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International Working Forum for Regulatory Supervision of Legacy Sites (RSLS)

Review of 2013 and Introduction of Next Steps of RSLS

Malgorzata K. Sneve and Russel EdgeRSLS Chair and Scientific Secretary

RSLS Technical meeting

IAEA, 22 - 24 October 2013

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Types of Nuclear Legacy

Uranium mining and milling facilities

Sites affected by major accidents

Inadequate storage and disposal sites and facilities

Nuclear technology development centres

Nuclear peaceful and weapons testing sites

Others that have not completed remediation and are of

concern to regulatory bodies

We try to be inclusive

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RSLS Work Programme

Working Group Activities

Workshops and Site Visits

Other activities in RSLS scope of interest to participants

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2013 Working Groups results: responses to questionnaires and data gatheringWG1: Enhancing Regulatory Infrastructure National strategies and plans Regulatory basis and regulatory infrastructure Lessons learned

WG2: Safety Assessment Methods and Environmental Impact Assessment. Guidance on

Methodological criteria for operators Methodological criteria for regulators Guidance on review methodology

WG3: Professional Development for Regulators Project management Technical competencies Inspection

Progress in 2013 towards preparing an IAEA Technical Document (TECDOC)

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Provided Inputs and Responses

• Niger • Norway• Romania• Russian Federation• Tajikistan• UK• Ukraine• USA• Uzbekistan• Zambia

• Australia• Belgium • Brazil • Bulgaria• China• France • Germany• Hungary• Iraq• Kyrgyzstan

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Presentations made of RSLS in 2013:

1. Regulatory Supervision of Legacies Arising from Nuclear Accidents

At International Experts’ Meeting on Decommissioning and Remediation after a Nuclear Accident,1 February 2013, IAEA, Vienna

2. Worldwide Regulatory Challenges of Radioactive Legacy Sites

Panel 85 on the IAEA International Working Forum on Regulatory Supervision of Legacy Sites;

At International Conference: Waste Management 2013: February 2013, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Important to maintain the profile of regulatory supervision

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Key Points from 2012 TM:Legacies typically characterised by:

Unsatisfactory technical condition of the facilities Poor characterisation of the situation, loss of records Radioactive contamination of the environment Threat of further releases Unclear ownership/responsibility Lack of

long-term site and related waste management strategies regulatory requirements and guidance to address abnormal

radiation conditions and remediation

But not necessarily all legacies have all these characteristics!

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More key points recognised

Staged intervention, staged progression of legacy management

Iterative assessments at each stage (remediation does not mean ‘green field’ in one step)

Clear definition of roles and responsibilities of different organisations

Regulators’ role in strategy development (include in process early)

Identifying priorities and then optimising management and supervision of those priorities

These may not be same in different countries, e.g. because of geography but also social and other factors

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More key points recognised

Acknowledge chemical and physical hazards: radiation safety not the only issue, so

develop effective interface/interactions between different authorities

IAEA already has a lot of relevant documents and information, but needs some consolidation from regulatory legacy perspective

National regulatory framework which addresses legacies alongside waste management is fundamental to effective progress

Additional laws for specific legacy sites or types may be useful in some countries

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More Key messages from 2012 TM

IAEA senior management at IAEA, DDG Denis Flory, Dir. Pil-Soo Hahn supports RSLS

Strongly supported by the IAEA GC Safety Resolutions for the past 4 years

Please use your national missions to obtain support for your involvement

RSLS can lend support to and gain input from other IAEA activities: Development of DS 459: ‘Management of NORM radioactive

residues from mining and mineral processing, and other guidance documents

Modaria, CRAFT, CIDER and more information coming in the meeting

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Goals for this Meeting

Welcome new participants into the RSLS program!

Review progress with WG activities and improving draft first RSLS TECDOC

Presentations on special topics and experience of legacy regulatinon

Review suggestions for other activities

future workshops and site visits

review of specific regulatory issues, e.g. from Malawi

Develop on-going RSLS activities and work plan

We already have some ideas on table, but more

are welcome!

Active input from all is very much encouraged!!

Thank you for your attention