Environmental licensing of nuclear facilities: compatibility of technical competencies

The Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) has the technical competency for diagnosing environmental radiological impacts, as well as evaluating the safety and requiring adequate control of the facilities which, due to their activities, represent a potential risk of radiological contamination for the environment. The institution is responsible for emission of radioprotection guidelines, controls and surveys in nuclear safety according to the country's regulations and international recommendations. The methodology to assure the limitation of radiation exposure is consequence from shared control over the nuclear activities, in special the nuclear facilities. According to the Federal Constitution of 1988, the nuclear activities must be under exclusive control of the Union in special related to the nuclear policies, economical, laboral and nuclear safety aspects, while the health and environmental controls of these activities are shared by the Federation, Union, States, Federal District and Counties. The controls related to specific aspects have to be harmonized in such a way to be optimized and effective. In this paper the results of compatibilization of nuclear legislation and environmental legislation are presented aiming to optimize the licensing of nuclear facilities. (author)