180 likes | 401 Views
56th Regular Session of t he IAEA General Conference Senior Regulators’ Meeting 20 September 2012. Session 1: Best Practices in Planning for Remediation IAEA Safety Standards for Remediation. Pil-Soo Hahn, Director Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety
E N D
56th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference Senior Regulators’ Meeting 20 September 2012 Session 1: Best Practices in Planning for RemediationIAEA Safety Standards for Remediation Pil-Soo Hahn, Director Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety Department of Nuclear Safety and Security
Outline • Context for remediation within IAEA programmes. • IAEA safety standards for remediation and their current state of development. • Planning for remediation. • Application of the IAEA safety standards in the context of planning for remediation. • IAEA Perspectives on remediation planning.
Definitions in Standards Remediation Any measures that may be carried out • to reduce the radiation exposure due to existing contamination of land areas through actions applied to the contamination itself (the source), or to the exposure pathways to humans. • Complete removal of the contamination is not implied. Remedial action The removal of a source or the reduction of its magnitude (in terms of activity or amount) • for the purposes of preventing or reducing exposures that might otherwise occur in an existing exposure situation.
Situations that need remediation • Contaminated lands arising from a nuclear accident • Complex R&D Facilities (e.g., fuel cycle R&D and prototype reactors) • Legacy uranium mines and mills • Former test sites for nuclear weapons • Radium production facilities (a legacy), and more recently other NORM processing operations
Hierarchy of IAEA Safety Standards • underlying principles • – aimed at politicians and • regulatory authorities Fundamentals Requirements • obligations and • responsibilities • (“shall” statements) recommendations to support requirements (“should” statements) Guides 5
Remediation: Safety Fundamentals (2006) • Principle 10: Protective actions to reduce existing or unregulated radiation risks must be justified and optimized • Radiation risks may arise in situations other than in facilities and activities that are in compliance with regulatory control. • In such situations, if the radiation risks are relatively high, consideration has to be given • to whether protective actions can reasonably be taken to reduce radiation exposures, and • to remediate adverse conditions.
IAEA Safety Requirements for Remediation (2011) • The safety requirements for remediation are now found in the new IAEA Basic Safety Standards • Integration of Recommendations in ICRP 103 (2007) • Approval by the IAEA Board of Governors (Sept. 2011) • Replaces the old BSS (1996)
System of Radiation Protection • Three exposed groups • Workers • Patients • General public • Three Exposure Situations • Planned exposures • Emergency • Existing exposures • Three Radiation Protection Principles • Justification • Limitation • Optimization
Existing exposure Radiation Protection Principles Justification Optimization Limitation - Exposure levels • Remedial and protectiveactions should be adequate to the risk Reference level : - Number of people exposed - Economic and social 1 - 20 mSv / a implications To be defined by the A s L ow A s R easonably regulator based on : A chievable , Do more good economic and social than harm - Experience factors being taken into - Feasibility account ( ALARA ) - Interested parties
Key issues for remediation in the BSS • Defines responsibilities • Government • Regulatory body • Planning/implementing institutions • Recommends radiological criteria • Reference level for the representative person: 1-20 mSv/a • Exposure due to commodities: 1 mSv/a • Requires the application of radiation protection principles • Justification, optimization, limitation
Safety Standards for Remediation – 2012 GSR Part 3 (2011) WS-G-3.1 (2007) Under Revision
Related IAEA standards For remediation, other related standards usually apply in part….
Considerations to be given in the planning stage • Is there a proper legal and regulatory framework? • Have existing exposure situations been identified and assessed? • Develop a national remediation strategy, which includes appropriate remediation criteria. • Have proposed remedial actions been optimized? Difficult choices have to be made when resources are scarce. • Has provision been made for appropriate engagement of stakeholders? • Adequate planning for wastes arising from remedial actions? • Has provision been made for long term care after remediation? • Are there other regulatory organizations to liaise with (e.g. non-radiological considerations)?
Monitoring ( Radiological Characterization ) Land use Living habits Assessment of exposures Criteria Technologies Dose to workers Acceptance Costs Decision for No remediation Yes Remediation Criteria Exit Yes No ok ? Generic Decision Process for Remediation
Application of the Standards The IAEA Safety standards are used by the Secretariat in a number of ways… • Basis for peer reviews. • Advise MS on the development of regulations. • IRRS missions. • Technical Cooperation Project for MS. • Inform training material.
IAEA Activities : Remediation Planning • International Forum for Regulatory Supervision of Legacy Sites • Strengthening regulatory oversight of legacy sites. • About 40 countries have participated in RSLS. • Central Asia Initiative • Assists MS in Central Asia with former uranium production sites that are a legacy of the past. • International programmes • EMRAS II: Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety (2009-2011). • MODARIA: Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments (to be launched in Nov. 2012). • Develop, test and compare models to assess exposures from radionuclides being released or existing in the environment.
Going forward • IAEA Perspectives on Remediation Planning • Review and update safety standards for remediation. • Assist MS to develop an appropriate framework for remediation. • Promote the development of remediation strategies, rather than ad hoc remedial actions. • Encourage exchange of information among its members through projects such as MODARIA and RSLS, and thereby strengthen the necessary competencies. • Promote awareness of the need for long term care and maintenance after remediation. • Assist MS in carrying out EIA and planning for remediation, including peer review services.
Thank you 18