Scope
The International Conference on Geological Repositories (ICGR) brings together high-level decision-makers from regulatory and local government bodies, waste management organisations and public stakeholder communities to review current perspectives of geological repository development. Conferences are held every 4-5 years.
Objectives
The objectives of the ICGR are:
Background
Global consensus exists within the international community that geological repositories provide the necessary long-term safety and security to isolate long-lived waste from the human environment over extended timescales. It is also feasible to construct these repositories using current technologies. However, challenges remain in many countries as regards the technical merits and safety of repositories, including building and maintaining public confidence, availability of skilled staff as well as transfer of information and expertise. The involvement of the younger generation is also often challenging, but crucial for the sustainable development of geological disposals.
Previous conferences have been held in Denver (1999), Stockholm (2003), Berne (2007), Toronto (2012) and Paris (2016). The sixth ICGR, with its theme Advancing Geological Repositories from Concept to Operation, is planned to be held on 4-8 April 2022 in Helsinki, Finland. It has been designed to show the significant progress in developing geological repositories over the last two decades by:
Along with the NEA, the ICGR conferences are jointly organised by the European Commission (EC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Association for Environmentally Safe Disposal of Radioactive Materials (EDRAM).
ICGR 1999 (Denver, USA)
ICGR 2003 (Stockholm, Sweden)
ICGR 2007 (Bern, Switzerland)
ICGR 2012 (Toronto, Canada)
ICGR 2016 (Paris, France)
ICGR 2022 (Helsinki, Finland)
ICGR 2024 (Busan, Korea)