IAEAInternational Atomic Energy Agency

Session 1: Best Practices in Planning for Remediation

IAEA Safety Standards for Remediation

Pil-Soo Hahn, Director

Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety

Department of Nuclear Safety and Security

56th Regular Session of the IAEA General ConferenceSenior Regulators’ Meeting

20 September 2012

IAEA 2

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.

IAEA

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 actionThe 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.

3

IAEA

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

4

IAEA 55

Fundamentals

underlying principles – aimed at politicians and

regulatory authorities

Requirements

obligations and

responsibilities (“shall” statements)

Guidesrecommendations to support requirements (“should” statements)

Hierarchy of IAEA Safety Standards

IAEA 6

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.

Remediation: Safety Fundamentals (2006)

IAEA

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)

IAEA Safety Requirements for Remediation (2011)

IAEA

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

IAEA

Existing exposureRadiation Protection Principles

Justification

Remedial and protective actions should be adequate to the risk

Do more good than harm

Limitation

Reference level : 1-20 mSv/a

To be defined by the regulator based on:

- Experience- Feasibility - Interested parties

Optimization

- Exposure levels- Number of people exposed - Economic and social

implications

As Low As R easonably A chievable, economic and social factors being taken into account (ALARA)

IAEA

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

10

IAEA 11

GSR Part 3 (2011)

Safety Standards for Remediation – 2012

Under R

evisi

on

WS-G-3.1 (2007)

IAEA

Related IAEA standards

For remediation, other related standards usually apply in part….

12

IAEA 13

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)?

IAEA

Generic Decision Process for RemediationMonitoring

( Radiological Characterization )

Assessment of exposures

Land useLiving habits

CriteriaTechnologies

Dose to workers Acceptance

CostsDecision for remediation

Remediation

Criteria ok ?Exit Yes No

Yes

No

IAEA 15

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 16

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.

IAEA 17

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.

IAEA 18

Thank you