Radioactive waste management: a national responsibility at a global scale requiring a local solution

Radioactive waste disposal also tends to attract significant societal interest, and often concern. The IAEA has collected and is currently publishing a document collecting associated experiences and has organized a large meeting to learn from the experiences of local stake holders. Finally, when developing a national framework for radioactive waste management, it is necessary to be aware that the context for such a framework may evolve. Specific solutions may be enhanced, taking advantage of growing experience and innovative approaches in some of the waste management steps. Implementing solutions may benefit from greater international cooperation. The properties of generated waste may also evolve, as a result of future uses of nuclear technologies, and require an adjustment of the tried-and-proven approaches to their management. While the core of the information is collected and made available to Member States through reports, increasing attention is being placed on web-based solutions. These can deliver a broad range of support from young professional training through e Learning lectures, to experts sharing state of art approaches through wiki articles, or through meetings of networks of professionals