Decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) should be conducted in a manner consistent with placing utmost priority on the safety of workers, the public, and the environment. Perhaps the major cost driver for D&D activities is the volume of material that needs to be disposed of as radioactive waste; thus, reduction of this volume is critical to reducing the costs of decommissioning. Most decommissioning is either immediate dismantlement or deferred dismantlement, or a combination of both. Determining the optimal decommissioning strategy for a facility will depend on a number of factors and considerations: government policy and laws, regulations, environmental protection, public acceptance, future use of site, type of facility, availability of funding, etc. However, the availability of waste management options is one of the most critical factors that influence the ultimate success of a decommissioning project—for countries like Korea, which will soon begin decommissioning commercial reactors, this must be considered a point of emphasis.
