Radioactive Waste Minimization - Clearance for Reuse, Recycling and Disposal - 19598

Virtually all activities related to radioactive materials and to the utilization of nuclear energy generate radioactive waste. Due to limited storage facilities and waning public acceptance for long-term disposal of radioactive waste as well as the associated cost, implementation of strategies and methods for its effective reduction are mandatory. Clearance of materials is one possible concept to reach this goal. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines the process of clearance as 'the removal of radioactive materials or radioactive objects within authorized practices from any further regulatory control by the regulatory body.' Thus, these materials are no further treated as radioactive waste and may be recycled or disposed of conventionally. In quantitative terms, clearance is generally related to the '10 μSv-Concept' This means that the effective dose expected to be incurred by any member of the public due to cleared materials is of the order of 10 μSv or less in a year. A combination of appropriate clearance concepts, methods and measurement techniques, following an integrated clearance strategy for a project, allows the return of up to 97 % of the mass of a decommissioned NPP to the conventional waste cycle. This includes the concept of clearance for a specific purpose, often referred to as 'conditional clearance', i.e. the case where a certain condition has to be fulfilled before the act of clearance has been completed. As a technical expert organization, TUV NORD EnSys accompanied the development, implementation and execution of clearance procedures in more than 13 nuclear power-plants and installations, either operational or in various states of decommissioning. Thus, TUV Nord EnSys has abundant experience in and a comprehensive overview on the implementation of different clearance strategies and procedures. Considering the increased waste-volumes and additional waste-streams to be handled during decommissioning, the transition to a decommission-focused clearance system is of vital importance for successful waste-minimization. This paper provides a view on the perspective of a technical support organisation (TSO) towards implementation of a holistic clearance strategy into the decommissioning concept for radioactive waste minimization. (authors)