Typical policy and strategy for a country with a small amount of radioactive waste

The policy and strategy developed in this annex is an example of what might be established for a country with a small amount of radioactive waste to manage. It is based on the guidance provided in the main part of the report and elements have been selected from it to suit the requirements of a hypothetical country (Xland). In this country, radioactive waste arises from limited use of nuclear R and D facilities, e.g. a research reactor, and from the small scale use of radionuclides in industry and medicine. The country is assumed to have no nuclear power reactors or mining industries producing radioactive waste and no generation of NORM waste. It is assumed that national legislation exists in Xland to provide for protection from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. It is also assumed that basic information on the radioactive sources and radionuclides in use and approximate estimates of existing and future waste amounts are available. The policy and strategy developed for Xland are simple and straightforward, and reflect the few types and small amounts of radioactive waste that have to be managed. For countries with a greater number of waste types and larger amounts of radioactive waste, additional policy and strategy elements would be needed. The example policy and strategy are only intended as an aid to persons engaged in the development of national policy and strategies on radioactive waste management. In a real situation, they would have to be developed on the basis of the circumstances in that country