Radiation protection aspects of decommissioning
Ongoing

Based on the NEA's 1999 Rome workshop on the Regulatory Aspects of Decommissioning, and on the experience from the NEA's Co-operative Programme for the Exchange of Scientific and Technical Information Concerning Nuclear Installation Decommissioning Projects (CPD), the Secretariat prepared a paper titled, "Issues in Decommissioning and Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities". In this paper, the key current decommissioning issues are identified, and a means of addressing these issues within the structure and existing programmes of work of the NEA's seven Standing Technical Committees is proposed.

The key issues are:

  • decommissioning policy and strategy;
  • waste management and material reuse considerations;
  • authorised release of sites and facilities ;
  • securing long-term funding and responsibility;
  • framework for safety regulation of decommissioning.

This paper was endorsed by the Chairs of the Standing Technical Committees at their April 2000 meeting. The CRPPH is participating in the elaboration of all of these issues except number four. All issues are being addressed in a joint format.

A workshop on safe, efficient and cost-effective decommissioning was held in September 2004. The workshop covered large decommissioning projects including management, waste and stakeholder issues. The scope included power reactors, fuel facilities and facilities in a transition stage. The CRPPH contribution to this workshop focused principally on the area of materials management from the radiological protection standpoint.