Waste Management
Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management
Introduction
The Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management group has the responsibility for development of safety standards related to both the predisposal management of radioactive waste and to its disposal. It also has the responsibility to assist Member States in the use and application of these standards. These responsibilities are discharged in a range of activities.
Both the development of standards and the activities related to their use and application are influenced by the needs of Member States. Such needs are identified from the outcome of international conferences, from the safety standards development committees and from direct contact with Member States. A significant development for the safety of radioactive waste management at a global level was the coming into force of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. Prior to the coming into force of this convention the Agency convened a major international conference on the safety of radioactive waste management in Cordoba, Spain in May 2000 Based upon which an Action Plan was formulated and endorsed by the General Conference in September 2001 and which gave emphasis to a number of waste safety activities. The action plan was updated in light of the deliberations of the Conference on Issues and Trends in Radioactive Waste Management, which was held Vienna in December 2002 and the International Conference on the Disposal of Low Activity Radioactive Waste was held in Cordoba, December 2004. The actions from the plan have been progressively integrated into the regular work unit, which has also been adjusted based on the outcome of the International Conference on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Disposal was held in Tokyo, Japan, October, 2005.
The second review meeting of the Contracting Parties of the Joint Convention was held at the Headquarter of the Agency from 15 to 24 May 2006 again providing feedback on the work of the unit. Through the series of conferences and meeting, there has drawn a broader recognition of the importance of development and application of the safety standards on radioactive waste management as well as increasing membership of the Joint Convention. At this meeting, progress on the following issues relating to radioactive waste disposal was noted:
Spent Fuel and Waste Management
- All Contracting Parties are committed to address spent fuel and waste management in a comprehensive manner
- Many Contracting Parties have already developed, or are currently developing, spent fuel and waste management strategies based on increasingly comprehensive inventories, including spent fuel and waste arising, or to arise, from decommissioning
- Some Contracting Parties have made clear progress with the implementation of their strategic plans
- The Contracting Parties highlighted the increasing importance of public consultation and the need for public acceptance in order to implement their spent fuel and waste management strategic plans
- Many Contracting Parties have defined funding strategies for managing safely their spent fuel and wastes in accordance with their strategic plans, although some Contracting Parties started collecting the funds only quite recently
- Some Contracting Parties reported on progress with siting of near-surface disposals, even if this remains a difficult issue to solve
- The subject of geological repositories is still more difficult to handle. However, some Contracting Parties reported on progress in siting such repositories
- The subject of regional repositories was mentioned by several Contracting Parties. It could be appropriate for some countries to join their efforts and resources for a common solution for final disposal
- The subject of exemption and waste clearance was discussed. There is for the time being no international consensus on the use of clearance levels. Many Contracting Parties are implementing clearance criteria on a generic basis or a case by case basis. Public acceptance and a clear radiation protection concept are key issues for the success of using clearance levels
Disused Sealed Sources
- Many Contracting Parties have established registries for sealed sources. Most Contracting Parties have indicated that they have enforced a return of disused sealed sources to the supplier. Some have not yet defined a long-term policy. Funding schemes for the recovery of orphan sources have been set up by many Contracting Parties. The disposal of disused sealed sources, especially long-lived ones, was recognized as an issue still to be solved
- The Contracting Parties noted the importance of implementing the IAEA Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive . Much progress has been made in this respect. Sources
Mining and Milling Tailings
- Many Contracting Parties, which had or still have uranium mining activities, reported on the actions that have been undertaken with a view to putting the problematic sites in a safe condition
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)
- Some Contracting Parties decided to include NORM or TENORM (technically enhanced NORM), or both, in their waste management policy and reported about this.
Waste Safety Action Plan Activities
In September 2001, the Board requested the Secretariat to implement a list of seven actions proposed in the Report on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management and in a resolution of the following General Conference endorsed the Board's request.
The International Conference on Issues and Trends in Radioactive Waste Management, organized by the Agency in co-operation with the European Commission and OECD/NEA, took place in Vienna from 9 to 12 December 2002. The aforementioned list of actions has been updated, and two new actions (below) were added, in the light of the deliberations of the Conference, with the help of experts from several of the Member States that were represented at the Conference.
- Action #8 - Review the new developments related to policies for the control of radioactive discharges to the environment, taking into account the availability and cost-effectiveness of discharge reduction technologies and the broader implications for radioactive waste management of reducing discharges
- Action #9 - Explore international mechanisms for facilitating the management of spent sealed radioactive sources.
Research and Development Projects
- International Project on Safety Assessment Driving Radioactive Waste Management Solutions (SADRWMS)
- Application of Safety Assessment Methodologies (ASAM)
Peer Reviews
Technical Cooperation
At present the Waste Disposable Unit also provides technical assistance to Member States through national, regional, and model projects. table
Activities in the area of Disposal Waste
For further information please contact P. Metcalf
