Licensing of Geological Repositories
Round-table discussions at IAEA General Conference 2009 Wednesday 16 September
Introduction
The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and the IAEA Programme for Radioactive Waste Management organised a round-table discussion on the issue of Licensing of Geological Repositories during the IAEA General Conference 2009. The meeting was opened by Ann-Louise Eksborg, Director General of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. Eliana Amaral, Director for Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety and Hans Forsström, Director for Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology, provided views from the IAEA. opening address
Presentations
Introductory presentations on their respective licensing programmes were made by representatives of the following countries:
Discussion was focused on the licensing and safety of geological waste disposal of high level waste and spent nuclear fuel, some of the issues discussed being:
- At what stage occurs the most important part of the licensing?
- How is the degree of retrievability of wastes/spent fuel varying with time?
- How is new, arising knowledge implemented during the operational period?
- How is monitoring arranged during the licensing period?
- Which type of monitoring is necessary? 6. When are requirements for closure established?
- What is the view on institutional control? (design, scope, time periods)
Outcome and conclusion
The concept of geological disposal of high level waste and spent fuel is finally becoming a reality and it looks like closing of the fuel cycle will finally be realized in the not too distant future.
This has come about by careful and determined work in a number of countries focusing on demonstrating a high level of safety being carried out in an open and transparent manner and with political commitment. Good progress has been made and the prospects look positive but the licensing process has to run its course and no doubt issues will arise and will have to be resolved.
The work undertaken over the past decades on geological disposal has been undertaken with a considerable amount of international collaboration amongst all parties and together with the other international organizations.
Guided by the Member States the IAEA had developed the Safety Requirements standards for geological disposal which was published in 2006 and guidance on meeting the safety requirements was subsequently being developed. This process was paralleling developments in Member States and providing a good platform for exchange of experience and an opportunity to work towards internationally harmonized approaches.
Increasing interest has arisen in recent years in Europe on harmonization of the approach to demonstrating the safety of geological disposal, in view of several European countries progressing with geological disposal projects. This work was envisaged to lead towards consensus on many aspects of the safety demonstration and licensing processes.
The IAEA had collaborated in these initiatives and the positive outcome had led the launching of an international project GEOSAF to provide a platform for all Member States interested in geological disposal to gain a closer insight into the European work and to work towards a globally harmonized approach to demonstrating the safety of geological disposal.
The licensing of geological disposal was identified as a new venture with its own unique challenges. Whilst considerable experience has been developed in licensing nuclear facilities, to date these have been facilities with a finite lifetime and under operational control. The long time frames over which confidence in the safety of geological disposal facilities.
The broad international collaboration to date had identified a number of issues where debate continues and a fully harmonized approach is still evolving. The round table provided an excellent opportunity to continue the discussions and provided an opportunity to hear feedback on the real issues being faced in the process of demonstrating the safety of geological disposal and embarking on the licensing process. It also emphasized the importance of engaging with all interested parties to establish the confidence of all stakeholders in the safety of geological disposal.
The meeting was closed by Ann-Louise Eksborg who thanked all the persons who had assisted with the roundtable and all the participants. She stressed the importance of continuing international collaboration in the area of geological disposal and looked forward to ongoing contact and collaboration.
Postscript: The IAEA would like to thank all the people who contributed to the roundtable, in particular the Swedish nuclear safety authority, and emphasize the intention of the IAEA to continue providing a forum for discussion and debate of the issues of interest to all concerned parties in demonstrating the safety and licensing of geological disposal facilities – the final step in safely closing the nuclear fuel cycle. In view of the recent developments in safety standards for radioactive waste disposal and some of the key issues arising during their development, the IAEA will convene an International Workshop Demonstrating the Safety and Licensing of Radioactive Waste Disposal in conjunction with the International Conference on Effective Nuclear Regulatory Systems, scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa 14-18 December 2009.
