Criteria and Principles for Determining Equivalence of Different Radioactive Waste

Issued pursuant to Section 27, Paragraph four
of the Law on Radiation Safety and Nuclear Safety

1. These Regulations prescribe the criteria and principles for determining the equivalence of different radioactive waste.

2. These Regulations apply to the determination of the equivalence of different radioactive waste if, when processing radioactive waste in a foreign state, it is not possible to separate exactly the radioactive waste imported from Latvia and the equivalent quantity of other radioactive waste is imported into Latvia from a foreign state. If the radioactive waste has been generated during implementation of a scientific or technical project, in conformity with the contract between Latvia and the relevant foreign state the equivalence of radioactive waste shall be specified in the contract.

3. In determining the equivalence of different radioactive waste the following principles shall be observed:

3.1. the population and the environment shall be protected against the harmful effect of ionising radiation at the moment of radioactive waste equivalence determination and in the future;

3.2. utilisation of sources of ionising radiation (for example, in medicine, the economy and in science) shall not endanger the quality of life of the next generations (for example, the possibility to utilise radioactively unpolluted environment, food and construction materials) and sustainable development of the environment shall be ensured;

3.3. the mutual advantage for Latvia and the state from which radioactive waste is imported shall be ensured. In assessing the advantage all direct and indirect expenses shall be taken into account which are related to the disposal or management of radioactive waste; and

3.4. the equivalence of radioactive waste shall only be determined for radioactive waste, which contains radionuclides with a half-life longer than 100 days or radionuclides after the decay of which radionuclides with a half-life longer than 100 days are generated.

4. In determining equivalence of different radioactive waste the following criteria shall be utilised:

4.1. the multiplication of the radiation emergency possibility and the harmful consequences thereof (caused by the radioactivity and toxicity of radioactive waste) (hereinafter - risk to the population and the environment);

4.2. the time period during which the total and specific radioactivity of radioactive waste shall due to radioactive decay decrease to the radioactivity prescribed in Cabinet Regulation No. 288 of 3 July 2001, Regulations Regarding Operations with Sources of Ionising Radiation not Requiring Special Permits (Licences) or Permits (hereinafter - period of danger of radioactive waste); and

4.3. expenses related to the disposal or management of radioactive waste and which are calculated on the basis of the relevant costs at the moment of equivalence determination (direct costs for installations and services) and applying them to the whole period of danger of radioactive waste.

5. In determining the equivalence of different radioactive waste such criteria shall be applied so that:

5.1. the requirements prescribed by regulatory enactments in Latvia and in the relevant foreign state for operations with radioactive waste and materials related thereto are complied with, as well as the requirements of the 5 September 1997 Vienna Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management;

5.2. the risk to the population and the environment does not exceed the average level in the State and only actually necessary radiation safety and other safety measures are taken;

5.3. the uncertainty of the parameters affecting radiation safety is reduced to a minimum;

5.4. reliability of the assessment of the parameters affecting radiation safety is maximally increased; and

5.5. the basic principles of radiation safety and nuclear safety are complied with.

6. In application of the criteria for determining the equivalence of different radioactive waste, radioactivity safety experts or radioactivity safety and nuclear safety experts shall be invited from Latvia and from the state from which equivalent quantity of radioactive waste is planned to be imported.

7. In assessing the risk for the population and the environment the following parameters shall be taken into account (to be determined for each radionuclide of the radioactive waste or for all radionuclides together);

7.1. radioactivity, half-life, physical and chemical form of the radionuclide, type of the source of ionising radiation (sealed source of radiation or open source of radiation) and packaging of the radioactive waste;

7.2. storage and disposal conditions of radioactive waste, as well as protection barriers to prevent radioactive contamination of the environment;

7.3. barriers which prevent or hinder possible migration of radionuclides from the radioactive waste disposal site and the expected safe utilisation period of the barriers;

7.4. potential leakage of radionuclides in the environment, taking into account the long-term safety assessment of the disposed radioactive waste; and

7.5. the expected radioactive contamination of the environment caused by the leaked radionuclides and the ionising radiation dose for the critical group of the population. Ionising radiation doses shall be calculated for a period of 10 000 years, determining the ionising radiation dose after 50, 100, 1000, 5000 and 10 000 years, but not longer than the time period when it is greater than 100 µSv per year.

8. Uncertainties of the parameters referred to in Paragraph 7 of these Regulations, which have occurred during the assessment process, shall be evaluated taking into account the effect of the uncertainties on the relevant criterion. If the effect referred to is greater than 30%, repeated assessment shall be performed to reduce the uncertainties.

9. The possibility of a radiation emergency shall be determined on the basis of the principles adopted in science and engineering and previous experience in the radioactive waste management, as well as taking into account the requirements prescribed by regulatory enactments regarding the safe disposal or management of radioactive waste. Such assumptions according to which it is not possible to numerically determine the possibility of a radiation emergency and the probable harmful consequences thereof shall not be taken into account.

10. In calculating the period of danger of radioactive waste those radionuclides shall be taken into account the radioactivity of which exceeds the limits prescribed by regulatory enactments for which a special permit (licence) or a permit for operations with sources of ionising radiation is not required.

11. If there is a lack of information to assess the environmental conditions, characteristics of the radioactive waste, barrier layers and those environmental components which affect the migration of radionuclides over the whole period of danger of radioactive waste, the data regarding the environmental conditions and the relevant parameters at the moment of determining the equivalence of radioactive waste shall be utilised for calculations.

12. During the period of danger of radioactive waste when assessing its possible effect on the population and the environment the radioactive waste disposal site and the technologies utilised therein in Latvia and in the respective state shall be compared. It shall be assumed that at both radioactive waste disposal sites radiation safety is continuously optimised and the best available technologies are utilised so that the exposure dose does not exceed 1 mSv per year. If the expected exposure dose which has been determined using any of the calculation models is less than 100 µSv per year, in comparing both radioactive waste disposal sites and the technologies used therein, the relevant calculation model need not be taken into account.

Prime Minister A. Bērziņš

Minister for Environmental Protection
and Regional Development V. Makarovs

Translation © 2003 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre)