56th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference Senior Regulators’ Meeting 20 September 2012 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

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.

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 action The 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.

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

Hierarchy of IAEA Safety Standards underlying principles – aimed at politicians and regulatory authorities Fundamentals Requirements obligations and responsibilities (“shall” statements) recommendations to support requirements (“should” statements) Guides 5

Remediation: Safety Fundamentals (2006) 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.

IAEA Safety Requirements for Remediation (2011) 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)

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

Existing exposure Radiation Protection Principles Justification Remedial and protective actions should be adequate to the risk Do more good than harm Optimization - Exposure levels Number of people exposed Economic and social implications A s L ow R easonably chievable , economic and social factors being taken into account ( ALARA ) Limitation Reference level : 1 - 20 mSv / a To be defined by the regulator based on Experience Feasibility Interested parties

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

Safety Standards for Remediation – 2012 GSR Part 3 (2011) WS-G-3.1 (2007) Under Revision

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

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)?

Generic Decision Process for Remediation Monitoring ( Radiological Characterization ) Assessment of exposures Land use Living habits Criteria Technologies Dose to workers Acceptance Costs Decision for remediation Remediation ok ? Exit Yes No

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 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.

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.

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