Participants
at an international IAEA conference in Spain have appealed for faster
progress in addressing the legacy of the early development of nuclear
energy, saying the decommissioning of old facilities and the remediation
of affected sites should not be left to future generations.
“This issue has strong ethical dimensions,” Juan José
Zaballa, president of the conference and of Spain’s National Company for
Radioactive Waste (ENRESA), said in his conclusions to the
International Conference on Advancing the Global Implementation of
Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation Programmes on 27 May.
Participants urged “against passing responsibilities to future
generations where the means to address them currently exist,” he said.
More than 540 people representing 54 countries and four
international organizations attended the 23-27 May event in Madrid,
sharing and reviewing lessons learned from decommissioning and
environmental remediation (D&ER) activities over the last decade,
including at the site of the 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan
and affected nearby areas. The conference’s goals included raising
awareness for the growing need to address the legacy of past nuclear
activities, identifying priority areas and recommending strategies for
furthering the safe and effective implementation of D&ER programmes.
Among Mr Zaballa’s conclusions was a recommendation that,
“subject to the views of its Member States, the IAEA should consider
formulating a Plan of Action aimed at addressing the identified issues,”
including doing more to identify what levels of radioactive
contamination could be regarded as sufficiently low not to pose a threat
to the safety of people and the environment. The conference also
recommended developing international guidance for recovery following a
nuclear or radiological incident or emergency, including the
establishment of radiation reference levels, decommissioning end states
and strategies, and waste management and disposal strategies.
Further conclusions by Mr Zaballa identified needs for Member States:
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To establish D&ER policies and strategies where they do
not already exist, including putting in place an appropriate legal and
regulatory framework and plans for dealing with the aftermath of nuclear
or radiological accidents or incidents.
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To undertake D&ER programmes preferably at the earliest
possible opportunity, taking advantage of advance planning and making
best use of limited financial resources.
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To take holistic approaches to managing waste from D&ER.
Additional recommendations were made:
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To develop international standards and guidance for
conditional clearance of materials from decommissioning, as well as
guidance on managing D&ER project risks.
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Greater transparency and stakeholder involvement, including
international guidance on how to engage stakeholders in D&ER
decision-making.
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Greater international efforts to coordinate research and
development on D&ER, and a continued exchange of information and
experiences by remediation practitioners.
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For the IAEA to explore further capacity-building mechanisms to enable Member States to use technologies facilitating D&ER.
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Greater international efforts to develop training opportunities for young D&ER professionals.
Decommissioning and environmental remediation are of
increasing importance worldwide. Currently, 157 nuclear power reactors,
many of which began operation in the 1960s as part of the first
generation of power reactors, have been permanently shut down; of these,
only 17 have been fully decommissioned. Of the approximately 440
nuclear power reactors in operation around the world, more than half are
nearing the end of their operating lifetimes; those whose licenses are
not extended will need to be decommissioned in coming years. Meanwhile,
more than 300 research reactors have been fully decommissioned, while a
further 180 have been shut down, with some of them now in the process of
being decommissioned. In addition, 170 nuclear fuel cycle facilities
have been shut down or are being decommissioned and a further 125 have
been completely decommissioned.
Sites used in the past for activities involving nuclear
research, uranium mining and milling, and processing of naturally
occurring radioactive materials, are also candidates for environmental
remediation.
The conference was hosted by the Spanish government through
ENRESA, Spain’s Nuclear Safety Council and the Spanish Electricity
Industry Association. Co-sponsored by the European Commission, the
weeklong event was held in cooperation with the Nuclear Energy Agency of
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
“This conference lays the groundwork for addressing the
growing international D&ER needs stemming from the life cycle of
large and small facilities all around the world,” said Christophe Xerri,
Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste
Technology. “Developing human resources, sharing demonstrated best
practices, using proven and innovative technologies will all be key to
achieving the large-scale implementation of safe, secure and
cost-effective programmes.”