2005 HIGHLIGHTS AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE IAEA RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

Transcription

1 INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY 2005 HIGHLIGHTS AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE IAEA RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME IAEA March 2006

2 Page 2 RECENT HIGHLIGHTS OF IAEA RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME The IAEA programme on radioactive waste management addresses the development of international conventions and standards in this area and the technological development related to the implementation of these standards. The beneficiaries of the programme are national bodies charged with radioactive waste management responsibilities and in particular competent authorities for regulating and controlling the safety of radioactive waste management, organizations operating radioactive waste management facilities or facilities generating radioactive waste, environmental protection agencies responsible for controlling the discharges of radioactive materials to the environment, and to some extent health authorities. Derived beneficiaries are members of the public and society at large. A. General A.1. Conferences and Symposia From 3 to 7 October 2005, the government of Japan hosted the International Conference on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Disposal, organized by the Agency in cooperation with the OECD/NEA and the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization. The conference held in Tokyo considered all possible disposal options available, including near surface, intermediate depth, borehole and geological disposal facilities and also considered multilateral approaches. Participants at the conference discussed the benefits of being part of the Joint Convention and ways in which more countries could be encouraged to join so that the Convention could become truly global and able to properly fulfill its objectives. Participants also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of regional geological repositories. Participants discussed the situation at the sites at which large volumes of waste from the mining and milling of radioactive ores or from other industries producing waste containing natural radionuclides have been deposited on the earth s surface. Examples of how the communications with affected parties have been managed in national projects were described during the Conference. From these it was clear to participants that openness, trust and participation are all essential in such communication. A.2. Radioactive Waste Management Services The IAEA is the sole global international organization with the statutory authority to establish safety standards for the protection of health against exposure to ionizing radiation and the statutory obligation to provide for the application of these standards at the request of Member States. Upon the request from its Member States, international peer reviews of radioactive waste management projects are provided within the Waste Management Assessment and Technical Review Programme (WATRP) and the Waste Safety Appraisal service. A.3. Republic of Korea A WATRP mission was requested by the Korean Hydro & Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) to assess the siting process for a Low and Intermediate Level Waste repository. The mission was successfully implemented in Seoul on 31 October - 4 November The international review panel consisted of four experts in radioactive waste disposal from the Czech Republic, France, and UK and two IAEA s scientific secretaries. During their mission, the experts met with KHNP s senior management and staff, Siting Committee members, and senior representative from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Energy. The Team also visited the candidate site Gyeongju selected in the public poll to accept the repository, met local authorities, including the state Governor, and took part in a press conference. The

3 Page 3 review team did not find any features disqualifying the proposed candidate sites from further considerations. A.3.1. Lithuania Lithuania s national organization for radioactive waste management, RATA, requested the IAEA to organize a peer review mission to assess the long term safety aspects of its siting and site characterization programme for development of a disposal facility for short lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Consistent with international practice, RATA is developing a near surface disposal concept. A large fraction of the radioactive waste arising for the new disposal facility will be derived from the operation and decommissioning of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP). The peer review meeting took place December 11-16, 2005 in Vilnius, and included a visit to the three proposed sites near INPP. The review team consisted of seven specialists in near surface disposal - from the Czech Republic, European Commission, France, Italy, Russia, UK, and USA - and two scientific secretaries from the IAEA. In addition to interested parties from Lithuania, the review meeting was attended by five observers: three from Belarus and two from Latvia. The Review Team concluded that the process of site characterization was being conducted according to good international practice and that the three sites being considered offer good prospects of meeting internationally recognized safety objectives and criteria. However, further work is necessary to improve site selection and confirm safety. The findings will be documented in a forthcoming IAEA publication. B. Safety Related Activities B.1. Protecting the Public and the Environment There are clear international standards for controlling releases to protect the public and, according to UNSCEAR estimates, doses to humans from these releases are negligible. However, public attention is now being focused on protecting non-human biota. Although radiation effects on biota have been studied, the existing international guidance on radioactive discharge control and intervention does not contain explicit recommendations on biota protection. The findings of the International Conference on the Protection of the Environment from the Effects of Ionizing Radiation, held in Stockholm in October 2003, established the framework for protecting non-human biota. Many consultations took place during 2004 for drafting an International Action Plan of Activities on the Radiation Protection of the Environment. The IAEA Board of Governors approved this Plan in September 2005; its implementation is in progress. The United Nations Chernobyl Forum is the Agency s contribution to the implementation of the UN s initiative, launched in 2002, on the Human Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident A Strategy for Recovery. The Forum s comprehensive technical report was completed in 2004 and approved by consensus of Forum participants in April The Forum findings and recommendations were discussed at an international conference titled Chernobyl: Looking back to go forward held in Vienna on 6 7 September In November 2005, the 60 th United Nations General Assembly took into account a report by the Secretary General containing, inter alia, the Forum results and approved a resolution that acknowledged their importance and encouraged their wide dissemination. B.2. Safety of Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal In November 2005, an Extraordinary Meeting and the Organizational Meeting of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management were held and amended the Rules of Procedure and Financial Rules and the Guidelines regarding the Review Process, established Country Groups and provisional timetable of the second Review Meeting and elected the Officers of the second Review Meeting in May 2006.

4 Page 4 The International Action Plan on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management adopted by the Agency following the Cordoba Conference in 2000 and revised after the International Conference on Issues and Trends in Radioactive Waste Management held in December 2002 in Vienna was further implemented in Among other things, the Safety Requirements 'Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste', which was developed under co sponsorship with the OECD/NEA, was approved by the Board of Governors in 2005 and to be published as WS-R-4 in Many countries operate near surface disposal facilities for low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Member States are making increasing use of the internationally harmonized safety assessment approach developed within the ISAM 1 project to review the safety of low and intermediate-level waste disposal facilities. Applying this methodology to a number of older facilities in Eastern Europe has identified problems with the disposal of long-lived and high-activity sealed sources in some facilities. Further developments are underway regarding the application of safety assessment methodology within the ASAM 2 project, particularly its application to the reappraisal of existing facilities, to mining and minerals processing waste and in respect of heterogeneous waste, particularly disused sealed sources. The oil and gas industry, a global industry operating in many Member States, makes extensive use of radiation generators and sealed and unsealed radioactive sources, some of which are potentially dangerous to human health and to the environment if not properly controlled. In addition, significant quantities of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) originating from the reservoir rock are encountered during production, maintenance and decommissioning. Safety Report Series No. 34 Radiation Protection and the Management of Radioactive Waste in the Oil and Gas Industry provides practical information, based on good working practices, on radiation protection and radioactive waste management in the oil and gas industry. Work continued on the development of a number of radioactive waste safety standards for radioactive waste management and disposal. The Safety Guide on storage of radioactive waste was circulated to Member States and revised on the basis of comments received. It has since been approved by the Commission on Safety Standards. The Safety Guide on borehole disposal of disused sealed sources has also undergone review by Member States, revised and approved by the Commission on Safety Standards. Two further Safety Guides were also finalized during the year and approved by the Commission and dealing with management systems for waste management and waste disposal facilities. The safety guides complement a Safety Requirement on the subject of management systems for all nuclear, radiation waste and transport related activities and facilities. During the year work also commenced on a revised Safety Requirements for radioactive waste management and a Safety Guide on classification of radioactive waste. Supporting work was also undertaken on generic safety assessment for borehole disposal facilities and on the concept of extended / long term storage of radioactive waste. The latter to differentiate the safety issues associated with differing circumstances of waste storage that have to be addressed by many operators and regulators. Work has also continued on safety guidance on legislation for waste safety including laws and regulations and on regulatory processes associated with licensing of radioactive waste management and disposal facilities. 1 Improvement of Safety Assessment Methodologies for near surface disposal facilities for radioactive waste (an Agency coordinated research project from ) 2 Application of Safety Assessment Methodologies fort the near surface disposal of radioactive waste (an Agency coordinated research [project from present)

5 Page 5 B.3. Decommissioning The implementation of the International Action Plan on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities was continued during the year. Many of the actions were started, but because of the long lead time to implement the activities, these tasks are not scheduled for completion until after A new Safety Requirements document entitled the Decommissioning of Facilities using Radioactive Material was prepared and is in the final approval process for publishing. Two Safety Reports were published during the year. The first provided the basis for the Derivation of the Activity Concentration Values for Exclusion, Exemption and Clearance (Safety Report Series No. 44) with supports Safety Guide No. GS-R-1.7, Application of the Concepts of Exclusion, Exemption and Clearance. Safety Report Series No. 45 Standard Format and Content for Safety Related Decommissioning Documents was also published during the year. This document was in response to requests from Member States for information on how to develop a decommissioning plan and the supporting documents. TECDOC-1476, Financial Aspects of Decommissioning was developed by the Technical Group on Decommissioning and published by the Agency to provide information to Member States on this important issue. The project on Evaluation and Demonstration of the Safety of Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities (DESA) continued during the year with the aim to develop a harmonized methodology for evaluating and demonstrating safety during decommissioning. Three facilities were identified that will be used to develop model Safety Assessment Reports for other Member States. A Safety Report is also being prepared that will provide the regulatory body and facility operators with information on how to develop, review and implement the safety assessment process for decommissioning. The planning for the International Conference on Lessons Learned from the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities and the Safe Termination of Nuclear Activities began. Athens, Greece was selected as the venue for the Conference which will be held December This Conference is being supported by the EC, OECD/NEA and WNA. A number of Member States received training related to decommissioning activities. A new workshop on performing characterization surveys was developed and presented during the year. It has been very favourably received. B.4. Restoring Contaminated Sites The main activity was divided between two issues. The first being the continued support for the remediation of the uranium mining and milling sites in Central Asia. This activity involves the World Bank, OECD, EBRD and NATO. A radiological assessment plan has been developed for the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan. The EC is sponsoring an aerial survey of the entire site which will provide radiological data that can be used to better define further ground assessment needs. The other issue is developing safety guidance and information to support industries that use naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). This has been an issue that has not been fully addressed by the Agency in the past. This new initiative could have significant impact on a large number of industrial sites. B.5. Safety Assessment Projects In 2005, the intercomparison of safety assessment methodologies programme has continued. This programme started as international projects on radioecological assessment and modelling that were aimed at refining existing information and to improve models to be applied for the purposes of radiation protection of the public and the environment. With the same idea and to promote safety assessment methodologies, the IAEA launched, in 1997, a project on Improving Long Term Safety

6 Page 6 Assessment Methodologies for Near Surface Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities (ISAM). The main outcome of the project, which was completed in 2000, was the establishment of a harmonized methodology for carrying out post-closure safety assessment of near surface disposal facilities. Since then, the Waste Safety Section has built a coherent structure of intercomparison projects on safety assessment methodologies and models. The Agency s project, Safety Assessment Driving Radioactive Waste Management Solutions (SADRWMS) is an international programme of work to examine international approaches to safety assessment in aspects of predisposal radioactive waste management, including waste conditioning and storage. The SADRWMS project is intended to encompass a broad range of waste types, including operational waste and spent fuel, legacy and decommissioning waste, and NORM residues. SADRWMS started in November A complementary project to ISAM on Application of Safety Assessment Methodologies for Near-Surface Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities (ASAM) has been launched in It builds on the experience gained with the ISAM programme, with special emphasis on application of the ISAM methodology to practical problems of near surface disposal, such as development of design concepts, safety reassessment and upgrading of existing facilities. The project on Evaluation and Demonstration of the Safety of Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities (DESA) aims to develop a harmonized methodology for evaluating and demonstrating safety during decommissioning and to produce model safety assessments for selected nuclear facilities by applying this methodology. DESA started in November The Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety project (EMRAS) continues some of the work of BIOMASS. The overall objective of EMRAS, which started in 2003, is to enhance the capabilities of Member States to model radionuclide transfer in the environment and, thereby, to assess exposure levels of the public and biota in order to ensure an appropriate level of protection from the effects of ionizing radiation, associated with radionuclide releases and from existing radionuclides in the environment. C. Technology Related Activities C.1. Pre-Disposal Technologies C.1.1. Recent IAEA Publications (2005) TRS No. 431 "Application Of Membrane Technologies For Liquid Radioactive Waste Processing Provides information on applicability and limitations of membrane separation technologies, including types of membranes, equipment design, range of applications, operational experience, and performance characteristics. TRS No. 434 Methods for Maintaining a Record of Waste Packages during Waste Processing and Storage Addresses the principal aspects of establishing and maintaining records during the predisposal period of the waste life cycle to demonstrate compliance with waste forms and waste acceptance criteria for disposal, serve as a basis for authorized discharge, and assure appropriate response to releases or accidents. TRS No. 441 Management Of Problematic Waste and Material Generated During the Decommissioning Of Nuclear Facilities Provides an overview of the technical options and approaches available for the treatment and conditioning of some problematic decommissioning wastes and materials, such as asbestos, beryllium, cadmium, mercury, lead, PCBs. Training Material Series No 27 Technological and Organizational Aspects Of Radioactive Waste Management (published in Russian)

7 Page 7 A set of advanced training lectures and a reference source for treatment, conditioning, storage and disposal technologies applied at centralized waste management facilities. C.1.2. On-going Activities Predisposal activities for 2006 focus on the technologies and technological strategies of waste minimization, characterization, treatment, conditioning, and storage. Work will also be completed for two reports on retrieval of fluidisable wastes from vaults, tanks and silos; and a report will be finalized on retrieval and reconditioning of historic solid wastes which were improperly stored or disposed. Waste treatment and conditioning is the major area of effort for 2006, including a technical meeting on thermal treatment technologies, and a consultant meeting on innovative waste treatment technologies. Support will continue for TC projects in several areas of the world related to individual technologies (Bangladesh, Republic of Korea) and to central processing facilities (Mexico, Ukraine, Lithuania). Work will be completed on publications for treatment and conditioning of too difficult to manage waste types: sodium and graphite. A report on package specifications is nearing completion, along with a project on chemical durability of spent fuel and HLW under simulated repository conditions. Several reports are in progress related to technological strategies for waste minimization, including publications on improving waste minimization at WWER sites and for waste management during decommissioning. A major TC project is being supported related to decommissioning waste management, processing and storage at the Vinca Institute in Serbia. Two consultant s meetings are scheduled on waste minimization. The area of characterization is being addressed by completing work on categorization of wastes, which links waste generation characteristics with waste acceptance criteria for packaging, storage and disposal. Another consultants meeting is needed to finalize the draft TECDOC. Work is also expected to finish on a report related to testing procedures and Quality Control for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of waste characterization. Looking ahead toward new plant design and construction, a project is underway to document important waste minimization considerations at the design stage of a nuclear facility. A major workshop will be conducted in late 2006 on the lessons learned from long term storage of HLW; work will continue through at least 2008 to develop a related publication. A third project, still in its infancy and expected to continue for several years, is a cooperative effort with INPRO to identify waste types unique to innovative reactors. C.2. Disposal of Radioactive Waste C.2.1. Recent IAEA Publications TECDOC-1481 Anthropogenic Analogues for Geological Disposal of High Level and Long Lived Waste Final report of a coordinated research project ( ) aimed at promoting R&D activities relevant to anthropogenic analogue studies. This report presents a brief overview of recent developments in evaluating long term performance of selected man-made materials (copper-based metals, glasses, concrete) and summarises results of several studies which contribute to the information base on anthropogenic analogues. TRS No. 433 Upgrading of Near Surface Repositories for Radioactive Waste This document provides guidance to Member States with near surface disposal facilities on approaches and technologies that can be used to identify potential corrective action needed, assess alternatives and select appropriate remedial actions, and plan and implement these selected actions to enhance repository performance and safety both before and after closure.

8 Page 8 TRS No. 436 Disposal Options for Disused Radioactive Sources Following a review of potential disposal options for disused radioactive sources with various radiological contents, this report highlights the use of borehole or shaft type repositories as a possible disposal option, particularly for those countries that have limited resources and are looking for a simple, safe and cost effective solution for the disposal of their radioactive sources. C.2.2. On-going Activities Building confidence in geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste remains one of the main objectives of the programme for Collaborative activities will continue to be performed through the IAEA Network of Centres of Excellence on Training and Demonstration in Underground Research Facilities (URFs). A number of Agency Member States strongly support the continuation and if possible, the extension of Network activities. Sweden has recently joined the core group of donor countries and further actions will be undertaken in 2006 to invite new countries with operational or planned URFs to join the Network. Linked to Network activities, a new co-ordinated research project (CRP) starting in 2006 will focus on numerical modelling as support to site characterisation and performance assessment was initiated. Other disposal activities planned in 2006 include the development of a technical publication on the implications of retrievability on geological disposal of radioactive waste, which explores the technological implications of incorporating retrieval into geological repository concepts. The assessment includes the identification of design parameters and construction features that might facilitate waste retrieval at a later stage. Another publication in preparation will describe the technological implications of safeguards requirements on geological repositories containing spent fuel or nuclear material subject to safeguards. In recent years, an interest for multinational cooperation has been expressed by a number of countries, which are not in a favourable position to implement self sufficiently national spent fuel and/or nuclear waste management programmes. The concept of regional disposal facility for radioactive waste shared by several countries, has been debated at several IAEA meetings, including the International Conference on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Disposal held in Tokyo, Japan, in October The issue has also been discussed by an international Expert Group on Multilateral Nuclear Approaches (MNA) established by the Director General of the IAEA last year to advise the Agency on possible multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle. The Agency 2006 programme on radioactive waste management will accompany the DG s initiative by addressing the issues relevant to multinational or regional disposal approaches. Low-level waste disposal is another major area of effort for One of the objectives is to provide information on cost considerations and funding mechanisms to Member States, currently planning or developing new repositories for LILW. Another activity consists of collecting information on operational experience gained at near surface disposal facilities all over the world and developing a web-based information system accessible to interested MS organizations. Assistance will be provided by the Agency through its TC programme to developing Member States willing to develop disposal facility for their low-level radioactive waste and to all those who need to upgrade the operational and long-term safety level of their existing storage or disposal facilities for LILW.

9 Page 9 C.3. Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations C.3.1. Recent IAEA Publications (2005) TRS No. 440 The Dismantling of Contaminated Stacks at Nuclear Facilities Nuclear stacks become contaminated over the operating lifetime through the accumulated deposition of radioactive particulates and the absorption of radioactive gases. This contamination may be difficult to remove dependent on the operating conditions and the chemical-physical characteristics of the contaminants over time. In addition, the physical logistics of stack dismantling may be complex, e.g. difficulty in severing concrete at heights. Thus alternative techniques such as explosives or one-piece removal have been developed and successfully used. TECDOC-1476 Financial Aspects of Decommissioning Estimating decommissioning costs and collecting funds for eventual decommissioning of facilities that have used radioactive material is a prerequisite for safe, timely and cost effective decommissioning. Costing and funding issues were partially addressed by other international organizations, but there is a need to address the subject from the standpoint of the diverse social, economic and cultural environments that constitute IAEA membership. TECDOC-1478 Selection of Decommissioning Strategies: Issues and Factors When selecting a proper decommissioning strategy in a specific facility, a range of general and site specific factors needs to be considered. These factors include cost, health and safety issues and environmental impact, availability of resources, stakeholder involvement, etc. In some cases the lack of a single key resource could result in the elimination of some decommissioning strategies. Some relevant constraints and conditions have been identified in this document, and the impacts of these constraints and conditions have been evaluated. C.3.2. On-going Activities Many research reactors throughout the world date from the original nuclear research programmes in the Member States. Consequently, there are several dozens of old research reactors that are candidates for near term decommissioning in parallel with progressive ageing and technical-economical obsolescence. A lot of them are situated in countries/institutions that, although familiar with the operation and management of their reactors, do not necessarily have adequate expertise and technologies for planning and implementing state of the art decommissioning projects. It is assumed that now is the right time to update IAEA reports published in the 1990sin view of technology progress, experience gained, and the progressive ageing of research reactors. A TRS close to the publishing stage on Decommissioning of Research Reactors: Evolution, State-of-the-art, Pending Issues is intended to contribute to the systematic coverage of the entire range of decommissioning aspects that have being addressed by IAEA s decommissioning activities for years. In particular, this report includes up-to-date information on technologies, strategies and management aspects in decommissioning of research reactors. The perspective of the report is historical, in that relevant issues are identified as solved, pending, or emerging. In the general field of decommissioning, a vast technical area deserving attention is related to the decision-making in decommissioning material/waste management and disposal, including clearance as one possible strategy, but also leaving alternative strategies open. One important element of the decision-making is the methodologies to evaluate and characterize material/waste in view of their cost-effective and safe management. The objective of a report being drafted on Dispositioning of large amounts of decommissioning materials with lower activity levels: strategies and methodologies is firstly to investigate factors relevant to dispositioning (release) strategies for large amounts of decommissioning waste, including unrestricted or restricted release, or storage/disposal as radioactive or other waste; secondly, to define evaluation and characterization methodologies for the

10 Page 10 planning and implementation of such strategies; and thirdly, to provide practical guidance on the flexibility and options offered by current management systems. C.4. Site Environmental Remediation C.4.1. Recent IAEA publications (2005 and 2006) Conference Series STI/PUB/1228 Environmental Contamination from Uranium Production Facilities and their Remediation Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Lisbon, Portugal, February TRS No. 445 The Scope and Potential for Monitored Natural Attenuation at Radioactively Contaminated Sites The economic situation in many Member States requires a re-orientation towards less technologydriven remediation solutions. The implications of using Monitored Natural Attenuation as management strategy is discussed in a Technical Report to be published shortly. TRS No. 442 Remediation of Sites with Mixed Contamination of Radioactive and other Hazardous Substances Mixed radioactive and hazardous substances contamination poses a particular challenge because of combination of types of hazards and potential exposures. While radionuclides and toxic (heavy) metals pose similar and mostly compatible challenges, organic contaminants often require different approaches that may not be compatible with the former. Additional complexity is introduced into the problem by a different and sometimes conflicting regulatory frameworks for radiological and nonradiological contamination, including the prescribed waste management routes. C.4.2. On-going Activities It is increasingly recognized that many contaminated sites cannot be remediated to a free-release endpoint. This holds in particular for uranium or thorium mining and milling sites, where spoil heaps and tailings disposal cells will remain. A Technical Report shortly to be published aims to identify possible solutions to these Stewardship Challenges in the Long-Term Management Radiological Liabilities. In many less developed Member States remediation projects are not undertaken at all or have not been taken beyond an assessment step because those responsible claim the lack of necessary resources. It can be speculated that often the same high-tech solutions are envisaged that are common in more affluent countries. This disparity between aspirations and socio-economic realities seems to result in complacency, which can only be overcome by developing methods and strategies to mobilize and utilize indigenous resources. A new report with the working title The Context of Remediation Projects - Drivers, Obstacles, Solutions is expected to contribute to the solution of this problem. C.5. Management of Radioactive Sources C.5.1. IAEA 2005 Activities The IAEA activities in this area continued to concentrate on provision of comprehensive technical knowledge through compilation of technical reports, development of innovative technologies that can deal with sources in least developing countries effectively, assisting Member States to build their infrastructure and provision of direct assistance when required.

11 Page 11 Radium sources Several hundreds of needles, tubes and special-shape sources representing 1750 mg Ra (64 GBq total activity) were conditioned Barbados, Romania and El Salvador in Neutron sources In May 2005, a Pu-Be research reactor source (80mg Pu) was recovered and conditioned in Montevideo, Uruguay, according to transport regulation for repatriation to the United States. For the first time in November 2005, the consolidation of neutron sources from multiple countries into one shipment to the country of origin were shipped from South Africa to the USA. The USA and IAEA have agreed that such operations will continue in Africa and will be expanded to Latin America. Sealed High Activity Radioactive Sources (SHARS) Several old Co-60 teletherapy and Cs-137 brachytherapy sources as well as two Category I irradiators (loaded with Cs-137 sources) were decommissioned and transferred to a centralized storage facility in Tanzania. The conditioned sources will be eventually either shipped out of the country to the manufacturer s country or stored in a long-term safe and secure facility prepared for that purpose. The programme of return of sources to suppliers or manufacturers had proven to be very useful to reduce the sealed source inventory in developing Countries. In 2005, Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources (DSRS) representing a total activity of 9,000 Ci have been repatriated from several countries in Africa and Latin America. Summary of DSRS recovered and repatriated to Suppliers or Manufacturers in 2005 Year Country Type Activity Action May 2005 Haiti 1 Teletherapy & 1 brachytherapy sources 370 Ci Source was shipped to another user in Hungary (Isotop) May 2005 Panama 1 Teletherapy source 4500 Ci Source repatriated to supplier (MDS Nordion) in Canada May 2005 Uruguay 1 Neutron source 80 mg Pu-239 Source conditioned for repatriation to USA, transportation pending Jul Tanzania 2 Teletherapy sources, 2 Irradiators & 6 small sized sources Nov S. Africa, Sudan & Cote d Ivoire 5145 Ci Sources are transported to the centralized waste processing facility in Arusha for long-term storage 69 Neutron Sources Ci 68 Sources repatriated to supplier in the US 1 Source to be repatriated to supplier soon International Catalogue of Sealed Radioactive Sources and Devices The IAEA International Catalogue of Sealed Radioactive Sources and Devices has been made available for use by October The Catalogue currently contains information on over 7000 source models, 9600 device models and 1270 manufacturers/distributors. In connection to the Catalogue a Booklet is in preparation. It is intended to provide an aid in initial identification of radioactive devices, sources and packages for non-specialist individuals and organisations that may come in contact with them by accident, or in the course of their normal work. The Booklet will be a publicly available

12 Page 12 document containing illustrative pictures of different types of devices and sources. Potential users are: Border control points, Scrap metal industry, Officials in government agencies and others. C.5.2. On-going Activities SHARS SHARS being sources of high activity are usually contained in heavy and large shields. Their manipulation outside such shield would require substantial infrastructure in place. Most SHARS are made of Co-60 or Cs-137 but Radio Thermal Generators (RTGs) can be made of Sr-90. Due to the high activity and the relatively long half-life their radioactivity would be significant even after several decades. Their radioactivity requires that the sources can only be manipulated within a hot cell. Sealed Radioactive Source Processing Facilities that can handle large sources (class 1 and 2) can only be found in few developed countries. On the other hand sources that have been shipped to developing countries for medical, agriculture or natural resources exploration, in many cases, no longer have a valid special form certificate or a licensed transport container. This makes their transportation to proper facilities an order of magnitude higher and faces the complication of their management as waste. The Agency has conducted a project to design and manufacture a mobile hot cell that can be taken to where the sources are and conduct the work on site. The design and development work was closely conducted with cooperation with a number of national institutions from Europe, United States, Canada and some developing countries. The first unit is expected to be operational in 2006 and the first operation will take place in South Africa, where the unit is being manufactured. Following the commissioning of the first unit, further units are expected to be made available in Asia and Latin America. It is worth mentioning here that these activities are carried out using extra budgetary contributions and so far no funds are made available to make such unit available for Eastern Europe of the former Soviet Union Republics. BOSS borehole disposal project Radiation sources are being used in almost all countries worldwide. After these sources have been used and when they become waste, the only options available in developing countries for managing their high activity or long-lived disused sealed radioactive sources (DSRS) are to return them to the supplier when possible or to store them safely. IAEA Member States have been encouraged by the Agency to look into the long-term management issue of their DSRS. In that respect, the majority of the Agency African Member States participating in the IAEA AFRA Technical Cooperation project RAF/4/015 have been thoroughly investigating the borehole disposal technology as one possible option for the safe and cost-effective disposal of their DSRS. The so-called BOSS (Borehole disposal Of Sealed Sources) system developed since 1996 by the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa under the AFRA Project is intended to be simple and effective, meeting the same high standards of long-term radiological safety as any other type of radioactive waste disposal facility. It is believed that BOSS, which is appropriate both to the relatively small amounts and activities of wastes and the resources that can realistically be found in the AFRA countries, can be readily deployed with simple, cost-effective technologies. Following a positive assessment on the safety and viability of the BOSS system by an international peer review team in April 2005, the IAEA has decided to maintain its involvement in the project and provide its support to Member States candidate to the implementation through the various phases leading to the completion of borehole-type disposal facilities. C.6. Contact Expert Group (CEG) for Radioactive Waste Management Projects in the Russian Federation A special Contact Expert Group (CEG) for International Radwaste Projects in the Russian Federation was established under the auspices of the IAEA in 1996 in order to promote co-operation between all countries and international organizations that provide assistance to the Russian Federation in the field of handling accumulated radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel resulted from past activities in

13 Page 13 production of nuclear weapons, use of nuclear energy for peaceful and military purposes, and nuclear arms reduction. The CEG organises regular plenary meetings and specific workshops on the most urgent issues resulting from the Cold War Legacy and elaborates project proposals on resolution of these issues in the frame of international co-operation with the Russian Federation. Information on CEG activities is available on the CEG web page: Strengthening of the co-operation between the coordinating bodies of the G8 Global Partnership Programme, Northern Dimensions Environmental Partnership (NDEP) Programme and a number of bilateral nuclear clean-up programmes remains one of the main objectives for the CEG in The CEG offers a forum for open exchange of information, discussion of the most crucial problems in Russia, thus promoting Western experience and technologies, helping to eliminate duplication of efforts and providing efficient use of the donor's money. The 19 th CEG plenary meeting was held on 4-6 October 2005 in Ottawa - Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. 63 participants representing 11 countries and 5 international organisations attended the meeting. Two CEG workshops were held in 2005: - Security and Safety of Radioactive Sources: Decommissioning and Replacement of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) February 2005, Oslo, Norway, and - Dismantlement of Nuclear Service Ships and Surface Vessels with Nuclear Power Installations May 2005, Murmansk, Russian Federation. Two CEG workshops are planned in 2006 on "Strategic Aspects on Management of Radioactive Waste and Remediation of Contaminated Sites" (26-27 April 2006, Stockholm, Sweden), and on Isolation and Disposal of Radioactive Waste" (28-30 June 2006, Olkiluoto, Finland). These workshops will facilitate further enlargement of international co-operation between Russia and the CEG member-countries in the area of radioactive waste management and remediation of nuclear facilities and sites. C.7. Waste Management Information Systems The Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology maintains a web site about its programmes and activities at the following Internet address: C.7.1. Net-Enabled Waste Management Database (NEWMDB) Version II.1 of the Agency's international radioactive waste management database was launched on the Internet March Details are available from the following web page: An NEWMDB data collection cycle was conducted May to October Thirty-five Member States made data submissions. Collectively, these Member States have about 70% of the operating nuclear power plants and, as such, the waste inventories they reported represent the majority of radioactive wastes worldwide (within the scope of NEWMDB data collection). Information about accessing the results of the data collection is available via the following link:

14 Page 14 An NEWMDB lessons learned workshop was held November 30 December Specifications were compiled for NEWMDB version II.2 and development is scheduled from January to March D. Training Courses and Workshops Workshop on Decommissioning Strategies and Preliminary Planning 2-6 May Istanbul, Turkey Training Course on Decision making and stakeholder involvement in repository development Broadening the basic technologies of nuclear dismantling into a Regional activity within Central and Eastern Europe Interregional Training Course on Radioactive Waste Management Registry (RWMR) Waste Inventory Record Keeping System (WIRKS) Workshop held during NIRMA Annual Conference Workshop on regulatory review/evaluation and approval of safety upgrades to near surface radioactive waste disposal facilities Workshop on Demonstrating the Safety of Radioactive Waste Storage Arrangements and Facilities. Training Course on Repository Design Construction and Operation Interregional Practise Oriented Training Course on Quality Management of Radioactive Waste Training Course on Handling and Conditioning of Long-lived and Neutron Sealed Radioactive Sources Training Workshop on Implementation of the BOSS system For the Disposal of Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources Training course on Safety Assessment and Licensing of Predisposal Radioactive Waste Management Facilities and Activities Training Meeting/Workshop on the Net Enabled Waste Management Database (NEWMDB) Training Course on Methodologies for Geological Disposal of High Level Waste 30 May 3 June Tengelic, Hungary June Bratislava, Slovakia 8-12 August Vienna, Austria August Orlando, Florida, USA 5-9 September Oradea, Romania September Sofia, Bulgaria September Meiringen, Switzerland 4-28 October Lima, Peru November Pretoria, South Africa November Pretoria, South Africa 29 Nov 2 December Moscow, Russia 30 Nov 2 Dec Vienna, Austria December Berkeley, USA and Yucca Mountain, USA

15 Page 15 E. Ongoing Co-ordinated Research Projects Chemical durability and performance assessment of spent fuel and HLW forms under simulated repository conditions New developments and improvements in processing of problematic waste streams Disposal aspects of low and intermediate level decommissioning waste Characterization and performance studies and demonstration in underground research laboratories of swelling clays as engineered barriers of geological repositories Innovative and adaptive technologies in decommissioning of nuclear facilities Use of numerical models in support of site characterization and performance assessment studies of geologic repositories Analysis of material flow for advanced and innovative reactors and fuel cycles F. IAEA-sponsored International Meetings International Waste Management Symposia Feb 3 Mar Tucson, USA 6 th International Conference on Nuclear Option in Countries with May Small and Medium Electricity Grids Dubrovnik, Croatia International Conference on Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors NIRMA 30 th Annual Conference Procedures and Information Management Conference International Conference on Lessons Learned from Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities and the Safe Termination of Nuclear Activities June Vienna, Austria 6-9 August Las Vegas, USA December Athens, Greece G. Recent Publications SS WS-R-4 SS RS-G-1.8 SS WS-G-2.7 Safety Requirement on Geological Disposal Environmental and Source Monitoring for Purposes of Radiation Protection Management of Waste from the Use of Radioactive Materials in Medicine, Industry, Research, Agriculture and Education

16 Page 16 SRS-44 SRS-45 TRS No. 431 TRS No. 433 TRS No. 434 TRS No. 436 TRS No. 440 TRS No. 441 TRS No. 442 TRS No. 445 TECDOC-1464 TECDOC-1476 TECDOC-1478 TECDOC-1481 Training Materials Series No. 27 Conference Series STI/PUB/1228 Derivation of Activity Concentration Values for Exclusion, Exemption and Clearance Standard Format and Content for Safety Related Decommissioning Documents Application of Membrane Technologies for Liquid Radioactive Waste Processing Upgrading of Near Surface Repositories for Radioactive Waste Methods for Maintaining a Record of Waste Packages during Waste Processing and Storage Disposal Options for Disused Radioactive Sources Dismantling of Contaminated Stacks at Nuclear Facilities Management of Problematic Waste and Material Generated During the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities Remediation of Sites with Mixed Contamination of Radioactive And other Hazardous Substances The Scope and Potential for Monitored and Natural Attenuation At Radioactively Contaminated Sites Natural Activity Concentrations and Fluxes as Indicators for the Safety Assessment of Radioactive Waste Disposal Financial Aspects of Decommissioning Selection of Decommissioning Strategies: Issues and Factors Anthropogenic Analogues for Geological Disposal of High Level And Long Lived Waste Final report of a CRP Technological and Organizational Aspects of Radioactive Waste Management (in Russian) Environmental Contamination from Uranium Production Facilities and their Remediation - Proceedings IAEA-WMRA-30 Waste Management Research Abstracts, Volume 30 IAEA/WMDB/7 Radioactive Waste Management Profiles, a Compilation of Data from the Net Enabled Waste Management Database, Number 7 IAEA/WMDB/ST/4 Radioactive Waste Management Status and Trends, Number 4