The Management System for the Development of Disposal Facilities for Radioactive Waste

Currently, many Member States are safely operating near surface disposal facilities and some are in the initial or advanced stages of planning geological repositories. As for other nuclear facilities and their operational phase, all activities associated with the disposal of radioactive waste need to be carefully planned and systematic actions undertaken in order to maintain adequate confidence that disposal systems will meet performance as well as prescribed safety requirements and objectives. The effective development and application of a management system (integrating requirements for safety, protection of health and the environment, security, quality and economics into one coherent system) which addresses every stage of repository development is essential. It provides assurance that the objectives for repository performance and safety, as well as environmental and quality criteria, will be met. For near surface repositories, a management system also provides the opportunity to re-evaluate existing disposal systems with respect to new safety, environmental or societal requirements which could arise during the operational period of a facility. The topic of waste management and disposal continues to generate public interest and scrutiny. Implementation of a formal management system provides documentation, transparency and accountability for the various activities and processes associated with radioactive waste disposal. This information can contribute to building public confidence and acceptance of disposal facilities. The objective of this report is to provide Member States with practical guidance and relevant information on management system principles and expectations for management systems that can serve as a basis for developing and implementing a management system for three important stages; the design, construction/upgrading and operation of disposal facilities. To facilitate the understanding of management system implementation at the different stages of a repository life cycle, a short overview of disposal systems is provided, including an integrated, stepwise approach, and associated activities relevant to the design, construction/upgrading and operational stages. Such a disposal system includes the near field and the surrounding geological media (far field). The near field consists of the waste, engineered barriers (including waste forms and containers) and the adjacent geological media disturbed by excavation and other operational activities. The natural barrier system consists of the geological media hosting the repository, and any other surrounding geological formations contributing to waste isolation. The biosphere is that part of the environment inhabited by living organisms. Radionuclides released from the repository or through geological barriers may be diluted, retarded or concentrated before causing any radiological impact on humans and other species. The purpose of a disposal facility is to limit radiological impacts to acceptable levels. The three main repository development phases are: pre-operational, operational and post-closure. The pre-operational phase includes development of the disposal system concept, siting and design, licensing, and construction. The operational phase is comprised of waste emplacement and subsequent repository closure. The post-closure phase covers maintenance and institutional control activities following repository closure. All processes and activities associated with the disposal of radioactive waste need to be managed, performed, assessed and controlled in order to provide adequate confidence that safety, technical, environmental, quality and economic requirements and objectives are met. The management system includes controls for organization, design, procurement, procedures and processes, documentation, inventory, inspections, tests, validation and verification, equipment calibration, improvements in the event of non-conformance, audits, and continuous improvement. Effective implementation of the management system at each phase of the repository life cycle will contribute towards meeting current repository project requirements and objectives and enhance flexible implementation of changes in the future. As mentioned in both the General Safety Requirements and the Safety Guide on waste disposal, a management system should support the development, implementation and continued enhancement of a pragmatic and strong safety culture, and should promote the adoption of best practices for all waste disposal activities. The design and development of a repository is truly an interdisciplinary activity, involving a range of technical and management issues. The life cycle of a repository extends from hundreds of years for a near surface facility to hundreds of thousands of years for a geological repository. Unlike other nuclear facilities, there are many issues that are unique to disposal facilities and which require special consideration in the development and application of an effective management system that is applicable to a repository development project. The design and development process starts with the compilation of design inputs and culminates with the production of design outputs, which are then transferred and used in subsequent stages of the repository development process. Both design input and output have to be verified, validated and approved before they can be used in subsequent stages of the design process. A project on construction/upgrading of a repository may be divided into interrelated and interdependent processes as a way of planning and managing the project. It is necessary to clearly define and link the project processes, and to integrate them and manage them as a system. The same principles and practices of a management system can be applied as they are relevant to a project's management system. Project management processes include planning, organizing, controlling, reporting and corrective actions.