[ RadSafe ] International Conference on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Disposal

Marcel Schouwenburg M.Schouwenburg at TNW.TUDelft.NL
Mon May 23 15:57:16 CEST 2005


 International Conference on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Disposal

3 - 7 October 2005
Tokyo, Japan

Organized by the
International Atomic Energy Agency

In co-operation with the
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES)

Hosted by the
Government of Japan through the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency 
(NISA), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Deadline for Submission of Paper extended to 15 May 2005

Announcement and call for papers

PDF of the announcement

1. BACKGROUND

A number of international conferences of importance for radioactive 
waste management have taken place in recent years. The 'Cordoba' 
conference, March 2000, was organized with a view to identifying issues 
of international concern pending the coming into force of the Joint 
Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of 
Radioactive Waste Management (the Joint Convention). The Vienna 'Issues 
and Trends' conference, December 2002, addressed developments with these 
issues. The Joint Convention came into force in June 2001 and the first 
review meeting of Contracting Parties took place in Vienna in November 2003.

The articles of the Joint Convention place an obligation on Contracting 
Parties to assess the safety of waste management facilities prior to 
their construction and operation and to review the safety of existing 
facilities. In addition, assessment of safety is one on the fundamental 
principles of radioactive waste management and forms the technical basis 
for the regulatory approval of all waste management facilities and 
activities. At the first review meeting of the Joint Convention there 
was discussion on the development and use of effective safety assessment 
methods where it was acknowledged that for some applications the safety 
assessment tools available were adequate but for others, there was scope 
for further development. There are continuing international initiatives 
to develop, improve and harmonize approaches to assessing and 
demonstrating the safety of waste disposal facilities, such as the 
Agency's ISAM (Improving Safety Assessment Methodology) and ASAM 
(Application of Safety Assessment Methodology) programmes.

There are many ongoing activities in the waste disposal arena around the 
world. A number of geological disposal facilities are now under 
development using new and innovative technologies and the regulatory 
process of licensing these facilities is underway, or is being planned. 
Programmes are also in place to engage the broad range of interested 
stakeholders in these projects, with a view to developing their 
confidence in the design of facilities and the technologies employed. 
Safety assessment and the structuring of safety cases in support of 
license applications are fundamental to the licensing process and are 
important in the communication on issues of concern to interested 
parties and in the development of public confidence.

Addressing waste and fuel cycle concerns, in his statement in the 48th 
General Conference of the IAEA in September this year the Director 
General once again reiterated the importance of multinational 
approaches. "The Agency continues to assist Member States in developing 
waste management and disposal strategies - and I am pleased to see the 
renewed interest in multinational approaches to spent fuel management 
and disposal. More than 50 countries now have spent nuclear fuel, 
including fuel from research reactors, stored in temporary sites, 
awaiting disposal or reprocessing". The Director General indicated that 
he was encouraged that the Russian Federation had expressed interest in 
an international approach to spent fuel storage and reprocessing, and 
has agreed to work with the Agency in giving consideration to its 
feasibility. In this regard it is intended to hold a conference in 
Russia in 2005 to discuss ways of moving forward with international 
cooperation on such an initiative. He also indicated a group of senior 
experts had been appointed to look into various options for multilateral 
control over certain fuel cycle activities and that the group "could 
focus initially on how to guarantee the supply of technology and fuel 
for nuclear generated electricity, and how to set up one or more 
international repositories for spent nuclear fuel".

Many countries have developed and operated near surface radioactive 
waste disposal facilities for low and intermediate level waste, 
utilizing a number of design concepts. Well structured and systematic 
safety assessments have been developed for many of these facilities, but 
for some older facilities, developed before present safety standards 
were in place, this has not been the case and considerable efforts have 
been expended in recent years to address this situation. In addition, 
periodic reassessment of safety is being undertaken for a number of 
facilities, making use of the improved and internationally harmonized 
approaches to safety assessment.

There have also been developments in considerations for disposal of 
small amounts of waste, particularly disused sealed radiation sources, 
where borehole disposal concepts have been adopted or are under serious 
consideration in a number of countries. Because of both safety and 
security concerns, it is recognized that the ongoing storage of disused 
radiation sources in surface facilities is less than desirable, and that 
if safe and cost effective disposal options are available, they should 
be exploited to the extent possible. Whilst the disposal concepts 
proposed employ relatively straightforward and robust technologies, the 
demonstration of their long-term safety remains complex. Nevertheless, 
the role of generic safety assessment in safety demonstration is being 
explored and such approaches are attracting attention.

Other disposal options, at intermediate depths, are being explored for 
disposal of radioactive waste that is not suitable for near surface 
disposal, but which does not warrant the degree of isolation and 
containment provided by geological disposal. The cost effective 
utilization of such options is attractive, but again the extent of 
effort necessary in demonstrating their safety remains to be agreed. 
Countries are also developing and operating facilities for waste 
containing very low activity radioactive waste.
2. CONFERENCE OBJECTIVE

The objective of the Conference is to foster information exchange on the 
safety of radioactive waste disposal covering; the choice of appropriate 
waste disposal options, safety standards, safety cases for presenting 
safety arguments and demonstrating compliance with standards, safety 
assessment methodologies and their application, dealing with 
uncertainty, regulatory review and decision making, the derivation of 
limits, controls and conditions to be applied to the development and 
operation of disposal facilities to ensure safety and the communication 
of safety issues to all interested stakeholders and confidence 
development. The conference will consider all possible disposal options 
available, drawing from experience in Member States with near surface 
and geological disposal facilities and those at intermediate depths and 
giving consideration to any multilateral approach that may be adopted.
3. AUDIENCE

The conference is directed at a broad range of persons interested in 
radioactive waste disposal. It will be of particular interest to experts 
involved in the development of national radioactive waste disposal 
strategies, developers and operators of disposal facilities, experts 
involved in safety assessment and the compilation of safety cases and 
regulatory authorities responsible for the licensing of such facilities. 
It will also be of interest to regional and local government authorities 
within whose jurisdiction radioactive waste disposal facilities will be 
sited.
4. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The Conference programme will be based on the following approach:

    * After the opening of the Conference the first session will address 
the various types of radioactive waste that arise in practice and the 
disposal options that are deemed suitable and appropriate for their 
disposal. The important design characteristic providing for safety in 
the different disposal facility options will be addressed. The 
internationally accepted safety standards will be discussed together 
with the measures necessary to demonstrate compliance with them.
    * The conference will then consider the structure and content of 
safety cases that need to be made to present the arguments on which the 
safety of waste disposal facilities are based and the supporting safety 
assessments. It will also deal with the evidence necessary to support 
the safety arguments and the research programmes aimed at providing such 
evidence.
    * A number of sessions will then deal with the type and extent of 
safety assessment necessary for different waste disposal facility types 
and designs. It will address the assessment methodology and the 
information needed to undertake the assessment. It will cover 
operational and post closure safety, the expected normal evolution of 
the facility over time and disruptive events, of both natural and 
anthropogenic origin.
    * The issue of uncertainty will be addressed and how it can be dealt 
with in safety assessments and options for presentation in the safety 
case will be discussed. Overall development of confidence in the safety 
arguments and supporting assessments will also be addressed.
    * The regulatory review process and related decision making will be 
covered in a further session together with the establishment and 
implementation of limits, controls and conditions necessary during the 
development, construction, operation and closure of facilities.
    * Each of the various sessions will feature a limited number of 
invited keynote presentations and a summary of issues will be raised in 
submitted papers. An expert panel will discuss the issues arising from 
these presentations and those identified from the floor.
    * The conclusions arising from the various sessions will be 
summarized, presented and reviewed on the final day of the conference 
and a set of conclusions formulated.

5. SCOPE OF THE TOPICAL SESSIONS

A. Waste management policies and strategies for all waste types and 
disposal options and multinational approaches.

B. The global safety regime

    * the Joint Convention
    * international safety standards
    * national legal and regulatory infrastructure

C. The structure and content of safety cases

D. The technology and safety of disposal facilities

    * geological
    * near surface
    * borehole
    * intermediate depth for non-heat-generating long-lived waste
    * mining and minerals processing waste
    * very low activity waste

E. Building of confidence

    * dealing with data, modelling and scenario uncertainty
    * international peer review
    * use of international safety standards
    * periodic re-assessment
    * Stakeholder involvement and public acceptance
*

F. Licensing

    * regulatory review and decision making
    * establishing and applying limits, controls and conditions

G. Existing facilities and decision making on upgrading safety
6. CONTRIBUTED PAPERS AND POSTERS

Concise papers on issues falling within the scope of the topical 
sessions (section 5) may be submitted as contributions to the conference 
These papers will not be presented orally, but will be included in a 
Book of Contributed Papers to be distributed free of charge to all 
participants upon registration. Authors of contributed papers are 
expected to present the substance of their papers in the form of a 
poster, which will be exhibited in the Poster Area.

The contributed papers must not exceed four pages in length and must be 
submitted in English. Each contributed paper must be preceded by an 
abstract, not exceeding 300 words. Authors should indicate in the paper 
submission form to which topical session their contribution relates 
(section 5). Authors are urged to make use of the IAEA's Proceedings 
Paper Template in Word 2000 and the user instructions available on the 
conference web site (section 18). Guidelines for the preparation of a 
contributed paper are given in the attached IAEA Guidelines for Authors 
on the Preparation of Manuscripts for Proceedings.

Contributed papers should be submitted electronically to email address: 
Waste-Safety2005 at iaea.orgor sent on diskette to the Scientific 
Secretariat. The electronic submission should identify the paper, the 
proposed session topic and the software application used (the use of 
Microsoft Word is encouraged). To permit selection and review, the 
electronic version of the contributed paper must be received by the 
Scientific Secretariat not later than 20 April 2005.

In addition to the electronic submission, a hard copy of the contributed 
paper must also be submitted through one of the competent official 
authorities (section 9), together with a completed Form for Submission 
of a Paper (Form B) and the Participation Form (Form A), to reach the 
IAEA also by 20 April 2005.

Only papers that have been received by the above deadline and through 
the appropriate official channels will be considered for inclusion in 
the Book of Contributed Papers. The Secretariat reserves the right to 
exclude papers that do not comply with its quality standards or do not 
apply to one of the topics in section 5.

Authors will be informed by end of May 2005 whether their papers have 
been accepted for inclusion in the Book of Contributed Papers and for 
presentation as a poster.
7. EXPENDITURES/GRANTS

No registration fee is charged to participants.

As a general rule, the IAEA does not pay for participants' travel and 
living expenses. However, limited funds are available to help meet the 
cost of attendance of selected specialists, mainly from developing 
countries with low economic resources. Generally, not more than one 
travel grant may be awarded to any one country. To apply for a travel 
grant, please send the Grant Application Form C -- typewritten or 
clearly printed --through your appropriate official authority ( Section 
9), together with Form A and, if relevant, Form B, and an estimate of a 
valid travel agent of the flight costs from/to the nearest city or 
capital in their country and Tokyo to reach the IAEA at the latest by 20 
April 2005. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. The 
grants will be lump sums usually covering only part of the cost of 
attendance.
8. PARTICIPATION

Anyone who would like to participate in the Conference must send a 
completed Participation Form (Form A) through one of the competent 
official authorities (Section 9) for submission to the IAEA for it to be 
received by 15 June 2005. A participant will be accepted only if the 
Participation Form is transmitted to the IAEA by one of the official 
authorities.
9. CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

The Participation Form (Form A) and, if applicable, the Form for 
Submission of a Paper (Form B) and Grant Application Form (Form C) must 
be sent through one of the competent official authorities (Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs or national atomic energy authority) for subsequent 
transmission to the IAEA. Communications concerning technical matters 
should be sent to the Scientific Secretariat, and communications on 
administrative/logistical matters to the Conference Coordinator (section 
17).
10. SCIENTIFIC VISIT

A half day tour to Tokai-mura is planned for Friday, 7 October 2005, and 
a full day tour to Rokkasho-mura is also planned for Saturday, 8 October 
2005. Interested participants are requested to complete the attached 
Scientific Visit Registration Form and send it to the Japan Organizing 
Committee on Tokyo Conference (JOC) (see section 17) not later than 15 
June 2005.
11. EXHIBITION

A limited amount of space will be available for displays/exhibits during 
the Conference. Interested parties are requested to complete the 
attached Exhibition Enquiry Form and send it to the Japan Organizing 
Committee on Tokyo Conference (JOC) (Section 17) not later than 20 April 
2005.
12. DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS

A preliminary programme together with details on the logistics of the 
Conference will be sent to all officially designated participants by the 
end of June 2005. This information will also be available on the 
conference web site (section 18).

The final programme and a book of contributed papers, containing all 
papers accepted by the programme committee, will be available free of 
charge upon registration at the conference.

The proceedings of the conference will contain the opening addresses, 
the keynote presentations, the other invited speakers' papers, the 
chairpersons' summaries, and the conference conclusions presented by the 
President of the conference on the last day of the conference. The 
proceedings of the conference will be published by the IAEA as soon as 
possible after the meeting.
13. WORKING LANGUAGE

The working language of the conference will be English. All 
communications must be sent to the IAEA in English.
14. ACCOMMODATION

Detailed information on accommodations and a hotel reservation form will 
be sent electronically to participants and will also be available on the 
conference website by the end of June 2005. Hotel room rates will range 
from US $100 to 300 per night.
15. VISA

Designated participants who require a visa to enter Japan should submit 
the necessary application to the nearest diplomatic or consular 
representative of Japan as soon as possible.
16. KEY DATES/DEADLINES

Receipt by IAEA of electronic version of contributed papers     20 April 
2005
Receipt by IAEA of Form for Submission of a Paper (Form B) and together 
with Form A and copy of contributed paper through official channels     
20 April 2005
Receipt by IAEA of Grant Application Form (Form C) (if applicable) 
together with Form A through official channels     20 April 2005
Exhibitions Enquiry Form to JOC     20 April 2005
Receipt by IAEA of Participation Form (Form A) through official channels 
    15 June 2005
Scientific Visit Registration Form to JOC together with copy of Form A 
    15 June 2005
IAEA Paper Acceptance Information to Authors     End of May 2005
IAEA Grant Acceptance/Rejection to Applicants     End of May 2005
IAEA Participation Acknowledgement together with Information on Hotels 
and Logistics     End of June 2005
Detailed Information on Scientific Visits and Exhibitions     End of 
June 2005

Scientific Secretariat of the Conference:

P. Metcalf
Waste Safety Section, NSRW
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria

Telephone No.:     (+43) 1-2600-22676
Telefax No.:     (+43) 1-26007
E-mail:     P.Metcalf at iaea.org
E-mail address for paper submission:    

J.M. Potier
Waste Technology Section, NEFW
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria

Telephone No.:     (+43) 1-2600-22662.
Telefax No.:     (+43) 1-26007
E-mail:     J.M.Potier at iaea.org

Administration and organization:

Ms. H. Schmid
Division of Conference and Document Services
Conference Service Section
IAEA-CN-135
International Atomic Energy Agency
P.O. Box 100
Wagramer Strasse 5
A-1400 Vienna, Austria

Telephone No.:    
Telefax No.:    
E-mail:     H.Schmid at iaea.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marcel Schouwenburg - RadSafe moderator & List owner
Head Training Centre Delft
National Centre for Radiation Protection (Dutch abbr. NCSV)

Faculty of Applied Sciences / Reactor Institute Delft
Delft University of Technology
Mekelweg 15
NL - 2629 JB  DELFT
The Netherlands
Phone +31 (0)15 27 86575
Fax     +31 (0)15 27 81717
email   m.schouwenburg at tnw.tudelft.nl



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