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safetyseriesn o . 69IAEA SAFETY STANDARDS

of Radioactive Wastes fromNuclear Power PlantsCODE OF PRACTICE

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From Safety Series No. 46 onwards the various publications in the series aredivided into four categories, as follows:

(1) IAEA Safety Standards. Publications in this category comprise the Agency’s safety standards as defined in “The Agency’s Safety Standards and Measures” , approved by the Agency’s Board of Governors on 25 February 1976 and set forth in IAEA document INFCIRC/ 18/Rev. 1. They are issued under the authority of the Board of Governors, and are mandatory for the Agency’s own operations and for Agency-assisted operations. Such standards comprise the Agency’s basic safety standards, the Agency’s specialized regulations and the Agency’s codes of practice. The covers are distinguished by the wide red band on the lower half.

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MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS


The following States are M embers o f the In ternational A tom ic Energy Agency:

AFGHANISTAN ALBANIA ALGERIA ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA BANGLADESH BELGIUM BOLIVIA BRAZIL BULGARIA BURMABYELORUSSIAN SOVIET

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC CAMEROON CANADA CHILE CHINA COLOMBIA COSTA RICA CUBA CYPRUSCZECHOSLOVAKIA DEMOCRATIC KAMPUCHEA DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S

REPUB LIC O F KOREA DENMARKDOMINICAN REPUBLIC ECUADOR EGYPTEL SALVADOR ETHIOPIA FINLAND FRANCE GABONGERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC GERMANY, FED ER A L REPUBLIC OF GHANA GREECE GUATEMALA

HAITIHOLY SEEHUNGARYICELANDINDIAINDONESIAIRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OFIRAQIRELANDISRAELITALYIVORY COASTJAMAICAJAPANJORDANKENYAKOREA, REPUBLIC OF KUWAIT LEBANON LIBERIALIBYAN ARAB JAM AHIRIYA LIECHTENSTEIN LUXEMBOURG MADAGASCAR MALAYSIA MALIM AURITIUS MEXICO MONACO MONGOLIA MOROCCO NAMIBIA NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND NICARAGUA NIGER NIGERIA NORWAY PAKISTAN PANAMA

PARAGUAYPERUPHILIPPINESPOLANDPORTUGALQATARROMANIASAUDI ARABIASENEGALSIERRA LEONESINGAPORESOUTH AFRICASPAINSRI LANKASUDANSWEDENSWITZERLANDSYRIAN ARAB REPUBLICTHAILANDTUNISIATURKEYUGANDAUKRAINIAN SOVIET SOCIALIST

REPUBLIC UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST

REPUBLICS UNITED ARAB EM IRATES UNITED KINGDOM OF G REAT

BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA URUGUAY VENEZUELA VIET NAM YUGOSLAVIA ZAIRE ZAMBIA

The A gency’s S ta tu te was approved on 23 O ctober 1956 by the Conference on the S ta tu te o f the IAEA held a t U nited N ations H eadquarters, New Y ork; it en tered in to force on 29 July 1957. The Headquarters o f the Agency are s ituated in Vienna. Its principal objective is “ to accelerate and enlarge the con tribu tion o f a tom ic energy to peace, health and prosperity th roughou t the w orld” .

© IAEA, 1985

Permission to reproduce or translate the inform ation contained in this publication m ay be obtained by writing to the In ternational A tom ic Energy Agency, W agramerstrasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A -1400 Vienna, Austria.

Printed by the IAEA in Austria August 1985


SAFETY SERIES No. 69

MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES

FROMNUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

CODE OF PRACTICE

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA, 198S


THIS SAFETY SERIES IS ALSO PUBLISHED IN FRENCH, RUSSIAN AND SPANISH

MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

IAEA, VIENNA, 1985 STI/PUB/705

ISBN 9 2 -0 -1 2 3 6 8 5 -9


FOREWORD

Nuclear power is making a significant contribution to energy supply in many countries. The safe use of nuclear power is linked with the safe management of radioactive wastes that are generated during the operation of the associated nuclear facilities. The management of wastes has been studied since the early days of nuclear technology and considerable experience has been gained.

Waste management has received increased attention in recent years and the continuing successful development of nuclear power relies in part on the assurance that waste management safety objectives and requirements can be met today and in the future, and that waste disposal will not pldce an undue burden on future generations.

It is therefore important that there should be a common understanding of the safety requirements to be applied, appropriate techniques for waste management and the manner by which these requirements can be demonstrated.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has established wide-ranging programmes to provide Member States with guidance on many aspects of safety and technology related to thermal neutron nuclear power reactors and the associated fuel cycle operations, including those for the management of radioactive wastes.

Within the area of radioactive waste management, the IAEA is developing documents under three programmes:

1. Waste handling and treatment2. Underground disposal3. Environmental aspects

and for each of these three programmes, Safety Series publications are being prepared.

The Code of Practice on Management of Radioactive Wastes from Nuclear Power Plants has been prepared as part of the Waste Handling and Treatment programme as an IAEA Safety Standard. The objective of this document is to provide Member States with broad guidance regarding basic safety matters for the management of nuclear power plant radioactive wastes. More detailed guidance in the area of radioactive waste management has been or will be prepared in the form of publications in the Safety Guides, Recommendations, and Procedures and Data categories. Where specific guidance is available, reference is made in this Code of Practice to the relevant IAEA documents. Other documents containing more detailed guidance will be prepared on a time-scale


appropriate to the status of the various technologies, the extent of their use, and the need for specific guidance. These documents will be co-ordinated with the programme relating to nuclear power plant safety (NUclear Safety Standards — NUSS programme) as well as with the comparable publications regarding radiological safety and the transport of radioactive material. The Safety Series documents related to waste management are supported by an extensive literature in the Technical Reports and IAEA-TECDOC Series. All relevant documents are listed at the end of this Code.

The Codes of Practice and Safety Guides are issued by the Agency for use by Member States in the context of their own nuclear safety requirements. These Codes and Guides are written in a form to enable a Member State, should it so decide, to make the contents of such documents directly applicable to activities under its jurisdiction. Therefore, consistent with accepted practice for codes and guides, “ shall” and “should” are used to distinguish for the potential user between a firm requirement and a desirable option. It is recognized that the final decisions and legal responsibilities in any regulatory procedure always rest with the Member State.

In order to be consistent with other IAEA documents, standard terminology has been used. A list of definitions pertinent to radioactive waste management, based on the IAEA Radioactive Waste Management Glossary, IAEA-TECDOC-264, is included in this publication.

On the basis of information obtained from various Member States and collated by the Secretariat, the first draft of this publication was prepared by a consultant working in Vienna in June 1981; it was subsequently revised by five consultants meeting from 14 to 18 December 1981, and then reviewed by an Advisory Group meeting held in Vienna from 10 to 14 May 1982. The draft was completed by the Secretariat and published as IAEA-TECDOC-272 with the aim of achieving a broad distribution and receiving comments from a wide range of experts in Member States. After receipt of these comments, the Code was revised once more by the Secretariat and by a second Advisory Group, meeting in June 1983. The document was forwarded to all Member States for their review in February 1984. To the extent possible, comments received from the Member States have been incorporated into the document. The IAEA officers responsible for the work were V.S. Tsyplenkov and D.E. Saire of the Waste Management Section.

The task of ensuring an adequate and safe supply of energy for coming generations, and thereby contributing to their well-being and standard of life, is a m atter of concern to all. It is hoped that the publication presented here, together with the others being produced within the scope of the waste management programme, the NUSS programme and other safety-related programmes, will be of use in this task.


CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1

1.1. Purpose..................................................................................................... 11.2. Scope........................................................................................................ 1

2. WASTE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE AND REQUIREMENTS............ 2

2.1. Overall objective...................................................................................... 22.2. Radiological protection requirements................................................ 22.3. Environmental protection requirements............................................. 4

3. ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL ASPECTS............................................ 4

3.1. Organization and responsibility ......................................................... 43.2. Responsibilities of an implementing organization............................. 53.3. Responsibilities of the regulatory authority ...................................... 5

4. DESIGN OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS..................................... 6

4.1. Objectives................................................................................................ 64.2. Design requirements............................................................................... 64.3. Design considerations............................................................................ 7

4.3.1. General....................................................................................... 74.3.2. Gaseous waste systems............................................................. 84.3.3. Liquid waste systems............................................................... 84.3.4. Solid waste system s................................................................. 8

4.4. Storage...................................................................................................... 9

5. OPERATION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS............................ 9

5.1. Objectives................................................................................................ 95.2. Operational requirements...................................................................... 95.3. Supervision.............................................................................................. 105.4. Maintenance............................................................................................. 105.5. Training.................................................................................................... 105.6. Manuals..................................................................................................... 11

6. SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING OF WASTE MANAGEMENTSYSTEMS.......................................................................................................... 11

6.1. Objectives................................................................................................ 116.2. Requirements........................................................................................... 116.3. Monitoring of gaseous and liquid effluents........................................ 12


6.4. Monitoring of wastes.............................................................................. 126.5. Storage or disposal site surveillance and monitoring......................... 126.6. Recording and reporting of monitoring results........................ ........ 13

7. TRANSPORT OF WASTES............................................................................ 13

7.1. Off-site transport.................................................................................... 137.2. On-site transport..................................................................................... 14

8. DISPOSAL......................................................................................................... 14

8.1. Overall requirement................................................................................ 148.2. Shallow-ground disposal....................................................................... 148.3. Sea dum ping............................................................................................ 148.4. Waste conditioning................................................................................. 15

9. WASTE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITHSPENT FU E L .................................................................................................. 15

9.1. Overall requirem ent............................................................................... 159.2. Spent fuel management......................................................................... 159.3. Spent fuel planning................................................................................ 16

10. WASTE MANAGEMENT ASPECTS OF DECOMMISSIONING............... 16

10.1. Decommissioning planning................................................................. 1610.2. Decommissioning wastes..................................................................... 16

11. WASTES FROM UNPLANNED EVENTS...................................................... 17

11.1. General................................................................................................... 1711.2. Planning................................................................................................. 17

12. QUALITY ASSURANCE................................................................................ 17

12.1. Quality assurance responsibility........................................................ 1712.2. System requirem ents........................................................................... 18

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF IAEA PUBLICATIONS.................................................... 19

DEFINITIONS........................................................................................................... 23

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS...................................................................................... 31


1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. PURPOSE

1.1.1. This Code of Practice defines the minimum requirements for the design and operation of structures, systems and components important for the management of radioactive wastes from thermal neutron nuclear power plants. It emphasizes what safety requirements shall be met rather than specifying how these requirements can be met; the latter aspect is covered in IAEA Safety Guides.

1.1.2. The Code is addressed to senior management staff in regulatory authorities and implementing organizations which are designing, manufacturing and operating waste management systems, particularly in Member States that are in the early stage of the development of nuclear power programmes.

1.1.3. The Code is intended to be used in conjunction with the other Safety Standards, Safety Guides and technical, publications of the IAEA dealing with the safe operation of nuclear power plants, environmental protection, radiological safety and waste management practices. The publications listed in the Bibliography will be of assistance in implementing the Code.

1.2. SCOPE

1.2.1. The Code deals with entire management systems for all radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants. The topics covered include:

— design and operation of gaseous, liquid and solid waste systems— waste transport, storage and disposal— decommissioning wastes— wastes from unplanned events.

In the areas of decomissioning wastes, wastes from unplanned events, radioactive waste disposal and management of spent fuel, only limited information is provided, since many alternative strategies are being considered. The choice of a specific strategy depends on decisions made by the individual Member.States.

1.2.2. The Code takes into account the need for a government to assume responsibility for regulating waste management practices. It does not prejudge the organization of the regulatory authority, which may differ from one Member State to another, and may involve more than one body. Similarly, it does not deal specifically with the functions of such a regulatory authority, although.it may be of value to Member States in providing a basis for the consideration of such functions.

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1.2.3. The Code provides a general level of guidance to Member States on the management of radioactive wastes. More detailed guidance is currently available in other IAEA documents for some of the topics discussed. Reference to this guidance is made in the appropriate sections below.

2. WASTE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE AND REQUIREMENTS

2.1. OVERALL OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of waste management shall be to manage radioactive waste materials in a manner which prevents any unacceptable detriment to man and the environment either now or in the future and minimizes any burdens placed on future generations while, at the same time, taking into account social and economic factors, Thus, the criteria by which to judge the acceptability of waste management systems and facilities are those related to radiological and environmental protection requirements. Although facilities may differ widely, the same basic requirements should be applied when deciding on the acceptability of any system or facility.

2.2. RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

The principal objective of radiation protection is the achievement and maintenance of appropriately safe conditions for activities involving human exposure to radiation. The recommendations made by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) to achieve this objective have been incorporated in the IAEA Basic Safety Standards for Radiation Protection:1982 Edition (IAEA Safety Series No.9). These Basic Safety Standards require the use of a system of dose limitation to restrict exposures; the system includes justification of sources and practices involving exposures, the optimization of radiation protection and the application of annual dose equivalent limits to the exposure of individuals.

(1) Justification

In order to prevent unnecessary exposure, no practice involving exposure to ionizing radiation shall be authorized by relevant competent authorities unless the introduction of the practice produces a positive net benefit.

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This requirement must be applied to the practice of generating wastes, and not to the subject of waste management in isolation.

(2) Optimization o f radiation protection

The design, planning and subsequent use and operation of sources and practices shall be performed in a manner to ensure that exposures are as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), economic and social factors being taken into account.

(3) Dose limitation

Doses to individuals shall not exceed the limits recommended for the appropriate circumstances by the relevant authorities.

The requirements in (2) and (3) above apply when it is certain that some degree of radiation exposure will occur and the source or practice responsible is subject to control by a relevant authority. Examples are the exposure of workers in radiation fields in waste management facilities and the exposure of the public to radionuclides discharged to the atmosphere in effluent streams. Guidance on the application of optimization techniques (e.g. differential cost-benefit analysis) and on the numerical values of dose limits are available in the IAEA Basic Safety Standards, in ICRP publications and elsewhere. It should be emphasized that optimization mainly involves collective rather than individual doses. Account must be taken of future doses from present practices for the purposes of both optimization and individual dose limitation.

Some waste management practices, for example the disposal of long-lived wastes in some form of containment, will not necessarily result in human exposure but may have a statistical probability, however small, of doing so at some time in the future. Requirements (2) and (3) above cannot be applied directly to such probabilistic events. There is no international consensus yet on safety criteria for these circumstances but some authoritative studies recommend that protection of the individual should be expressed in terms of risk, where risk is defined as the product of the probability of exposure and the probability that doses received will give rise to deleterious health effects. It is further suggested that relevant authorities should judge waste disposal practices against an individual risk limit for members of the public that corresponds to the risk associated with current ICRP dose limit recommendations. On the other hand, optimization is judged to be able to provide guidance and clear preferences relating to the choice between a number of alternative waste management strategies, though not necessarily about the ultimate decision making.

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2.3. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS

It is thought likely that the level of safety required for the radiation protection of all human individuals is adequate to protect other species, although not necessarily individual members of those species. The ICRP therefore believes that if man is adequately protected then other living things are also likely to be protected.

Some non-radioactive aspects of waste management operations may have adverse effects on the environment. Siting, design, construction, operation and post-operational aspects shall be consistent with national policy.

3. ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL ASPECTS

3.1. ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITY

3.1.1. The general requirements on governmental organization for the regulation of nuclear power plants are described in the IAEA Code of Practice on Governmental Organization for the Regulation of Nuclear Power Plants (IAEA Safety Series No.50-C-G). These requirements are applicable to the regulation of waste management systems and facilities in the nuclear power plant and apply in general to the regulation of other on-site or off-site waste management systems and facilities.

A national radioactive waste management policy which sets out the responsibilities of the pertinent organizations for its implementation and licensing should be established. The roles and responsibilities of implementing organizations shall be clearly defined at the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) or equivalent stage for each separately licensable system or facility.

3.1.2. It is, however, to be recognized that some parts of waste management activities (e.g. off-site disposal of the wastes and the associated transport) may take place after the nuclear power plant has ceased operation and that the activity of some of the wastes outlasts the operational period by a considerable time.

Decisions on responsibilities for implementation of post-operational waste management actions and on control of the wastes should be taken and agreed at the appropriate governmental level before operation of the nuclear power plant begins.

Plans for such post-operational activities shall be established in agreement with the regulatory authority at such time as required by the authority to provide a basis for decisions on implementation and financing.

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3.1.3. The organization responsible for waste disposal shall define, subject to compliance with regulatory requirements and criteria, the specific conditioning requirements for waste disposal as early as possible in a national nuclear power programme since these requirements influence the choice and design of waste management systems and facilities.

3.2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATION

An implementing organization shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the regulations for the siting, design, construction, safe operation and shutdown of waste management systems and facilities.

Within its overall responsibility, an implementing organization normally assumes the following functions:

(1) Performance of a safety analysis of waste management activities;(2) Development and submission of proposals to the regulatory authority

regarding the quantities of radionuclides to be discharged as effluents and the methods and procedures for monitoring and controlling such discharges;

(3) Provision to the regulatory authority of such documentation on siting, design, construction, operation and shutdown of facilities for the handling, treatment, conditioning, transportation, storage and disposal of radioactive wastes as is required for demonstration of compliance with its regulations;

(4) Preparation and updating of operating and maintenance instructions and training of the operating and maintenance personnel in their duties;

(5) Operating the waste management systems in accordance with requirements and technical specifications approved by the regulatory authority;

(6) Monitoring and maintaining records of all waste management activities and provision to the appropriate regulatory authority of periodic reports at such intervals as are required; in the event of an accident or unplanned event, making a prompt report specifying the extent and nature of the occurrence and the remedial actions undertaken;

(7) Maintaining records of waste inventories for storage, transport and disposal and providing such information to the regulatory authority as required;

(8) Retaining such samples of effluents as may be specified by the regulatory authority.

3.3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE REGULATORY AUTHORITY

It is the responsibility of the regulatory authority to:

(1) Develop regulations, requirements and criteria for waste management;(2) Assess and review in the light of operational experience, and in the context

of the regulations, the requirements and criteria for safety analyses of the waste management systems and facilities;

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(3) Specify limits for the discharge of radionuclides to the environment and the conditions relating to those discharges on a site-specific basis;

(4) Verify compliance with regulations, requirements and criteria (e.g. on design, construction, operation, operator qualification and records) by inspection of the radioactive waste management facilities;

(5) Enforce necessary remedial and corrective actions in the event of non- compliance with regulations, requirements and criteria;

(6) Provide a format for the records and reports that it requires;(7) Establish an appropriate independent sampling and analysis programme to

verify compliance with the specified discharge limits and criteria.

4. DESIGN OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The nature of radioactive wastes varies according to power plant type and design. IAEA Technical Reports Series No. 198 (“Guide to the Safe Handling of Radioactive Wastes at Nuclear Power Plants” ) describes the different forms of arisings and gives typical examples of treatment systems.

4.1. OBJECTIVES

The overall design of the nuclear power plant should provide for minimization of waste arisings. The design objective for waste management systems and facilities is to provide for the safe collection, treatment, conditioning, storage, transport and disposal of all radioactive wastes arising from the operation of the plant in such a manner as to achieve the objectives set out in Section 2.

4.2. DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

4.2.1. Reference should be made to the IAEA Code of Practice on Design for Safety of Nuclear Power Plants (IAEA Safety Series No.50-C-D) where applicable to the design of radioactive waste treatment systems and facilities associated with the nuclear power plant.

4.2.2. Radioactive wastes arising from a nuclear power plant shall be managed in a systematic way which takes into consideration safety and regulatory requirements, economic considerations and the relevant aspects of storage, transport

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and disposal. Im plem entation o f the A L A R A principle shall be achieved by the assessm ent o f alternative w aste m anagem ent system s.

4 .2 .3 . Materials used in the pow er plant shall be selected w ith due consideration for their m anagem ent as a radioactive waste.

4 .3 . DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

4.3.1. General

In the design of waste management systems and facilities, consideration should be given to at least the following topics, though not necessarily in the following order:

(1) Selection of liquid, gaseous and solid waste systems suitable for the treatment of each category of waste with consideration given to handling, storage, transport and disposal, to process reliability and to previous experience;

(2) Sorting and segregation of wastes into appropriate categories for subsequent treatment or conditioning;

(3 ) Treatment of wastes to ensure safe handling, while limiting the volumes requiring disposal;

(4 ) Conditioning of the wastes into forms which ensure compliance with requirements for transport, storage and/or disposal;

(5) Shielding and radiation protection for plant personnel;(6) Origin, quantity and physical-chemical nature of the wastes to be treated;(7) Effectiveness and reliability of the treatment or conditioning processes to

be applied;(8) Provision of adequate storage and treatment capacity for routine operation,

shutdown and maintenance periods and of additional storage capacityfor unplanned events;

(9) Dispersion of effluents as influenced by the characteristics of the site and its environment and the potential impact of any discharges during normal or unplanned events;

(10) Ensuring that the systems have a high degree of integrity and flexibility;(11) Provision for the inspection of wastes conditioned for disposal;(12) Provision of containment with adequate equipment to control leakage;(1 3 ) Provision for a representative process sampling;(1 4 ) System safety, reliability and maintenance;(15) Possibility of connecting emergency waste treatment equipment to the

existing facilities;(16) Future decommissioning operations.

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4.3.2. Gaseous waste systems

4.3.2.1. In the design of the gaseous waste treatment system consideration should be given to:

(1) Operating temperature and flow rate;(2) Pressure drop and pressure surges;(3) Removal efficiency (decay or physical separation);(4) Leaktightness;(5) Fire resistance and explosion hazards;(6) Use of standard filter testing procedures;(7) Surface deposition of activity;(8) Removal and replacement of filter elements and adsorption media.

4.3.2.2. Where appropriate, gaseous wastes should be collected into a single common system to facilitate monitoring and control of release.

4.3.3. Liquid waste systems

In the design of the liquid waste treatment system, consideration should be given to:

(1) Reduction of the potential for particulate deposition;(2) Provision of adequate secondary containment volume for any potential

liquid overflows or leakages and provision of appropriate leak detection means;

(3) Control of the selection and loading of ion exchange media to avoid degradation of organic materials and generation of gases;

(4) Provision for direct immobilization of quantities of liquid waste not suitable for treatment by other methods;

(5) Provision for the introduction and removal of ion exchange and other media.

4.3.4. Solid waste systems

4.3.4.1. In the design of the solid waste treatment system consideration should be given to:

(1) Effects of volume changes and of the generation of secondary wastes on the optimization of the overall waste management system;

(2) Potential for the spread of contamination, including airborne contamination;(3) Appropriate fire prevention and control systems.

4.3.4.2. The conditioning process shall ensure that the waste packages have characteristics which comply with applicable storage, transportation and disposal

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criteria. The relevant characteristics may include: chemical durability, dispersion resistance, thermal stability, radiation stability, radioactivity content, dose rates, aging behaviour, shock resistance, resistance to microbial degradation, leach resistance, flammability and compressive strength.

4.4. STORAGE

In the design of storage facilities for untreated and treated wastes, consideration should be given to:

(1) Retrievability;(2) Control and inspection of storage area (security, condition of wastes,

monitoring, fire protection);(3) Control of contamination from gaseous or liquid releases;(4) Waste package integrity over a definite period o f time with respect to

external conditions and possible degradation of the waste;(5) Provision for decontaminating individual containers and facility surfaces

should this be required;(6) Clear identification of facility capability and of stored contents;(7) Provision of adequate ventilation to deal with gas generation.

5. OPERATION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

5.1. OBJECTIVES

The objective of waste management operation is to operate the waste management systems according to the design intent and the authorizations granted by the regulatory authorities. The achievement of this primary objective requires the supervision of all related activities (including, but not limited to, adequate repairs, training of personnel and maintenance procedures) and the provision of operations- related information (e.g. process, operating and maintenance manuals).

5.2. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The operating organization has the overall responsibility for the safe operation of the facility. To this end it shall establish an appropriate organization with clearly defined duties and responsibilities for the following functions:

(1) Operation of the facility consistent with the design objectives and the authorization granted by the regulatory authority;

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(2) Adequate supervision of all waste system activities to ensure that a suitable standard of operation of the system is achieved and maintained;

(3) Carrying out of maintenance procedures in a manner consistent with radiation protection principles;

(4) Adequate operator and maintenance worker training to ensure operational compliance with the design objectives and radiation protection principles;

(5) Provision of operating, maintenance and process manuals for normal and unplanned situations;

(6) Provisions for minimizing the waste arising consistent with other requirements and factors.

5.3. SUPERVISION

Supervision shall be provided to ensure system-related activities are coordinated and levels of performance met. Supervisors shall be appropriately qualified, both technically and in radiation protection, to supervise all activities related to the operation and maintenance of the radioactive waste management facilities.

5.4. MAINTENANCE

Maintenance procedures shall be developed to the extent possible prior to the operation of waste management facilities; they shall be prepared with a view to reducing the radiation exposure of maintenance staff while increasing system availability.

5.5. TRAINING

5.5.1. Training programmes shall be developed to ensure that a sufficient number of appropriately qualified staff are available and shall include the fundamental and practical aspects of radiation protection. These programmes should be regularly updated to incorporate operational experience and should include training on all credible plant situations.

5.5.2. Personnel in appropriate areas of the nuclear power plant should also be trained in waste management practices and the benefits to be gained from reducing waste volumes, activity levels, etc.

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5.6. MANUALS

The operating organization shall provide manuals describing the waste management system process, operation and maintenance, and practical approaches to radiation protection. The manuals should include details of all process parameters which have to be controlled, waste form properties and container specifications of relevance to storage, transport and disposal.

Where appropriate, these manuals should conform with the corresponding manuals for a nuclear power plant as prescribed in the IAEA Code of Practice on Safety in Nuclear Power Plant Operation, including Commissioning and Decommissioning (IAEA Safety Series No.50-C-0).

6. SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

6.1. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of waste management surveillance and monitoring systems are:

(1) To give information about the sources, quantities and characteristics of radioactive wastes, and to provide adequate information to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements;

(2) To ensure proper operation of the waste treatment and conditioning systems;(3) To enable control to be exercised over releases of radioactive materials;(4) To ensure that packages of wastes comply with the applicable storage, transpor

tation and disposal requirements;(5) To ensure radiation protection of on-site and off-site personnel;(6) To establish the behaviour of the disposal site from the site investigation

stage for as long as may be required by the regulatory authority.

Reference may be made here to IAEA Safety Series No.46 (“Monitoring of Airborne and Liquid Radioactive Releases from Nuclear Facilities to the Environment”) regarding the primary objectives of effluent monitoring.

6.2. REQUIREMENTS

The operating organization and regulatory authority shall be responsible for ensuring the provision of adequate monitoring and surveillance equipment and personnel to meet the objectives stated in Section 6.1.

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6.3. MONITORING OF GASEOUS AND LIQUID EFFLUENTS

6.3.1. All monitoring programmes shall consider:

(1) The significant radionuclides to be monitored and the measuring sensitivities required;

(2) The measuring ranges needed for extreme conditions;(3) The necessary frequency of sampling and analysis;(4) The representativeness of samples taken and measurements performed;(5) The accessibility of sampling points, especially in unplanned events;(6) Quality control of analytical measurements and techniques.

6.3.2. In-plant monitoring shall be implemented together with environmental monitoring to ensure that levels of significant radioactive contaminants in selected environmental media are acceptable.

Information on the objectives and design of environmental monitoring programmes is given in IAEA Safety Series No.41 (“Basic Requirements for Personnel Monitoring: 1980 Edition” ).

6.3.3. Adequate provision should be made for monitoring releases during or following unplanned events.

6.3.4. Significant radionuclides in effluent discharges shall be determined quantitatively. Sampling is described in IAEA Safety Series No.46. Continuous monitoring should be performed when there could be wide variations in the concentration of the radionuclides or in the discharge rate of the activity, or when the likelihood and potential consequences of unplanned releases are substantial.

6.4. MONITORING OF WASTES

Measurements on waste packages shipped off site shall be performed to meet the requirements of the transport regulations. In addition to those required for transport purposes, specific radionuclide measurements or analyses should be performed in order to quantify disposal site inventories of radionuclides important for disposal.

6.5. STORAGE OR DISPOSAL SITE SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING

A surveillance and monitoring programme shall be developed and conducted to provide basic site and environmental information (e.g. hydrological, geological,

12


climatic, seismological, radiological, etc.). The scope of this programme shall be adequate to enable the implementing organization and the regulatory authorities to establish the behaviour of the disposal site from the site investigation stage for as long as may be required.

6.6. RECORDING AND REPORTING OF MONITORING RESULTS

6.6.1. The recording and reporting of monitoring data and related information shall be carried out in a manner that satisfies the objectives described in Section 6.1.

6.6.2. Monitoring data should be recorded in the units of measurement that are actually given by the counting and monitoring instruments. Other values calculated or derived from these data should be recorded in addition to, but not in place of, the measured values.

6.6.3. The reports of monitoring results should be expressed in a form which facilitates comparison with the applicable authorized limits or standards. The details of the reporting procedure should be established by the regulatory authority.

6.6.4. Monitoring data for each type of effluent (airborne or liquid) should be obtained and recorded in such a way that the data can be reported in a uniform manner. Shipping and disposal records shall be required for each container transported for disposal.

7. TRANSPORT OF WASTES

7.1. OFF-SITE TRANSPORT

7.1.1. Off-site transport shall comply with the national regulations for transport of radioactive material. International transport shall comply with the applicable international regulations. Such national and international regulations are often based on the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (IAEA Safety Series No.6).

7.1.2. Consideration should further be given to the modes and to the routes by which the wastes are transported so as to limit the effects of transport.

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7.2. ON-SITE TRANSPORT

7.2.1. Transport of radioactive wastes within the plant or within the site boundaries shall comply with the requirements of national regulatory bodies. The IAEA Transport Regulations do not formally apply in this case, but could neverthelessbe used.

7.2.2. Minimum requirements for such transport shall be to ensure adequate radiation protection for site personnel and adequate prevention of activity release to the environment.

8. DISPOSAL

8.1. OVERALL REQUIREMENT

Radioactive wastes shall be disposed of in compliance with regulations set by the appropriate regulatory body. Adequate interim storage facilities shall be provided until an approved disposal method is available.

8.2. SHALLOW-GROUND DISPOSAL

Disposal in shallow ground or in rock cavities is generally acceptable for solid radioactive wastes from nuclear power plant operation since such wastes normally contain only moderate amounts of fission products and insignificant amounts of alpha-emitting or long-lived radionuclides. The choice between disposal options will normally depend on the type of wastes, the availability of suitable sites for either type of repository and on the national waste management strategy. Criteria for underground disposal are given in IAEA Safety Series No.60 (“Criteria for Underground Disposal of Solid Radioactive Wastes” ).

Further guidance is given in IAEA Safety Series Nos 53, 54 and 56 and other documents published under the IAEA Underground Disposal Programme.

8.3. SEA DUMPING

Sea dumping of solid wastes, when practised, shall be carried out with the authorization of the national authorities in accordance with the provisions of the

14


Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Dumping Convention of 1972) as well as other regional conventions that may app ly .1

8.4. WASTE CONDITIONING

Wastes conditioned for disposal shall comply with criteria established by the regulatory authority. Such criteria should be based on a safety analysis of the selected disposal option.

9. WASTE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SPENT FUEL

9.1. OVERALL REQUIREMENT

It should be recognized that wastes will be generated as a result of further management of spent fuel. Provisions shall therefore be made at the appropriate time for the management of such wastes, in conformity with the objectives and requirements of Section 2.

9.2. SPENT FUEL MANAGEMENT

Spent fuel management practice will be dependent on technical, economic and political factors. Possible options include:

(1) Storage until a final decision to reprocess or dispose is made;(2) Disposal as spent fuel;(3) Reprocessing with the associated waste management undertaken in the

country of origin and/or elsewhere.

The definition o f waste which is unsuitable for sea disposal under the provisions of the London Dumping Convention is given in “IAEA Revised Definition and Recommendations o f 1978 Concerning Radioactive Waste and Other Radioactive Matter” Information Circular INFCIRC/205/Add. 1/Rev. 1 (1978) (under revision in 1985).

15


Wastes containing significant amounts of long-lived radionuclides, e.g. high- level or alpha-contaminated wastes from reprocessing of spent fuel, will have to be disposed of in a manner which ensures adequate isolation from the environment.

9.3. SPENT FUEL PLANNING

To ensure that technical, economic and political factors are considered in spent fuel management decisions, the plans which are developed and evaluated should consider national policies; regulatory requirements, available resources and spent fuel generation rates. These plans should be developed and implemented with the help of IAEA Codes of Practice and Safety Guides.

10. WASTE MANAGEMENT ASPECTS OF DECOMMISSIONING

10.1. DECOMMISSIONING PLANNING

All actions undertaken after the termination of the useful life of a nuclear power plant shall be governed by the general principles of waste management stated in Section 2.

10.2. DECOMMISSIONING WASTES

10.2.1. Decisions by the responsible organization to proceed through the various stages of decommissioning shall be authorized by the competent national authority. Such authorizations should be given only where adequate facilities are availablefor transport, storage, and/or disposal of the ensuing wastes since these stages influence the methods adopted for treatment and conditioning.

10.2.2. Large quantities of conventional and radioactive wastes result from the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant. These wastes may be different from those arising during normal plant operation and may need special handling and treatment. They should be characterized according to the radionuclide content, the physical form and size, and the nature of the materials. The regulatory authority should develop requirements and criteria for the release of materials for unrestricted use or disposal.

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11. WASTES FROM UNPLANNED EVENTS

11.1. GENERAL

The occurrence of unplanned events at a nuclear power plant may produce wastes, either gaseous, liquid., or solid, which have volumes, chemical composition or activity contents outside the ranges on which the approval of the waste management systems and procedures have been based.

This section does not consider the actions required to correct the malfunction which caused the unplanned event. However, it should be pointed out that although actions immediately following the unplanned event shall be concerned with overall safety as first priority, nevertheless waste management shall be given due consideration.

11.2. PLANNING

In respect of the wastes resulting from an unplanned event, adequate planning shall be carried out prior to the start of waste management activities. The waste management plan should be carefully developed by the implementing organizations to include consideration of the safe operation and the environmental effects of the proposed waste management activities with allowance for the unique nature of the wastes. Arrangements should be made with regulatory authorities to ensure that waste management requirements are satisfied.

12. QUALITY ASSURANCE

12.1. QUALITY ASSURANCE RESPONSIBILITY

The implementing organization shall be responsible for the preparation and operation of a comprehensive quality assurance programme for the management of wastes from a nuclear power plant. This programme should be developed and implemented with the help of the IAEA Code of Practice on Quality Assurance for Safety in Nuclear Power Plants (IAEA Safety Series No.50-C-QA), and shall be applied to the site evaluation, design, procurement, manufacture, construction, commissioning, inspection, operations and decommissioning phases of the plant life cycle.

The overall quality assurance programme shall be submitted to the regulatory authority for approval.

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12.2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

12.2.1. The quality assurance aspects of the operation of the treatment and conditioning systems shall include a process control programme which will ensure that an acceptable waste form and, where applicable, its packaging, is consistently produced. This process control programme shall include a system qualification, whereby an envelope of process parameters for effective conditioning is established by testing the actual equipment. The process control programme shall also include measures to verify periodically the acceptability of the process parameters and modify them if necessary.

12.2.2. The quality assurance programme shall also provide for the preparation, maintenance, and use of shipping and disposal records and documentation. A manifest system should be established to account for waste package transfers and shipments and to enable these packages to be traced.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY OF IAEA PUBLICATIONS

GENERAL

Radioactive Waste Management (Proc. Conf. Seattle, 1983) (1984).

HANDLING, TREATMENT AND CONDITIONING OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES AT NUCLEAR FACILITIES

Guide to the Safe Handling o f Radioactive Wastes at Nuclear Power Plants, Technical Reports Series No. 198 (1980).

Management o f Radioactive Waste from Nuclear Power Plants, 1AEA-TECDOC-276 (1983).

Characteristics o f Radioactive Waste Forms Conditioned for Storage and Disposal: Guidance for the Development o f Waste Acceptance Criteria, IAEA-TECDOC-285 (1983).

Treatment and conditioning of low- and intermediate-level wastes

Management of Spent Ion-Exchange Resins from Nuclear Power Plants, IAEA-TECDOC-238 (1981).

Conditioning of Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Wastes, Technical Reports Series N o.222 (1983).

Treatment o f Low- and Intermediate-Level Solid Radioactive Wastes, Technical Reports Series No. 223 (Replacing Technical Reports Series No. 106) (1983).

Conditioning o f Radioactive Wastes for Storage and Disposal (Proc. Symp. Utrecht, 1982) (1983).

Management o f Tritium at Nuclear Facilities, Technical Reports Series No.234 (1984).

Treatment o f Low- and Intermediate-Level Liquid Radioactive Wastes, Technical Reports Series N o.236 (Replacing Technical Reports Series Nos 78, 87 and 89) (1984).

Gaseous waste management

Radioiodine Removal in Nuclear Facilities, Methods and Techniques for Normal and Emergency Situations, Technical Reports Series N o .201 (1980).

Control o f Semivolatile Radionuclides in Gaseous Effluents at Nuclear Facilities, Technical Reports Series No. 220 (1982).

Decommissioning and decontamination

Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities, IAEA-TECDOC-179 (1975).

Decommissioning o f Nuclear Facilities: 1977 Edition, IAEA-TECDOC-205 (1977).

Factors Relevant to the Decommissioning o f Land-based Nuclear Reactor Plants, Safety Series No. 52 (1980).

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Decontamination o f Operational Nuclear Power Plants, IAEA-TECDOC-248 (1981).

Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities: Decontamination, Disassembly and Waste Management, Technical Reports Series No. 230 (1983).

UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES

Regulatory Aspects o f Underground Disposal o f Radioactive Waste, IAEA-TECDOC-230 (1980).

Development o f Regulatory Procedures for the Disposal o f Solid Radioactive Waste in Deep, Continental Formations, Safety Series No.51 (1980).

Shallow Ground Disposal o f Radioactive Wastes: A Guidebook, Safety Series N o.53 (1981).

Underground Disposal o f Radioactive Wastes: Basic Guidance, Safety Series N o.54 (1981).

Safety Assessment for Underground Disposal o f Radioactive Wastes, Safety Series N o.56 (1981).

Site Investigations for Repositories for Solid Radioactive Wastes in Deep Continental Geological Formations, Technical Reports Series No.215 (1982).

Site Investigations for Repositories for Solid Radioactive Wastes in Shallow Ground, Technical Reports Series No. 216 (1982).

Concepts and Examples o f Safety Analyses for Radioactive Waste Repositories in Continental Geological Formations, Safety Series N o.58 (1983).

Disposal o f Low- and Intermadiate-Level Solid Radioactive Wastes in Rock Cavities: A Guidebook, Safety Series N o.59 (1983).

Criteria for Underground Disposal o f Solid Radioactive Wastes, Safety Series No.60 (1983).

Design, Construction, Operation, Shutdown and Surveillance of Repositories for Solid Radioactive Wastes in Shallow Ground, Safety Series N o.63 (1984).

Safety Analysis Methodologies for Radioactive Waste Repositories in Shallow Ground, Safety Series N o .6 4 (1 9 8 4 ).

Effects o f Heat from High-Level Waste on Performance of Deep Geological Repository Components, IAEA-TECDOC-319 (1984).

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE

Objectives and Design of Environmental Monitoring Programmes for Radioactive Contaminants, Safety Series No.41 (1975).

Principles for Establishing Limits for the Release of Radioactive Materials into the Environment, Safety Series No.45 (1978).

Monitoring o f Airborne and Liquid Radioactive Releases from Nuclear Facilities to the Environment, Safety Series No.46 (1978).

IAEA Revised Definition and Recommendations o f 1978 Concerning Radioactive Waste and Other Radioactive Matter, Information Circular INFCIRC/205/Add.1/Rev. 1 (1978).

Packaging of Radioactive Wastes for Sea Disposal, IAEA-TECDOC-240 (1981).

Considerations Concerning “ De-Minimis” Quantities o f Radioactive Waste Suitable for Dumping at Sea Under a General Permit, IAEA-TECDOC-244 (1981).

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Control o f Radioactive Waste Disposal into the Marine Environment, Safety Series N o.61 (1983).

Environmental Assessment Methodologies for Sea Dumping o f Radioactive Wastes, Safety Series No.65 (1984).

TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

Advisory Material for the Application o f the IAEA Transport Regulations, Safety Series N o.37 (1973).

Regulations for the Safe Transport o f Radioactive Material: 1985 Edition, Safety Series No.6 (1985).

CODES OF PRACTICE FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

Governmental Organization for the Regulation o f Nuclear Power Plants, Safety Series No.50-C-G (1978).

Safety in Nuclear Power Plant Siting, Safety Series No.50-C-S (1978).

Design for Safety o f Nuclear Power Plants, Safety Series No.50-C-D (1978).

Safety in Nuclear Power Plant Operation, Including Commissioning and Decommissioning,Safety Series No.50-C-0 (1978).

Quality Assurance for Safety in Nuclear Power Plants, Safety Series No.50-C-QA (1978).

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DEFINITIONS

The following definitions, except for those marked with an asterisk, are takenfrom IAEA-TECDOC-264 “ Radioactive Waste Management Glossary” (1982)and are intended as a standard terminology for IAEA use. The definitions may notnecessarily conform to definitions adopted elsewhere for international use.

ALARA. “As low as reasonably achievable, economic and social factors beingtaken into account.” A basic principle of radiation protection taken from the Recommendations of the ICRP, ICRP Publication 26 (p.3).

alpha-bearing waste. Waste containing one or more alpha-emitting radionuclides, usually actinides, in quantities above acceptable limits. The limits are established by the national regulatory body.

code. As used by the IAEA, a body of advisory or regulatory statements which establish for particular activities the minimum requirements which, in the light of experience and/or the current state of technology and knowledge, should be fulfilled to ensure adequate radiological safety.

competent authority. A national authority designated or otherwise recognized as a competent authority by the government of a Member State for a specific purpose. (See regulatory authority or regulatory body.)

conditioning of waste. Those operations that transform waste into a form suitable for transport and/or storage and/or disposal. The operations may include converting the waste to another form, enclosing the waste in containers, and providing additional packaging.

criteria. Principles or standards on which a decision or judgement can be based. They may be qualitative or quantitative. Acceptability criteria are set by a regulatory authority. (Some Member States use terms such as ‘protection goals’ instead o f ‘acceptability criteria’.)

decay, radioactive. A spontaneous nuclear transformation in which particles or gamma radiation are emitted, or X-radiation is emitted following orbital electron capture, or the nucleus undergoes spontaneous fission.

decommissioning. The work required for the planned permanent retirement of a nuclear facility from active service. Different regulations will apply thereafter. (In some Member States a facility is not regarded as decommissioned until it is suitable for unrestricted use.) (See stage of decommissioning.)

decontamination. Removal or reduction of radioactive contamination.

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disposal. The emplacement of waste materials in a repository, or at a given location, without the intention of retrieval. Disposal also covers direct discharge of both gaseous and liquid effluents into the environment. (See storage.)

engineered storage. The storage of radioactive wastes, usually in suitably sealed containers, in any of a variety of structures especially designed to protect them and to help keep them from leakage to the biosphere by accident or sabotage. They may also provide for extracting heat of radioactive decay from the waste.

guide. As used by the IAEA, a document providing general guidance on a procedure or procedures that might be followed in implementing a code.

high-level waste.

(i) The highly radioactive liquid, containing mainly fission products, as well as some actinides, which is separated during chemical reprocessing of irradiated fuel (aqueous waste from the first solvent extraction cycle and those waste streams combined with it).

(ii) Spent reactor fuel, if it is declared a waste.(iii) Any other waste with a radioactivity level comparable to (i) or (ii).

(Note that these definitions are not related to “high-level radioactive waste unsuitable for dumping in the ocean” , as used in the London Dumping Convention. See IAEA/INFCIRC/205/Add. 1/Rev. 1.)

immobilization of waste. Conversion of a waste to a solid form that reduces the potential for migration or dispersion of radionuclides by natural processes during storage, transport and disposal.

implementing organization. The organization (and its contractors) that performs activities in order to select and investigate the suitability of a site for a nuclear facility, and that undertakes to design, construct, commission, operate and shut down such a facility.

inspection. Quality control actions which, by means of examination, observation or measurement, determine whether materials, parts, components, systems, structures as well as processes and procedures, conform to predetermined quality requirements.

interim storage (storage). A storage operation for which (a) monitoring and human control are provided and (b) subsequent action involving treatment, transportation, and final disposition is expected.

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intermediate-level waste (or medium-level waste). Waste of a lower activity level and heat output than high-level waste, but which still requires shielding during handling and transportation. The term is used generally to refer to all wastes not defined as either high-level or low-level. (See alpha-bearing waste for other possible limitations.)

licence. Formal document, issued by the regulatory body for major stages in the development of a nuclear facility, defined by regulations permitting the holder (the implementing organization) to perform specified activites.

low-level waste. Waste which, because of its low radionuclide content, does not require shielding during normal handling and transportation. (See alpha- bearing waste for other possible limitations.)

*monitoring. Continuous or non-continuous sampling and measurement of individual parameters and system status.

nuclear installation (or nuclear facility). Any installation in which radioactive or fissile materials are produced, processed or handled on such a scale that considerations of nuclear safety are necessary.

nuclear power plant. A nuclear reactor or reactors together with all structures,systems and components necessary for safety and for the production of power,i.e. heat or electricity.

nuclide. A species of atom characterized by its mass number, atomic number and nuclear energy state.

operating organization. The organization authorized by the regulatory authority to operate the nuclear facility.

operating records. A set of documents, such as instrument charts, certificates, log books, computer print-outs and magnetic tapes, kept at each nuclear facility and organized in such a way that they provide a complete and objective history of the operation of the facility.

operation. All activities performed to achieve, in a safe manner, the purpose forwhich the facility was constructed, including maintenance, in-service inspection and other associated activities.

operations, waste management. Broad classification of waste management activities in terms of their basic function (e.g. waste storage, treatment, transportation or disposal).

operator. Any person, government or other entity that conducts or carries on operations at a nuclear facility.

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optimization. As used in radiation protection practice, the process of reducing the expected detriment deriving from radiation exposure of a population, through the use of protective measures, to as low as reasonably achievable, economic and social factors being taken into account. (See ALARA.)

package, waste. See waste package.

qualified person. A person who, having complied with specific requirements and met certain conditions, has been officially designated to discharge specified duties and responsibilities.

quality assurance. Planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that an item, facility or person will perform satisfactorily in service.

quality control. Actions which provide a means to control and measure the characteristics of an item, process, facility or person in accordance with quality assurance requirements.

radioactive waste. Any material that contains or is contaminated with radionuclides at concentrations or radioactivity levels greater than the ‘exempt quantities’ established by the competent authorities and for which no use is foreseen.

regulatory authority or regulatory body. An authority or system of authorities designated by the government of a Member State as having the legal authority for conducting the licensing process, for issuing licences and thereby for regulating the siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation, shutdown, decommissioning and subsequent control of nuclear facilities (e.g. waste repositories) or specific aspects thereof. This authority could be a body (existing or to be established) in the field of nuclear-related health and safety or mining safety or environmental protection, vested with such legal authority, or it could be the government, or an international agency.

regulatory inspection. An examination, observation, measurement or test undertaken by or for the regulatory authority during any stage of the licensing process to ensure conformance of materials, components, systems and structures, as well as operational activities, processes, procedures and personnel competence, with predetermined requirements.

repository. An underground facility in which waste may be emplaced for disposal.

reprocessing, fuel. The processing of nuclear fuel, after its use in a reactor, to remove fission products and recover fissile and fertile material.

responsible organization. The organization having overall responsibility for a nuclear installation or facility.

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safety analysis. The analysis and calculation of the hazards (risks) associated with the implementation of a proposed activity.

safety assessment. A comparison of the results of safety analyses with acceptability criteria, its evaluation, and the resultant judgements made on the acceptability of the system assessed.

safety report. A document, required of the implementing organization by theregulatory authority, containing information concerning a nuclear installation (e.g. a waste repository), the site characteristics, design, operational procedures, etc., together with a safety analysis and details of provisions aimed at reducing the risk to the site personnel and to the public. (See ALARA.)

shallow-ground disposal (e.g. shallow-ground burial). Disposal of radioactive waste, with or without engineered barriers, above or below the ground surface, where the final protective covering is of the order of a few metres thick.Some Member States consider ‘shallow-ground disposal’ to be a mode of storage rather than a mode of disposal.

solidification. Conversion of liquid or liquid-like materials into a solid.

spent fuel. Nuclear reactor fuel elements that have been irradiated in a reactor and have been utilized to an extent such that their further use is no longer efficient.

stage of decommissioning. The term ‘stage’, in IAEA usage, implies a state or condition of a facility after decommissioning activities:

Stage 1 — storage with surveillance;Stage 2 — restricted site release;Stage 3 — unrestricted site release.

These stages are discussed in IAEA Safety Series No.52, pp.3 -5 . The term does not necessarily imply a step-wise procedure through various ‘stages’, as indicated by normal usage of the word. Thus, decommissioning to ‘stage’ 2 does not necessarily have to be preceded by ‘stage’ 1, and ‘stage’ 3 does not have to be preceded by ‘stages’ 1 and 2. Many Member States prefer and/or use other terms such as ‘alternative’, ‘level’, ‘option’, ‘mode’, etc. in place of ‘stage’. (See decommissioning.)

storage (or interim storage). The emplacement of waste in a facility with the intent that it will be retrieved at a later time.

surveillance.(i) Includes all planned activities performed to ensure that the conditions

at a nuclear installation remain within the prescribed limits; it should

27


detect in a timely manner any unsafe condition and the degradation of structures, systems and components which could at a later time result in an unsafe condition. These activities can be classified as:

(a) monitoring of individual parameters and system status;(b) checks and calibrations of instrumentation;(c) testing and inspection of structures, systems and components;(d) evaluation of the results of items (a) and (c).

(ii) As used with IAEA Safeguards, the collection of information through devices and/or inspector observation in order to detect undeclared movements of nuclear material, tampering with containment, falsification of information related to locations and quantities of nuclear material, and tampering with IAEA safeguards devices.

treatment of waste. Operations intended to benefit safety or economy by changing the characteristics of the waste. Three basic treatment concepts are:

(a) volume reduction;(b) removal of radionuclides;(c) change of composition. (See conditioning of waste.)

underground disposal. Disposal of waste at an appropriate depth below the ground surface.

*unplanned event. An event which may produce wastes, either gaseous, liquid, or solid, which have volumes, chemical composition or activity contents outside the ranges on which the approval of the waste management systems and procedures have been based.

validation. A conceptual model and the computer code derived from it are‘validated’ when it is confirmed that the conceptual model and the derived computer code provide a good representation of the actual processes occurring in the real system. Validation is thus carried out by comparison of calculations with field observations and experimental measurements.

verification. A computer code is ‘verified’ when it is confirmed that the conceptual model of the real system is adequately represented by the mathematical solution. Verification can thus be carried out, for example, by intercomparison of codes and by comparison of numerical codes with analytical solutions.

waste arisings. Radioactive wastes generated by any stage in the nuclear fuel cycle.

waste disposal. See disposal.

waste form. The physical and chemical form of the waste (e.g. liquid, in concrete, in glass, etc.) without its packaging.

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waste management. All activities, administrative and operational, that are involved in the handling, treatment, conditioning, transportation, storage and disposal of waste.

waste package. The waste form and any container(s) as prepared for handling, transportation, storage and/or disposal. A cask or overpack may be a permanent part of the waste package or it may be re-usable for any waste management step. The waste package may vary for the different steps in waste management.

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LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

West, P.J.

SCIENTIFIC

Tsyplenkov

Celeri, J.

Johnson, T

Kienle, F.

Rydell, N.

OBSERVER

Pottier, P.

SCIENTIFIC

Tsyplenkov

Aeppli, J.

1. CONSULTANTS MEETING, Vienna, 9-15 June 1981

"Haregrove", Mans Hill,Burghfield Common,Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

SECRETARY

, V.S. Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle,International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

2. CONSULTANTS MEETING, Vienna, 14-18 December 1981

Installation et circuits nucleaires,Electricite de France, SEPTEN, Tour EDF-GDF, Cedex 8, F-92080 La Defense, France

Division of Waste Management,Nuclear Regulatory Commission,Washington, DC 20545, United States of America

Vereinigung Deutscher Elektrizitatswerke, Postfach 70 09 47,D-6000 Frankfurt 70, Federal Republic of Germany

Karnbranslenamnden,Kungsgatan 35, S-lll 56 Stockholm, Sweden

CEA, Centre d'etudes nucleaires de Cadarache, B.P. 1, F-13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France

SECRETARY

, V.S. Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle,International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

3. ADVISORY GROUP MEETING, Vienna, 10-14 May 1982

Nuclear Safety Department, CH-5303 Wiirenlingen, Switzerland

31


Balu, K. (Chairman)

Waste Management Operations Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Bombay 400 085, India

Carney, M.

Celeri, J.

Duncan, A.

Hladky, E.

Johnson, T.

Kienle, F.

Rydell, N.

Sgalambro, G.

Van de Voorde, N.

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited Engineering Company,

Sheridan Park Research Centre,Mississauga, Ontario L5K 1B2, Canada

Installation et circuits nucleaires,Electricite de France, SEPTEN, Tour EDF-GDF, Cedex 8, F-92080 La Defense, France

Department of the Environment, Room A533,Romney House, 43 Marsham Street,London SW1, United Kingdom

Nuclear Power Research Institute,Jaslovske Bohunice, Czechoslovakia

Division of Waste Management,Nuclear Regulatory Commission,Washington DC 20545, United States of America

Vereinigung Deutscher Elektrizitatswerke, Postfach 70 09 47,D-6000 Frankfurt 70, Federal Republic of Germany

Karnbranslenamnden,Kungsgatan 35, S-lll 56 Stockholm, Sweden

Comitato nazionale per la ricerca e por lo sviluppo dell'energia nucleare e delle energie alternative (ENEA/DISP),

Viale Regina Margherita 125, 1-00198 Rome, Italy

Centre d'etude de l'energie nucleaire (SCK/CEN), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium

OBSERVERS

Heap, G.F.

Montini, M.

Patek, P.

Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), Courtnay House, 18 Warwick Lane,London EC4, United Kingdom

ENEA/DISP,Viale Regina Margherita 125, 1-00198 Rome, Italy

Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf,Lenaugasse 10, A-1082 Vienna, Austria

CONSULTANT

West, P.J. "Haregrove", Mans Hill,Burghfield Common,Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

32


PARTICIPANTS DESIGNATED BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)

Irish, E.R. Tsyplenkov, V.S.

Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle,IAEA, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PRODUCERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY (UNIPEDE)

van der Plas, Th. N.V. KEMA, Utrechtseweg 310, P.O. Box 9035, NL-6800 ET Arnhem, Netherlands

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)

Silini, G. UNSCEAR, Vienna International Centre, Wagramerstrasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

4. ADVISORY GROUP MEETING, Vienna, 6-10 June 1983

Aeppli, J.

Carter, T.

Claes, J.

Duncan, A.

Hladky, E.

Johnson, T.

Norrby, S.

Panicker, P.K.

Ponticg, M.

Runge, K.

Nuclear Safety Department,CH-5303 WCirenlingen, Switzerland

Ontario Hydro, 700 University Avenue,Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X6, Canada

Organisme national des dechets radioactifs et des matieres fissiles,

Rue de Mot 30, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium

Department of the Environment, Room A533,Romney House, 43 Marsham Street,London SW1, United Kingdom

Nuclear Power Research Institute,Jaslovske Bohunice, Czechoslovakia

Division of Waste Management,Nuclear Regulatory Commission,Washington DC 20545, United States of America

Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate,Box 27106, S-102 52 Stockholm, Sweden

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre,Trombay, Bombay 400 085, India

Service des combustibles, Electricite de France, 23 bis, avenue de Messine, F-75008 Paris, France

National Board of Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection,

Waldowallee 117, DDR-1157 Berlin,German Democratic Republic

33


OBSERVERS

Bergman, C.

Heap, G.F.

Stalder, F.

van Berio, J.

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IN T E R N A T IO N A L SUBJECT GROUP: IIA TO M IC EN ER G Y A G E N C Y Nuclear Safety and Environm enta l P rotection/W aste ManagementV IE N N A , 1985 PRICE: A ustrian Schillings 1 1 0 ,-


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