Decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Site: Status and Continuing Work William D. Magwood, IV Director-General Nuclear Energy Agency Fukushima Decontamination and Decommissioning 61 st IAEA General Conference 18 September 2017 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The NEA: 33 Countries Seeking Excellence in Nuclear Safety, Technology, and Policy 33 member countries + key partners (e.g., China) 7 standing committees and 86 working parties and expert groups The NEA Data Bank - providing nuclear data, code, and verification services 23 international joint projects (e.g., the Halden Reactor Project in Norway) 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2
Six Years Later: Much Progress; Much to Do 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 3
Six Years Later: Much Progress; Much to Do Significant progress has been achieved. Careful monitoring and efforts to reduce on-site risks must continue. Essential to implement approaches to characterize radioactive wastes associated with the decommissioning process and to put plans in place for their disposition. Strategies must be developed to prepare for the highly radioactive wastes related to the fuel debris retrieval process. Application of new technologies to reduce worker exposure to radiation should be considered. 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 4
NEA s Fukushima-Related Activities: Expert Group on Fukushima Waste Management & Decommissioning In 2016, the group evaluated the management of post-accident waste and provided a strategic approach to the Japanese government for effective radiological characterization of radioactive waste (RW). In 2017, NDF requested the NEA to further assist in developing an integrated methodology for managing large amount of RW with unknown properties. The NEA s RWMC is currently evaluating this request. 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 5
Strategic RW management objectives and planning are necessary identify who is responsible for implementing each task, and provide legal powers and resources necessary to implement Storage and disposal: Waste needs to be characterised, stabilized and safely stored until a final disposal solution is available Optimisation Must balance radiological and non-radiological impacts social and economic factors stakeholder engagement EGFWMD: Key Messages Regulations: Most efficient to use existing standards, techniques and procedures, but these may need to be modified for specific conditions 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 6
NEA s Fukushima-Related Activities The Co-operative Programme on Decommissioning (CPD) A joint undertaking involving approximately 70 organizations (including TEPCO) to share knowledge from the many decommissioning projects underway around the world. The Benchmark Study of the Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (BSAF) Benchmarking of severe accident codes using input parameters from the experience at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Phase 1 completed analysis of the first 3 days of the accident, focusing on molten fuel relocation. Report published in February 2016. Phase 2 will provide analysis of the first 3 weeks of the accident and include information on fission product behaviour. 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 7
NEA s Fukushima-Related Activities Senior Expert Group on Safety Research Opportunities Post Fukushima (SAREF) Initial SAREF report published in February 2017 Identified near-term and long-term research opportunities: To address safety knowledge gaps To support safe and timely Fukushima decommissioning Near-term projects under development: Fuel debris analysis and characterization Analysis of data and information from containment and reactor building examination The Preparatory Study on Analysis of Fuel Debris (PreADES) New initiative to improve methodologies of fuel debris characterization. Includes planning for future R&D using fuel debris from Fukushima Daiichi. 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 8
Considering A New NEA Standing Committee: Decommissioning and Legacy Management The NEA is reviewing whether to establish a proposed Committee on Decommissioning and Legacy Management to: Bring together leading officials and experts to coordinate national policies, share experiences and knowledge, establish best practices, and improve understanding of decommissioning costs Conduct joint activities and identify research needs Cover both commercial nuclear power plant decommissioning and management of radiological legacies from past research, governmental, and industrial activities A Decision by the NEA Steering Committee is possible in October 2017 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 9
NEA s Fukushima-Related Activities: NEA Radiological Protection Reports 2017 Stakeholders Making RP Decisions: CRPPH History and Lessons 2016 Radiological Protection Science and Application 2015 An Evidence-based Approach to Post-accident Food Safety Policy 2014 Framework for the Post-Accident Management of Contaminated Food 2014 Occupational Radiation Protection in Severe Accident Management 2014 The International Workshop on Radiation and Thyroid Cancer 2014 Topical Session on Recovery Management Summary Report 2013 International Short Term Countermeasures Survey 2011 Practices & Experience in Stakeholder Involvement for Post-Nuclear Emergency Management 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 10
Important Next Steps: Continued Stabilization and Risk Reduction 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Excellent Progress Has Been Accomplished: The Site is Far Safer than 5 years Ago 1F Unit 1 As It Appears Today 1F Unit 1 After 3/11 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Excellent Progress Has Been Accomplished: The Site is Far Safer than 5 years Ago Spent Fuel Removal Equipment being Installed Above 1F Unit 3 1F Unit 3 After 3/11 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Important Next Steps: Improved Public Engagement NEA supports dialogue sessions organised by ICRP that began in 2011 with stakeholders from affected areas of Fukushima Prefecture 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
ICRP Stakeholder Dialogues Dialogue Focus Phase I Date 1 Initiation of a new process of discussion among affected stakeholders November 2011 2 Understand what has been accomplished in Date February 2012 3 Food production, distribution and marketing July 2012 4 Education and memory November 2012 5 The difficult decision to stay/return or go/not return March 2013 6 The situation and challenges faced by the citizens of Iitate July 2013 7 Self-help actions taken by local people in cooperation with experts Dec 2013 8 The situation and challenges faced by the citizens of Minamisoma May 2014 9 The challenges of raising children in a contaminated area August 2014 10 The importance of tradition and culture for recovery December 2014 11 The importance of measurements for recovery May 2015 12 The future, in particular the future of the Suetsugi region September 2015 Dialogue Focus Phase II Date 1 The Situation of Miyakoji Today March 2016 3 Dialogue on the rehabilitation of living conditions: Itate Village July 2016 2 Dialogue on the rehabilitation of living conditions: Kawauchi Village October 2016 4 Dialogue on the rehabilitation of living conditionsn: Futaba Village March 2017 5 Dialogue on what do we need for our future: Date City July 2017 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 15
NDF s Initiative: Meeting with Fukushima Stakeholders Held on July 2, 2017 in Hironotown Central Gymnasium. Included presentations and discussions with local stakeholders from towns throughout Fukushima prefecture. An excellent initiative and a good start toward further enhancement of public involvement. 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 16
Important Next Steps: Food Safety and Image Peaches and other Fukushima produce are recovering on supermarket shelves A Fukushima Cattle Farmer Recently Won an Award for His High Quality Beef 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 17
Building Confidence in Food: A New Global Post-Accident Food Management Framework The Framework Being Developed by NEA reflects: The accident country is responsible to develop an accidentspecific approach to food criteria and management There is a political, social and ethical rational for a consistent approach and single criteria for domestic consumption and exportation of food Importing countries may accept the accident country s export criteria for allowing importation (under discussion with FAO Codex) 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 18
Building Confidence in Food: A New Global Post-Accident Food Management Framework State-of-the-art science is essential to re-establishing agricultural activities in accident-affected areas Trust and confidence in accident-country-government decisions are necessary aspects for re-establishing domestic and international consumption of food from accident-affected areas To be maximally effective, both a technical framework and a neutral, international, science-based process of validation are needed to re-establish confidence 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 19
A Possible Approach to Validation: NEA s ValidFood Process ValidFood is a proposed process for the international validation of food safety after an radiological accident or other large contamination event. ValidFood provides: A small international team of internal-exposure experts to review the science and processes used to develop food acceptance criteria A small international team of radioassay experts to review the processes and technology used to certify food products to verify their consistency with recognized principles of radiological protection A multilateral agreement may be required to successfully implement this process and assure that its results are respected 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 20
Thank you for your attention 2017 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 21