Philippine initiatives for the safe management and disposal of radioactive waste

Since the early 70 's, the Philippines has been engaged in the treatment, conditioning and storage of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes. The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) currently manages these wastes through its centralized treatment and storage facilities located on site. Radioactive wastes that are received at the Institute are of different types ranging from contaminated solid and liquid materials to spent sealed sources, including radium. A great deal of work has been done to address the various issues associated with the management of radioactive wastes especially in recent years. These include national policy formulation, development of regulations and standards, strengthening of legislative framework, planning and siting studies for a low to intermediate level radioactive waste repository, including the establishment of an integrated management system for radioactive waste management. This paper presents the completed project siting activities for a waste repository as coordinated by the National Inter-Agency Sub - Committee on Radioactive Waste Management in the Philippines and assisted by the International Atomic Energy Agency through its Technical Cooperation Programme. Current activities to address public acceptance issues are also described in the light of recent pronouncements of the Philippine Government to revisit the nuclear power option as an alternative energy source for the country. (author)