Decommissioning of pools in nuclear facilities

Pools or ponds are usually an integrated part of a more complex nuclear facility, but in some particular cases pools may be considered as a separate nuclear facility with a specific license. A number of nuclear installations utilize pools for the cooling of spent fuel, or the shielding of research reactor cores or irradiator sources. Over a service lifetime that can span decades, nuclear pools may become contaminated as a result of the deposition of radioactive substances. Relevant aspects of pool decommissioning covered in this publication include project planning and management, health and safety, and the management of resulting waste.