Determination of inventory and repacking of radioactive waste

The facility in which the low level radioactive waste from the remedial action following the radiological accident at the Institute of Oncology in Ljubljana in 1961 has been stored was reopened, the inventory was assessed thoroughly, and the waste was repacked. The inventory was determined by in-situ gamma spectroscopy and by dose rate measurements with an ionization chamber. The data obtained by the two methods exhibited an excellent mutual agreement. Owing to a thorough planning, strict control, and adequate use of protective equipment, exposure of the team was insignificant. Environmental impacts of the storage facility proved to be negligible, as expected. Considerable attention was paid to public relations. The work was performed in an open way and mass media were kept informed about the process. Still, some distrust and discomfort seems to have remained in a fraction of the local population. (P.A.)