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CBSS EGNRS and Environmental monitoring in our Region

Finn Ugletveit

EGNRS Chair

Oslo, 12 April 2011

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History

The Expert Group on Nuclear and Radiation Safety (EGNRS) was established by the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in 1992 following the significant political changes in the region with two main objectives:

– to enhance the cooperation and collaboration among competent authorities in the region

– to enhance, compile and share the knowledge about the status of nuclear sites and the radiological situation in the region.

CBSS at present consists of 11 member states and the EC and has 10 observer states.

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EGNRS mandate.

• The EGNRS mandate is wide and includes cooperation among authorities in the 11 CBSS states + EC as well as observer states in relation to most aspects of radiation protection, nuclear safety and nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response.

• In relation to environmental monitoring, the mandate includes:

“collect and collate information about levels of radioactive materials in the environment in the Baltic Sea States”.

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Environmental monitoring

EGNRS recognises that there are several different objectives for environmental monitoring, e.g.:

– maintain an overall status of the environment

– provide information to the public on this status

– discover sudden changes (and initiate actions)

– monitor long term trends (and initiate actions)

– understand transport mechanisms (modelling and prognosis)

– maintain monitoring capabilities for emergency response

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Environmental monitoring in the region

The EGNRS has reviewed the environmental monitoring programmes in the region:

– Each state in the region has established a national environmental monitoring programme where the monitoring of radioactive substances is an integral part.

– There are two multilateral programmes in the region monitoring different parts of the marine environment, HELCOM and OSPAR.

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Environmental monitoring in the region

The EGNRS has concluded that :

• These monitoring programmes are mostly based on similar components but there are differences:– programmes differently composed,

– different physical quantities reported

– different materials sampled

– different radionuclides reported

– different sampling frequency

– different geographical density

• The results from the monitoring programmes are made available in different forms and different formats.

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EGNRS status conclusion

In some areas the monitoring in the region is consistent with an efficient sharing of results.

In most areas of monitoring in the region there are differences between the different programmes. Some of these are deliberate and justified differences, some are considered just coincidental.

For most areas of monitoring, there is presently no efficient mechanism for sharing data from the different programmes.

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EGNRS vision

On the basis of the different national and multilateral monitoring programmes, it should be possible to enhance the cooperation in the region towards the establishment of an all environment “regional” monitoring programme allowing us to better and more cost effectively meet our objectives for the monitoring.

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A Regional Monitoring Programme

The establishment of an efficient regional environmental monitoring programme requires:

– a political will to exchange data

– a technical communication platform that allows efficient data exchange

– harmonisation of existing monitoring programmes to the extent necessary

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CBSS achievements so far

The Agreement on Exchange of Monitoring Data was established on the governmental level by the CBSS member states in 2001.

This agreement has so far been the basis for:– exchange of results from dose rate monitoring networks

– exchange of results from air monitoring networks

We believe that the same agreement can be made applicable to the monitoring of radioactive substances in the environment in general and that the political will is present.

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EGNRS work plan

The EGNRS started in 2009 a process to work towards the establishment of a “regional” monitoring programme.

A report on existing national monitoring programmes is now being finalised.

The “Topical day” in Oslo will discuss the feasibility and possibility to move forward and how this could be done.

The EGNRS will on the basis of these discussions decide on the way forward and establish a work plan.

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EGNRS expectations

EGNRS needs your help and advice to move forward.

We hope that the break out session this afternoon and the discussions tomorrow morning will provide us with a set of recommendations from you on the way forward.

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GOOD LUCK!