international standards agencies.
  • Plexus-NSD’s excellent cost estimating and scope preparation skills allow us to take on decontamination efforts on a fixed-price basis, thus ensuring our clients will know what their financial obligations are before the project begins.
  • Plexus-NSD’s project managers are Registered Radiation Protection Technologists (National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists), and technical oversight is always provided by Certified Health Physicists (American Board of Health Physics).
  • Plexus-NSD is able to provide turn-key service that includes both planning (e.g., decommissioning plans, decommissioning funding plans, work plans, quality assurance plans, sampling plans, etc., as required) and execution (e.g., facility/site characterization, decontamination, demolition, performance/documentation of final status surveys, preparation of regulatory submittals, etc.).
  • Plexus-NSDhas experience in managing teams of companies that provide all of the expertise necessary to complete decommissioning and decontamination projects successfully.
  • Plexus-NSD has a long list of references available for review and we are widely-recognized by both state and federal regulatory agencies for our technical and management skills.
  • Plexus-NSD’s deliverables and work products always withstand the toughest regulatory and legal scrutiny.
  • Plexus-NSD’s commitment to effective communications and status reporting ensures the customer is always aware of the progress on the project.
  • Plexus-NSD possesses a radioactive materials license that permits the possession of any radioactive material, in any quantity, for any purpose (subject to agency work plan approval), anywhere throughout the United States via interstate reciprocity.
  • Plexus-NSD maintains a base level of $1 million of pollution liability insurance, with the ability to include project-specific riders for any additional amounts that are necessary.

Plexus-NSD’s ‘Cost-Conscious D & D Program’ permits us to mobilize rapidly to your site and to always hit the ground running . . . which means your start-up time is kept to a practical minimum. And there is no need for you or your staff to take the time to update or generate in-house procedures or amend existing licenses if the work is being performed under the terms of Plexus-NSD’s license. Furthermore, Plexus-NSD remains responsible for the work of all subcontractors used on the project, which frees you and your staff from a dedicated (real-time) oversight effort.

Plexus-NSD’s ‘Cost-Conscious D & D Program’ will give you a single point of contact – the project manager – for the entire work effort, meaning you do not have to coordinate multiple services and/or firms. And Plexus-NSD will agree to perform decommissioning or decontamination projects for a single fixed price, allowing you to budget for the work before it even starts. Finally, Plexus-NSD will provide and document all training, monitoring, safety (including industrial hygiene), and quality assurance services necessary to protect you from regulatory and/or legal challenges.

If you are facing a small decommissioning or decontamination effort, if you are on a tight budget or an even tighter schedule, if you want to know what the project is going to cost before it starts, and if you want to be sure the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable regulations and documentation demands are met, you will definitely want to consider Plexus-NSD’s ‘Cost-Conscious D & D Program’.

For more information about the program, to discuss a site-specific approach, or to receive a listing of satisfied customers, simply Contact Us. An Plexus-NSD Certified Health Physicist will work with your to provide you with whatever additional information you need, and/or to schedule an Initial Consultation.

Our skilled project management and cost-estimating capabilities, our ability to tap a host of pre-qualified ancillary services, our in-depth understanding of regulatory requirements, our willingness to perform the work on a fixed-price basis, and our successful experience to date are all a part of Plexus-NSD’s ‘Cost-Conscious D & D Program’. Call us to find out if this is the answer for your organization!