WASTE MANAGEMENT for FUKUSHIMA DAI-ICHI Some considerations from afar Experts Workshop and International symposium 12-14 March, 2012 Tokyo Claudio Pescatore, PhD Principal Adminstrator for RWM and Decom 1
BACKGROUND MANAGEMENT IS THE ART OF AVOIDING (BIG) PROBLEMS LATER ON COST EXCURSIONS IN DECOMISSIONING GREATLY DEPEND ON - CHANGES IN REGULATION - END STATE OF THE SITE - CLEARANCE OR LESS - DELAYS 2
Important to recognize that besides (and below) LLW, there exist VLLW and/or clearance standards and/or recycling and reuse VLLW goes in deposits that are licensed by the nuclear safety authority but not necessarily under the full nuclear safety regime Expect a lot of VLLW from decommissioning 3
Percentage by volume and (radio)activity (France) by 2050 Total volume : 3.328.000 m 3 (VLLW : 1.768.000 m 3 ) Short-lived waste Long-lived waste Very low level Volume : 46,8% Centre Activity de : 0,000 Morvilliers 006 % (waste from dismantling operations) Low level Intermediate level High level No SF Volume : 46 % Activity : < 0,017% (86.5%) Volume : 0,24 % Activity : 97,65% (0.44%) Volume : 4,95 % Activity : 0,005% (9.3%) Volume : 1,96 % Activity : 2,3% (3.7%) 4 4
Sweden: Percentage by volume (over lifetime of nuclear park) Total volume : 404.250 m 3 (VLLW: 244.250 m 3 ) Short-lived waste Long-lived waste Very low level Centre de 39,6% Morvilliers (waste from dismantling operations) Low level 52,4% (86.7%) 2,2% (3.6%) Intermediate level SF No High level 5,8% (9.6%) 5 5
Percentage by volume (Germany) by 2080 Total volume : 304.000 m 3 Short-lived waste Long-lived waste Very low level Clearance and also Centre recycle de Morvilliers and reuse (waste from dismantling operations) Low level 92 % Intermediate level High level and SF 8 % 6 6
For Fukushima Dai-chi given all types of generated waste there will be Need for all types of final repositories, including at intermediate depth and geological 7
Likely, one may find that there are many more waste streams than expected and select packaging may have to become the norm. At TMI-2 Demineralizer process vessel was not acceptable for commercial LLW disposal (too active!) Composition of the water changed getting closer to the fuel (more Sr-90). Because of new regulation, several waste streams had to be developed depending on location and ratio of Cs-137 to Sr-90. Also, supercompaction could not be used as it would change the waste class. Selective packaging had also to be made in order to account for the low Sr-90 acceptance for LSA transportation determination 8
one may also find that there will be waste streams that nobody may want at least for some time, e.g., until regulations are clearer and/or the local political changes Barnwell and Nevada Test Site examples for TMI-2 [reasons also technical: fear of filling the TRU quotas, which where very low at Barnwell] 9
Expect also to have to request variance to normal practices E.g., for being allowed to ship Special Nuclear Materials without gram accountability of Pu and U. At TMI-2 The NRC granted an exception to gram accountability before shipment.. This will require courage on many actors. 10
Important policy issues - 1 what is radioactive waste? Define waste categories [and allow for special Fukushima ones] how much waste? what kinds? how to condition? what waste goes where? how does it get there? 11
Important policy issues - 2 Who are the actors on each issue? Are they ready? Also to cooperate? Do they have the good policy frameworks and regulatory guidelines? Have they identified the good questions? 12
Note Delays, hesitations have a cost both in terms of money and in terms of confidence and these feedback to one another. 13
Vis-à-vis the road map, consider Additional waste types besides LLW Additional waste management practices besides disposal (clearance, recycle and reuse) Additional types of disposal facilities Selective packaging based on several criteria Requests for variance Role of regulatory SYSTEM (technical, policy, politics) 14
Within the NEA on the waste management and decommissioning side, we have the fire-power to help on both policy, regulatory and technical issues the CPD industrial programme, the WPDD, the Regulators Forum, the Forum on Stakeholder Confidence, and the full Radioactive Waste Management Committee 15
THE WORLD IS WATCHING YOU THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE THIS FIRST YEAR! 16