REGULATORY CONTROL AND REMEDIATION OF URANIUM LEGACY SITES IN BULGARIA

Transcription

1 REGULATORY CONTROL AND REMEDIATION OF URANIUM LEGACY SITES IN BULGARIA Nikolay Todorov - Director Radiation Protection, BNRA (IAEA, J9 TR 49517) Sibiu, Romania, 7-10 September 2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING FOR URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES

2 CONTENTS URANIUM MINING AND MILLING HISTORY NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR REGULATORY CONTROL AND MONITORING OF THE URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES: LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK REGULATORY BODIES REGULATORY ACTIVITIES MONITORING OF THE URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM - CHALLENGES

3 URANIUM MINING AND MILLING HISTORY 1939: First batch 300 tonnes of uranium ore mined in Buhovo site 1947: Hydro-metallurgical plant Metalurg - Buhovo site for production of uranium concentrate 80-82% - U 3 O : First uranium mill tailing pond Buhovo 1962: Second uranium mill tailing pond Buhovo 1965: Processing plant Zvezda - Eleshnitsa site for production of uranium concentrate % - yellow cake - ammonium uranyl tricarbonate (NH 4 ) 4 UO 2 (CO 3 ) : Uranium mill tailing pond Eleshnitsa 48 uranium ore deposits (underground mining) and other 19 deposits using In Situ Leaching method for uranium extraction Totally 70 uranium mining and milling sites used until 1990 Totally about tons uranium concentrate produced and exported during

4 URANIUM MINING AND MILLING HISTORY (cont.) Uranium mining and milling sites used in Bulgaria during the period : Sofia Buhovo Eleshnitsa Stara Planina Sredna Gora Tracian Valley Rodopy ISL Underground

5 URANIUM MINING AND MILLING HISTORY (cont.) 1992: Act 163 of the Council of Ministers on the cessation of uranium extraction and processing activities 1994: Act 56 of the Council of Ministers on the liquidation of the consequences from the extraction and processing of uranium raw materials Institutional Expert Council (MEE, MH, MEW, NRA, MA, MF) 1998: Act 74 of the Council of Ministers on the liquidation of the consequences from the former uranium production State Company Ecoengineering-RM (MEE) responsible for the remediation of the uranium mining and milling legacy sites in Bulgaria including: - technical liquidation, technical and biological remediation - purification of uranium contaminated mine waters - environmental monitoring in the uranium mining and milling sites affected by the uranium production

6 URANIUM MINING AND MILLING HISTORY (cont.) (The last 20 years): The biological remediation of agricultural lands (1173 ha) has been completed successfully The technical liquidation of the uranium processing plant Metalurg (Buhovo) has been completed The technical liquidation, technical and biological remediation of the processing plant Zvezda -Eleshnitsa and tailing pond Eleshnitsa have been completed Finalization of technical and biological remidiation in regions affected by the former uranium mining and milling facilities Cleaning of waters contaminated with natural radionuclides in regions of these facilities, regeneration of ion exchange resins used as sorbent in the cleaning process Regeneration of ion exchange resins for reuse Monitoring of waters in regions affected by the former uranium mining and milling facilities

7 URANIUM MINING AND MILLING HISTORY (cont.) 2015 (The current status): In operation: - Three Installations for Sorption Treatment of Uranium Contaminated Mine Waters (ISTUCMW in the 3 sites named Chora, Iskra and Bialata voda ) using direct-flow leaching columns with ion-exchange resins (type AMP or Varion AP) - One Facility for Regeneration of Ion-Exchange Resins from ISTUCMW Chora, Iskra and Bialata Voda (18 tons by-product AUTC are obtained until 2014 and exported in Canada) Two Tailing ponds (storage of RAW) - Eleshnitsa (remidiation fully completed) and Buhovo (remidiation not fully completed)

8 NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR REGULATORY CONTROL AND MONITORING OF THE URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK The Bulgarian Legislation is based on the EC Directives taking into account the IAEA and ICRP Recommendations for radiation protection The legislative acts (laws, regulations) define the functions and responsibilities of the state competent authorities for protection of workers and general public against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation (including requirements for control and monitoring of the uranium production legacy sites) LAWS on the: Health, Environmental Protection, Protection of Agricultural Lands, Subsurface Resources, Water, Energy and Safe Use of Nuclear Energy

9 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK (cont.) REGULATIONS on the: Basic Norms for radiation protection Radiation Protection Requirements and Rules Safe Transport of RAM Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements and Criteria for radiation protection and safety during liquidation of the consequences of the uranium industry in Bulgaria Limit values for admissible contents of dangerous and harmful substances in the waste water discharged in the water bodies Protection from chronic exposure resulting from the production, trade and use of raw materials and goods with increased content of radionuclides

10 LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK (cont.) REGULATIONS on the: Quality of water intended for human consumption Quality requirements to surface waters intended for human consumption Indicators and limits for the quality assessment of surface waters Exploration, use and protection of groundwater Quality of water for irrigation of agriculture crops Remediation of destructed terrains, improvement of low productive soils, revocation and utilisation of humus layer Instruction on the Procedure and the Management of Radioactive Contaminated Materials, Equipment and Waste from Liquidation of Uranium Mining Council of Ministers Decree No 74/1998 on liquidation of the consequences of the mining and processing of uranium raw material

11 REGULATORY BODIES (COMPETENT AUTHORITIES)

12 REGULATORY BODIES (cont.) NUCLEAR REGULATORY AGENCY (NRA) Accordingly to Act on Safe Use of Nuclear Energy (ASUNE), the NRA Chairman is an independent specialized authority of the executive power, delegated with the state regulation of all facilities and activities using ionizing radiation or causing radiation risk NRA Policy Statement : The protection of the individuals and society, future generations and the environment from the harmful impact of ionizing radiation The NRA competencies, functions and responsibilities are defined in the ASUNE: Regulatory and supervision functions - licence and inspection activities, enforcement, coordination and cooperation with other competent state authorities MH (NCRRP, RHI) and MEW (EEA, RIEW) - Specialised Control Bodies in accordance with to the ASUNE

13 REGULATORY BODIES (cont.) MINISTRY OF HEALTH (MH) State health-radiological control by the Ministry of Health (protection of individuals against the impact of ionising radiation, supervision of the working and living environment, assessment of exposure and radiation risk) National centre for radiobiology and radiation protection (NCRRP) - monitoring on the radiation status of the environment in the former uranium mining and uranium ore processing sites and dose assessment of the exposure of the population Radiation Monitoing Programme approved by the Minister of Health (based on the CMD 74/1998) Classification of the sites and frequency of the control Regional Health Inspectorates (RHI, totally 28) with Radiation Control Departments at 5 regional centers (Burgas, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna and Vratsa)

14 REGULATORY BODIES (cont.) MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER (MEW) State radioecological monitoring of the environment in the regions of former uranium mining and milling sites Executive Environment Agency (EEA) Regional Inspections of Environment and Water (RIEW) carry out a specialised radiation monitoring Eight Specialised laboratories for radioecological monitoring: 1 central (Sofia) and 7 regional laboratories (Burgas, Varna, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora) National System for Control of the Environment managed by MEW through the EAE and RIEW

15 REGULATORY BODIES (cont.) DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: NRA, MH, MEW - Development of Regulations concerning Remediation Contaminated Sites (Areas) by residual radioactive materials from past activities and Legacy Site management Participation of the NRA, MH, MEW in the Institutional Expert Council (Advisory Board to the Minister of Economy) NRA, MH (NCRRP) Inspection Activities and Enforcement according to the national legislation for radiation protection NRA License Regime on the activities and facilities with sources of ionising radiation and radioactive materials according to the ASUNE (The NRA issued a license for the Regeneration of Ion-Exchange Resins in the former facility Zwezda Eleshnitsa)

16 REGULATORY BODIES (cont.) MEW: - Monitoring of the envinronment and water, Management of the National System for Monitoring - Permitions issued for specific activities concerning the envinronment and water MH (NCRRP): - Supervision of factors of working and living environment for determination and reduction of exposure of individuals from sources of ionising radiation - Assessment of the doses of exposure of general public as a result of activities with sources of ionising radiation including exposure and radiation risk from activities with NORM and during the remediation of contaminated sites

17 REGULATORY BODIES (cont.) All activities for technical liquidation, technical and biological remediation of the contaminated sites resulted from the former uranium production are based on radioecological expertises, assessments and prognosis The projects for remediation of uranium production legacy sites are approved by the Institutional Expert Council (Advisory Board to the Minister of Economy) and performed under control of the competent state bodies There is not requirement in the ASUNE for a license issued by the NRA concerninig uranium legacy sites and remediation activities

18 PLANNING FOR REMEDIATION National Remediation Programme (from 1998) - List of the facilities for liquidation of consequences of uranium mining and milling in Bulgaria specified in Council of Ministers Decree No 74/1998 total 78) - Funding - state budget - Estimated cost not available State Company Ecoengineering RM proposes remediation activities and estimates costs planned for every single year Ecoengineering RM is responsible for the implementation of the National Remediation Program - Submission of Annual Programmes and projects to the Advisory Board (experts - ME, MEW, MH, NRA, MF, MAF) - Approvement and Implementation of the programmes and projects for remediation of uranium legacy sites - On site Inspections performed by commission (experts - ME, Ecoengineering RM, Advisory Board)

19 PLANNING FOR REMEDIATION (cont.) State Company Ecoengineering-RM activities: 2001 Biological remediation of 1173 ha agricultural lands; Technical liquidation of uranium processing plant Metalurg ; Technical liquidation, technical and biological remediation of uranium processing plant Zvezda Eleshnitsa and tailings pond Eleshnitsa ; Finalization of technical and biological remediation Cleaning of mine waters contaminated with natural U and decay products through ion-exchange resins Regeneration of ion-exchange resins for reuse in former plant Zvezda Eleshnitsa Monitoring of mine waters

20 REMEDIATION OBJECTIVES AND CRITERIA (Limits for use of terrains and soils) Field of application and use Gamma dose rate [nsv/h] Activity concentration Ra-226 [Bg/kg] For any purpose without restriction For green area without sport facilities and kindergarten For grass and reforestation of remediated rock heaps and tailings pond For agricultural purposes Decision by the competent authorities for each case up to 300 up to 200 up to 300 up to 200 up to 700 up to 1000 up to 500 up to 600 above 700 above 1000

21 REMEDIATION OBJECTIVES AND CRITERIA (cont.) Field of application and use For construction of new building Reuse of building without restriction Reuse of building for storage and other purposes with restricted presence of public Decision by the competent authorities Gamma dose rate nsv/h Activity concentration of 226 Ra in soil Bq/kg Volume concentration of 222 Rn inside Bq/m 3 up to 300 up to 200 up to 200 up to 300 up to 200 up to 400 up to 500 up to 600 up to 600 above 700 above 1000 above 600

22 REMEDIATION CRITERIA AND OBJECTIVES (Limits for use of metal, plastic wastes, vehicles, equipment and building materials) Material Storage and use Surface alpha contamination Surface beta contamination Metal and plastic waste Use without restriction with the exception of food industry and drinking water supplies 0,05 Bq/cm 2 0,50 Bq/cm 2 For smelting 0,50 Bq/cm 2 5 Bq/cm 2 Storage in control aria from 0,50 Bq/cm 2 up to 2,50 Bq/cm 2 from 5 Bq/cm 2 up to 25 Bq/cm 2 Decision by the competent authorities for each case above 2,50 above 25 Bq/cm 2 Bq/cm 2 Vehicles and equipment Use without restriction up to 0,5 Bq/cm 2 up to 5 Bq/cm 2

23 REMEDIATION CRITERIA AND OBJECTIVES (cont.) Material Storage and use Use or storage without restriction Activity concentration of Ra-226 Bq/kg up to 200 Building material Storage in control aria from 200 up to 1000 Decision by the competent authorities for each case above 1000

24 REMEDIATION CRITERIA AND OBJECTIVES (Limits for water discharged from uranium mine) Radiological Parameter Volume activity [Bq/l] Uranium 7,5 Ra-226 0,5 Pb-210 0,4 Alpha activity 0,5 Beta activity 2,0

25 SURVEILLANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING FOR URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES IN BULGARIA MEW and MH implement monitoring of the environment in the regions of former uranium production sites The spesialised acrediated laboratories of the MH (NCRRP, RHI) and MEW (EEA, RIEW) ensure the necessary information on the environmental radiation status for the regions controled according to the environmental monitoring programmes The results of the radioecological environmental monitoring in the former uranium mining and milling sites are published periodically by the MEW (EEA) and MH (NCRRP) Radiation monitoring programmes - approved by the MH and MEW (independent control) and MEE ( own control) Monitoring frequency - based on the risk levels

26 SURVEILLANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING (cont.) PROGRAMME of the MH (NCRRP) FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AT URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES includes: 78 objects of control as follows: - 8 in the regions of high radiation risk (group 1) - 22 in the regions of medium radiation risk (group 2) - 48 in the regions of low radiation risk (group 3) Measurement of radiation parameters: - Gamma dose rate and Surface contamination (alpha- and betaactive radionuclides) - Specific activity (total alpha and beta) and activity concentration (Ra-226, U-238) of surface and mining water - Activity concentration of soil, sediments and flora (natural radionuclides) - Volume specific activity of Rn-222 (radon) in the air

27 SURVEILLANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING (cont.) PROGRAMME of the MEW (EEA, RIEW) FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AT URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES includes: 42 objects of control (Minister Order 2014 year) Measurements of gamma dose rate, activity concentration of soils and sediments (natural radionuclides, Ra-226, U-238), total alpha and beta activity, radon in air PROGRAMME of the Ecoengineering-RM (MEE) FOR OWN WATER MONITORING AT URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES includes: 38 objects - control of underground and surfase waters (560 water probes planed, 14 parameters): - 5 in the regions of high radiation risk (group 1) - 12 in the regions of medium radiation risk (group 2) - 21 in the regions of low radiation risk (group 3)

28 SURVEILLANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING Radiation monitoring activities of Ecoengineering-RM Ecoengineering-RM performs monitoring of waters separated into four groups, according to their origin: 1st group: surface water reservoirs (rivers, gullies, channels, technological lakes, etc.) - 89 monitoring points 2nd group: mining waters (from underground workings, open cast mines and mine dump, drainage waters from tailings ponds' collectors) - 73 monitoring points 3rd group: waters from Quaternary and other non-producing horizons occurring at a depth of up to 50 m - 62 monitoring points 4th group: waters in producing horizons and deep wells at depths below 50 m (usually m) where the ISL method was applied for enriched solutions as well as waters occurring below the elevation of the last producing horizon in underground mining sites - 54 monitoring points ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING FOR URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES

29 SURVEILLANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING Radiation monitoring activities of Ecoengineering-RM Control of radiation parameters (natural uranium, Ra-226, Th-232, K-40, Pb-210, total alpha- and beta-activity) and non-radiation chemical parameters (ph, F, SO4, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Ni, As, Cu, Zn, Cr, Co, Se, total absorbed forms of nitrogen, organic carbon, phosphorus, potassium, total content of water-soluble salts) Each year the results from the laboratory analyses of waters by sites are reviewed for identification of trends in changes All laboratory studies and analyses of water, soil and sediment samples taken within the monitoring programme are carried out in specialised certified laboratories The surveilance and environmental monitoring should ensure upto-date information about the radioecological status needed to the state and local management authorities and the public Assessment of the exposure of the public taking into account the radiation monitoring results ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING FOR URANIUM PRODUCTION LEGACY SITES

30 DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM CHALLENGES According to COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM of 5 December 2013 laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation : Existing exposure situation"means an exposure situation that already exists when a decision on its control has to be taken and which does not call or no longer calls for urgent measures to be taken (definition) Contaminated Legacy Sites, which are result of the former uranium mining or processing activities, are cases of lasting exposure resulting from the after-effects a past human activities i.e. these cases are existing exposure situations

31 DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM CHALLENGES (cont.) Indicative list of types of existing exposure situations: 1. Exposure due to contamination of areas by residual radioactive material from past activities that were never subject to regulatory control or were not regulated in accordance with the requirements laid down by this Directive 2. Exposure due to contamination of areas by residual radioactive material from residues from past activities for which the undertaking is no longer legally accountable

32 DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM CHALLENGES (cont.) According to Article 100 Programmes on existing exposure situations in the new DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM: Member States shall ensure that measures are taken, upon indication or evidence of exposures that cannot be disregarded from a radiation protection point of view, to identify and evaluate existing exposure situations taking into account the types of existing exposure situations and to determine the corresponding occupational and public exposures. Existing exposure situations which are of concern from a radiation protection point of view and for which legal responsibility can be assigned shall be subject to the relevant requirements for planned exposure situation

33 DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM CHALLENGES (cont.) According to Article 101 Establishment of strategies Member States shall arrange for the establishment of strategies to ensure the appropriate management of existing exposure situations commensurate with the risks and with the effectiveness of protective measures. Each strategy shall contain appropriate reference levels Without prejudice to reference levels set for equivalent doses, reference levels expressed in effective doses shall be set in the range of 1 to 20 msv per year for existing exposure situations The reference levels set shall take account of the features of prevailing situations as well as societal criteria

34 DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM CHALLENGES (cont.) The our country shall take into account these requirements of the DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM concerning contaminated legacy sites and remidiation activities - specific cases of existing exposure situations The NRA started the process of transposition the DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM into the national legislation The establishment of strategies, programmes and appropriate reference levels for different tipes existing exposure situations (as well as uranium legacy sites), taking into account DIRECTIVE 2013/59/EURATOM, is a challenge not only for Bulgaria but also for others EU member-states!

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