Progress in implementing the Code of Conduct in Armenia

Armen Amirjanyan, Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center,

4 Tigran Mets str., Yerevan 0010, Armenia

a.amirjanyan@nrsc.am

IAEA-CN-204/165

In accordance with the Government

Decree the regulatory bodies performing control over nuclear safety and radiation protection in Armenia were integrated in one organization – Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ANRA). Thus ANRA became an integrated central agency in Armenia with independent budget, clear and declared competences. Since 2002 ANRA, with support from the IAEA, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Global Threat Reduction Initiative (USA), has worked to achieve and maintain a high level of regulatory oversight and control of the safety and security of radiation sources by implementation of the IAEA Code of Conduct. This paper gives an overview of the progress achieved in Armenia since the conference in Bordeaux in 2005 in regulatory framework development, strengthening of regulatory control over radioactive sources, authorization process, development of the regulatory information system in support of national registry on sources and activities on searching and securing of orphan sources.

Abstract

The enhancement of the legislation basis included: The Amendment to the Nuclear Law that extended and

clarified the existing law in consistence with the Basic Principles of the Code of Conduct.

Amendment to the Radiation Safety Norms and Rules in accordance with international practice and IAEA recommendations.

The licensing procedures were established according to which licensing process was initiated.

The following regulations were developed and enforced within past two years: Requirements to accounting of ionizing radiation sources at

atomic energy utilization installations. Procedure on reporting of radiation safety situation at the

end-users facilities. Import and export licensing procedure. Draft Requirements on security of radioactive materials, devices containing of radioactive materials is in the stage of approval by the Government.

Legislation

ANRA developed an information system, which has a modular structure and includes radiation sources database. The last version of the information system (Advanced Regulatory Information System - ARIS v1.5) was developed in 2013 and includes the following modules: RASOD (database for registration of ionizing radiation

sources); AUTHORISATION (database for authorizations including

licenses, approvals etc.; LICENSEE (database for organizations, physical persons

and other applicants); INSPECTION (database for inspections of the regulatory

body (preparation, conduct and results).

Consistent with the Basic Principles of the Code of Conduct, ANRA established a national registry of radiation sources. This process included administrative search (paper records), inspection verification, and development of the registry as part of the Regulatory Information System. In 1990s Armenia lost effective control over radiation sources. In 2001 the responsibility for regulation of the safety of ionizing radiation sources and protection against ionizing radiation in Armenia was transferred from the Ministry of Healthcare to ANRA. The first priority was to clarify the situation with disposition of radiation sources in Armenia, i.e. to perform initial inventarization through:

Administrative search and inquires, On-site inspections.

The inspections identified approximately 2000 radiation sources. About two thirds of above mentioned sources were in active use, and the remaining were sent for long term storage.

National Registry

Regulatory Information System

The licensing process for use of

sources was started in 2006. Since then ANRA has issued licenses to more than 530 organizations for use of radioactive materials and radiation generators. The rest of organizations implementing practices with radioactive materials and radiation generators have to submit applications to obtain license.

Licensing

During last 3 years

within the framework of U.S Department of Energy’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative ANRA and NRSC implemented orphan ionizing radiation sources search and identification activities in the large areas of reorganized organizations and metal scrap sites to identify and gain regulatory control over orphan radioactive sources. Radioactive sources search and identification activities were carried out in 14 organizations. 127 orphan and unregistered ionizing radiation sources or radioactive materials were detected in the 7 organizations. All identified sources were transferred to the storage facility or were taken under regulatory control.

Orphan Sources

Acknowledgments - ANRA would like to thank the IAEA, U.S. NRC, U.S. DoE (GTRI) for valuable assistance in establishing and strengthening regulatory control over

radioactive sources in Armenia. International Conference on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources: Maintaining continuous global control of sources throughout their life cycle Abu Dhabi, UAE, 27-31 October 2013 (IAEA-CN-204)

Demo version: www.aris15.com/aris15