Digging up radioactive wastes at the KEMA

The Netherlands organisation KEMA which used to maintain a suspension reactor and is still doing research into natural uranium and thorium and the preparation of suspensions of enriched uranium oxides or mixed oxides of thorium and highly enriched uranium, disposes of its radioactive wastes by burying it in their own grounds in prepared basins. The Ministry of Health and Environmental Hygiene decided that the wastes should be dug up and transferred to other disposal centres. The planning and preparation of this operation are described as well as the personnel safeguarding and protection measures, the site preparation and the radiation monitoring. (G.H.)