The IAEA from June 2013 to June 2017 conducted a project that aimed to provide regulators in countries with operating and uranium legacy sites with the knowledge and tools needed to regulate remediation activities and to review remediation plans.
The project resulted in an IAEA Technical Document (TECDOC) titled Project on Review of Remediation Plans and Activities for Uranium Mining and Milling Sites and related training materials. The TECDOC and training materials outline what remediation plans for legacy sites should cover and provide guidance on how to review and approve such plans. The document’s principles and approaches can also be used in operating facilities to prepare for remediation, and to address legacies from the mining and processing of radioactive minerals other than uranium, known as naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) residues.
Uranium mining and processing produce significant quantities of radioactive mill tailings which remain after decommissioning and closure, and sites that were not remediated and closed in line with international standards can pose a risk. Many such legacy uranium mining sites stem from a time when regulatory supervision of operations was weak or absent.
The project helped countries that have operating and legacy uranium production sites enhance their regulatory frameworks and strengthen radiation protection of people living near the sites.
