Waste Technology Section
Near Surface Waste Disposal
Near Surface Disposal of Radioactive Waste
Objective:
To increase the capability of Member States in planning and implementing safe and cost-effective technologies and approaches for the near surface disposal of radioactive waste arising from a variety of sources, to assure safe operation of existing disposal facilities and to provide competent and up-to-date advice and assistance in different aspects of disposal technology.
The responsible officer: Lumir NACHMILNER.
Rationale:
Near surface disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive waste is an option being practiced in many countries for several decades. There is a growing need in various Member States for additional information in all aspects of this disposal option, regarding both existing and planned disposal facilities. To address these needs, guidance is provided in a number of aspects of their development, operation, and closure. A broad spectrum of non-technical issues, such as societal, institutional, local and national infrastructure, public policy and acceptance, cost considerations and funding mechanisms, and quality assurance, are sorted and made available to interested countries as well.
Major Ongoing Activities:
Safe management of low and intermediate waste requires clear definition of their final destination. With respect to the selected option, adequate technologies need to be developed and applied. The development of a disposal facility itself is rather complex and multi-disciplinary process involving both technical and non-technical approaches. Their whole spectrum is addressed by current activities in this area, which include the following topics:
- Borehole disposal: A perspective issue that is being currently evaluated is the assessment of potential disposal options for disused radioactive sources, paying particular attention to the borehole technology. The most benefit of this technology is seen in safe disposal of disused sealed sources, but it may be recommended to any country without any other disposal option that generates small volume of radioactive waste. Taking into consideration high radioactivity and content of long lived radionuclides typical for certain types of sealed sources, some Member States consider boreholes as an additional disposal facility co-located to a near surface repository. The technology is being transmitted with TC support to a number of Member States from several regions, including Africa, South America and Asia.
- Disposal of decommissioning waste: The amount of low and intermediate level waste is projected to increase significantly in the next few decades owing to the growing number of reactors and radioisotope laboratories due to be decommissioned. As part of the overall decommissioning plan for such a facility, a Member State needs to identify and assess specific aspects of considered technologies and potential disposal options for the wide variety of wastes that are generated during decommissioning. The experience of several Member States in seeking safe solutions for disposal of its decommissioning waste has been shared within a Coordinated Research Project (CRP), the outcome of which will be published in 2006.
- Development of near surface disposal facility: A number of developing Member States has decided to construct a national facility able to accept the national inventories of low and intermediate level waste. Owing to limited expert capacities within the country most of them have requested the IAEA assistance in their development. This assistance is rendered through Technical Cooperation (TC) programmes allowing to train local staff abroad, to advise in planning and implementation of national disposal programmes taking advantage of expert capacities from more advanced countries, to hold seminars and courses and to procure some equipment or apparatus. Another efficient tool is the independent peer review provided, for example, through WATRP programme. Currently, the support in the development of a near surface disposal facility is granted to some 10 Member States.
- Non-technical issues: When developing and operating disposal facilities a number of factors are considered, which do not belong to pure technological background. The examples are: managerial principles, social impacts, public involvement practices and economical factors. These aspects need to be adequately communicated also to interested general and professional non-nuclear public. The applied international practices in searching and promulgating technically/economically optimal and, at the same time, socially acceptable solutions of a disposal system were presented at an IAEA workshop, the proceedings of which will be published in 2006. Managerial principles are addressed in a series of IAEA safety standards in preparation.
- Experience in waste disposal: Information about existing disposal facilities for low and intermediate level waste is disseminated in a number of publications, proceedings and databases. To give a brief overview and to facilitate easy access to basic repository characteristics, a catalogue on operational experience in near surface repositories is under development and is planned to be made available at WTS web pages in 2007.
- Upgrading repositories: Recently, the IAEA published the TRS-433 describing upgrading process and providing some recent examples (see the table below). To facilitate the exchange of information on key issues, approaches and particular technologies involved in corrective actions, a Coordinated Research Project will be initiated in 2007. The anticipated output will be a TECDOC addressing needs for corrective actions, selection of options for and appropriate corrective actions, and planning and implementing those actions.
Publications (last 10 years):
| Technology | Management | Special Topics |
| Disposal Options for Disused Radioactive
Sources TRS-436 (2005) |
Considerations in the
Development of Near Surface Repositories for Radioactive Waste TRS-417 (2003) |
IAEA Regional Training Course on Safety
Assessment Methodologies for Near Surface Disposal Facilities IAEA Working Materials (2003) |
| Upgrading of Near Surface Disposal
Facilities for Radioactive Waste TRS-433 (2005) |
Technical, Institutional
and Economic Factors Important for Developing a Multinational Radioactive Waste Repository TECDOC-1021 (1998) |
RCA Project Report on
Overview of Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste Management Practices in East Asia and
Pacific, IAEA Working Materials (2003). |
| Long Term Behaviour of
Low and Intermediate Level Waste Packages under Repository Conditions TECDOC-1397 (2004) |
Application of Quality
Assurance to Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities TECDOC-895 (1996) |
Regional Workshop on
Experiences in the Upgrading of Novi Han Repository. Working Materials in CD-ROM (2002) |
| Surveillance and Monitoring of Near
Surface Disposal Facilities for Radioactive Waste Safety Report Series No. 35 (2004) |
Quality Assurance for the Development of
Near Surface Disposal Facilities for Radioactive Waste TECDOC (in preparation) |
Socio-economic and Other Environmental
Impacts of Near Surface Disposal for Radioactive Waste TECDOC-1308 (2002) |
| Safety Considerations in
the Disposal of Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources in Borehole Facilities TECDOC-1368 (2003) |
Cost considerations and Funding Mechanisms
for the Disposal of Low and Intermediate Level Waste TECDOC (in preparation) |
Socio-economic
Issues and Public Involvement Practices and Approaches for Developing and
Operating Repositories for Low and Intermediate Level Waste TECDOC (in preparation) |
| Scientific and Technical
Basis for the Near Surface Disposal of Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste TRS No. 412 (2002) |
Radioactive Waste Management Source Book (in preparation) | |
| Procedures and
Techniques for Closure of Near Surface Disposal Facilities for Radioactive Waste TECDOC-1260 (2001) |
Operational
Experience in Near Surface Disposal Web Pages (in preparation) | |
| Technical Considerations in the Design of
Near Surface Disposal Facilities for Radioactive Waste TECDOC-1256 (2001) |
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| Performance of Engineered Barrier
Materials in Near Surface Disposal Facilities for Radioactive Waste TECDOC-1255 (2001) |
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| Characterization of
Groundwater Flow for Near Surface Disposal Facilities TECDOC-1199 (2001) |
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| Inspection and
Verification of Waste Packages for Near Surface Disposal TECDOC-1129 (1999) |