The Hungarian radioactive waste management project and its regulatory aspects

In 1993, a National Radioactive Waste Management Project was launched to handle, treat and dispose of LLW/ILW from the nuclear power plant. Within the framework of the project a complex strategy has been elaborated for the management of all types of radioactive wastes from the NPP, including HLW, spent fuel and waste from the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant. The first phase of the project will be realized between 1993-1996 and by the end of this period the possible site (or sites) - accepted by the public - will be selected for the LLW/ILW wastes. To this data the funding problem of radioactive waste management has to be solved, a legal framework should be available and regulatory requirements are to be clarified. In 1980 a law on nuclear energy was promulgated in Hungary based on former governmental level decrees regulating the application of nuclear energy. It reflects the system of a centrally planned economy, where all the facilities were state owned. The law on nuclear energy prescribes the solution of safe storage of radioactive waste as a prerequisite for licensing but no steps were taken to provide special funding for radioactive waste management. Now there is a new law on nuclear energy in preparation, and one of its most important chapters is dealing with radioactive waste management, the responsibilities for it and its funding. In the framework of the National Radioactive Waste Management Project a programme was initiated to elaborate the technical basis for the detail legal regulations. The first step of the programme is the definition of exemption levels and waste acceptance criteria. An analysis will be prepared to compare the Hungarian regulations with the internationally accepted requirements to define those areas where further regulations should be issued or where the existing ones should be amended. (author)