No abstract available

[en] This paper makes a brief comparison of the licensing processes for nuclear installations in European Community States, in particular concerning consultation of the public, the competent authorities and the period for the procedure in the countries considered. (NEA)

[en] After some 20 years of site-specific studies in the United States of America (USA), the US Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Area Office (CAO) is on schedule to open a deep geological repository for the safe disposal of transuranic (TRU) waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in April 1998. A focused organization, well-defined mission, early and iterative interactions with the regulators, oversight groups, and stakeholders in the regulatory process, and strong local support are some of the keys to this progress. The remaining activities, which will be completed prior to the initiation of disposal at the WIPP, include a formal integrated system checkout, readiness review and evaluation, and the required regulatory approvals. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now defined the path forward for the WIPP with respect to one of the major regulatory hurdles. With the promulgation of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 194, in February 1996 entitled open-quotes Criteria for the Certification and Re-Certification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's Compliance with the 40 CFR Part 191 Disposal Regulations,close quotes the format and content for the DOE's Compliance Certification Application (CCA) is now clearly defined. Along with the much needed definition of the required format and content for the CCA, the final criteria included a few unforeseen challenges for the DOE. Among these challenges are new requirements that jeopardize the timely completion of the performance assessment (PA) calculations and submittal of the CCA to the EPA in October 1996

[en] This Order fixes the licensing conditions for the sale of gum-arabic, dehydrated vegetables and cereal flakes and seeds for use in dairy products, whose microbial decontamination was obtained through exposure to cobalt 60 or caesium 137 gamma-rays or electron beams with an energy below or equal to 10 MeV. (NEA)

[en] The challenge of the constitutionality of an administrative decision taken in accordance with section 80, sub-section (5) of the rules of administrative courts, concerning the planned Grohnde nuclear power plant, was decided to be inadmissible by the Federal Constitutional Court (Committee on Preliminary Proceedings) and thus not accepted for judgement. The action had been brought in by the town of Hameln. The Court presented a statement concerning the subsidiarity of challenges of constitutionality, i.e. on the use of all rights of appeal against decisions, taken by Higher Administrative Courts concerning stay of proceedings. (HP)

[en] The Canadian Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) has undertaken a preliminary study to examine the feasibility of recovering the costs of its regulatory activities in accordance with the Canadian federal government user-pay principle. This study has found that recovery of the AECB's entire budget of $25 million per year would not have a significant financial impact on its licensees. The AECB has prepared regulations and a fee schedule and carried out consultations with the nuclear industry and the public to determine the potential financial and economic impacts of this initiative

[en] The design concept of the Wackersdorf facility (WAW) is based to a large extent on the experience gained with Karlsruhe Reprocessing Plant (WAK) which went into hot operation as early as 1971 and by the end of 1987 had reprocessed 190 t oxide fuel from research and power reactors with burn-ups of as much as 39000MWd/t U. For the first time ever, the reprocessing of LWR Mox fuel could be demonstrated without any difficulty. In addition, know-how was gained from the decontamination facility at Karlsruhe nuclear research center (HDB-KfK) and, in the field of Mox fuel fabrication, from Alkem. Construction of the main process building will not start until the second partial license (application submitted in October 1986) has been granted. This will probably be in late 1988 or early 1989. The first partial license is technically still subject to litigation; the building permits, however, are not affected. The seventh and final partial license for operation is expected in 1996-97

[en] This article first explains that nuclear power plants in France are governed by a complex system of regulations within the framework of different laws concerning, in particular, protection of the environment, public health and workers. It then examines the administrative procedures and the licensing regime for nuclear power plants. (NEA)

[en] The Federal Assembly of the Swiss Confederation approved the Federal Order concerning the Atomic Energy Act on 6 October 1978. In implementation of Section 9 of the Federal Order, the Swiss Federal Council made this Ordinance which specifies the procedure for the general licence. The Ordinance provides for a simplified procedure for operators who, having already obtained a site licence, apply for a construction licence. In such cases, the competent authority simply determines whether the energy produced in the installation is likely to meet a real need in the country. (NEA)

No abstract available