The 12th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events
The 12th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events
The 12th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events
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Abstracts Sessi<strong>on</strong> 24<br />
Currently, of the many large nuclear installati<strong>on</strong>s permanently shut down, <strong>on</strong>ly a fracti<strong>on</strong> have been or will be in the near term<br />
totally dismantled and decommissi<strong>on</strong>ed to unrestricted release state. A trend towards immediate dismantling seems to emerge in<br />
some countries, and is supported by IAEA positi<strong>on</strong>s, but this appears to be due to country-, site- or plant-specific c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s of limited<br />
generic applicability.<br />
In recent years, and often as the result of internati<strong>on</strong>al efforts, the situati<strong>on</strong> is evolving and provisi<strong>on</strong>s and infrastructures<br />
including funding are being established to cope with decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing challenges. This factor seems in principle to encourage<br />
immediate, total dismantling. However, the worldwide overview of decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing strategies does not offer a clear pattern. New<br />
factors have come into being, such as stakeholder opini<strong>on</strong>s, in particular those of local communities, and now play a significant<br />
role in decisi<strong>on</strong>-making. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s of the nuclear industry at large (e.g. the nuclear renaissance) have c<strong>on</strong>siderably changed<br />
over the last few years and are going to affect decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing. Strategies such as restricted release (brownfields), incremental<br />
decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing or entombment seem to offer new prospects. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> author reviewed the worldwide situati<strong>on</strong> around the year 2000,<br />
and offers in this paper some reflecti<strong>on</strong>s about changed worlds c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s and how these affect the decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing scenarios.<br />
3) A NATIONWIDE MODELLING APPROACH TO DECOMMISSIONING - 16182<br />
Bernard Kelly, University of Manchester (UK); Paul E Mort,Sellafield Ltd. (UK);<br />
Andrew J Lowe, University of Manchester (UK)<br />
In this paper we describe a proposed UK nati<strong>on</strong>al approach to modelling decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing. For the first time, we shall have<br />
an insight into optimizing the safety and efficiency of a nati<strong>on</strong>al decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing strategy. To do this we use the General Case<br />
Integrated Waste Algorithm (GIA), a universal model of decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing nuclear plant, power plant, waste arisings and the associated<br />
knowledge capture. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> model scales from individual items of plant through cells, groups of cells, buildings, whole sites and<br />
then <strong>on</strong> up to a nati<strong>on</strong>al scale. We describe the nati<strong>on</strong>al visi<strong>on</strong> for GIA which can be broken down into three levels:<br />
1) the capture of the chr<strong>on</strong>ological order of activities that an experienced decommissi<strong>on</strong>er would use to decommissi<strong>on</strong> any<br />
nuclear facility anywhere in the world this is Level 1 of GIA;<br />
2) the c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> of an Operati<strong>on</strong>al Research (OR) model based <strong>on</strong> Level 1 to allow rapid what if scenarios to be tested<br />
quickly (Level 2);<br />
3) the c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> of a state of the art knowledge capture capability that allows future generati<strong>on</strong>s to learn from our current<br />
decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing experience (Level 3).<br />
We show the progress to date in developing GIA in levels 1 & 2. As part of level 1, GIA has assisted in the development of an<br />
IMechE professi<strong>on</strong>al decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing qualificati<strong>on</strong>. Furthermore, we describe GIA as the basis of a UK-Owned database of<br />
decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing norms for such things as costs, productivity, durati<strong>on</strong>s etc. From level 2, we report <strong>on</strong> a pilot study that has successfully<br />
tested the basic principles for the OR numerical simulati<strong>on</strong> of the algorithm. We then highlight the advantages of applying<br />
the OR modelling approach nati<strong>on</strong>ally. In essence, a series of what if&scenarios can be tested that will improve the safety and<br />
efficiency of decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing.<br />
4) IMPLEMENTATION AND ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM<br />
TO DEAL WITH CANADAS NUCLEAR LEGACY LIABILITIES - 16039<br />
Douglas Metcalfe, Pui Wai Yuen, David McCauley, Natural Resources Canada (Canada);<br />
Sheila Brooks, Joan Miller, Michael Stephens, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (Canada)<br />
Nuclear legacy liabilities have resulted from 60 years of nuclear research and development carried out <strong>on</strong> behalf of Canada by<br />
the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Research Council (1944 to 1952) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL, 1952 to present). <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se liabilities<br />
are located at AECL research and prototype reactor sites, and c<strong>on</strong>sist of shutdown reactors, research facilities and associated infrastructure,<br />
a wide variety of buried and stored waste, and c<strong>on</strong>taminated lands.<br />
In 2006, the Government of Canada adopted a new l<strong>on</strong>g-term strategy to deal with the nuclear legacy liabilities and initiated<br />
a five-year, $520 milli<strong>on</strong> (Canadian dollars) start-up phase, thereby creating the Nuclear Legacy Liabilities Program (NLLP). <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
objective of the l<strong>on</strong>g-term strategy is to safely and cost-effectively reduce risks and liabilities based <strong>on</strong> sound waste management<br />
and envir<strong>on</strong>mental principles in the best interests of Canadians. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> five-year plan is directed at addressing health, safety and envir<strong>on</strong>mental<br />
priorities, accelerating the dec<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong> and demoliti<strong>on</strong> of shutdown buildings, and laying the groundwork for future<br />
phases of the strategy. It also includes public c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong> to inform the further development of the strategy and provides for c<strong>on</strong>tinued<br />
care and maintenance activities at the sites.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> NLLP is being implemented through a Memorandum of Understanding between Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and<br />
AECL whereby NRCan is resp<strong>on</strong>sible for policy directi<strong>on</strong> and oversight, including c<strong>on</strong>trol of funding, and AECL is resp<strong>on</strong>sible for<br />
carrying out the work and holding and administering all licences, facilities and lands.<br />
5) THE SWEDISH PROGRAM FOR FUTURE D&D OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS - 16143<br />
Jan Carlss<strong>on</strong>, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co (SKB) (Sweden)<br />
According to Swedish law any<strong>on</strong>e who has a license for a business in which radioactive waste is arising also has the resp<strong>on</strong>sibility<br />
to make sure the waste is safely handled and disposed of. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> major radioactive waste producers in Sweden are the Nuclear<br />
Power Plants. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> owners of the NPPs have jointly formed the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, SKB, to<br />
take care of their radioactive waste in a safe and ec<strong>on</strong>omical way. In the facilities and systems built and operated by SKB also<br />
radioactive waste from other, small, waste producers are accepted.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> 12 Swedish Nuclear Power Reactors are located at four sites. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> reactors at <strong>on</strong>e site, Barsebäck, have been shut down for<br />
political reas<strong>on</strong>s after about 25 years of operati<strong>on</strong> while reactors at the other three sites are planned for 50 to 60 years of operati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> basic decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing strategy is an early dismantling after the final shut down. One request is that a final repository for short<br />
lived decommissi<strong>on</strong>ing waste shall be available before any major dismantling begins. A project for extensi<strong>on</strong> of the existing SFR<br />
repository is in progress and the extensi<strong>on</strong> is expected to be in operati<strong>on</strong> the year 2020. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> first reactors to be dismantled are the<br />
reactors at Barsebäck. Also already shut down and ready for dismantling are two small reactors, Ågesta in Stockholm and a research<br />
reactor at the Studsvik site. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> other reactors will be decommissi<strong>on</strong>ed from around the year 2030.<br />
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