Year
2014
Abstract
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has through many years being actively involved in the safe management and control over sealed radioactive sources (SRS). Various publications have been developed and many projects have been initiated to enhance the safety and security of SRS in use and during storage. Two of such projects were the design and development of: - The Borehole Disposal Concept (BDC) for Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources (DSRS) - The Mobile Hot Cell (MHC) for the handling and conditioning of high activity DSRS. Necsa was contracted by the IAEA to develop these concepts. The MHC is in operation since 2009 and high activity DSRS in several countries in Africa, Asia and South America have successfully being either conditioned for storage, repatriated to its countries of origin or recycled for re-use. The BDC is currently being implemented in a few countries. The two concepts were developed in isolation of each other although it was soon realised that combining the two concepts would allow for a very effective solution to DSRS management including disposal. An interregional project under IAEA INT9176 “Improving Cradle-To-Grave Control over Sealed Radioactive Sources in the Mediterranean Region” has therefore recently being initiated for the integration of the two concepts. The countries that form part of INT9176 would mostly benefit from this project as most of them envisage the establishment of a Borehole Disposal facility for their DSRS. Under the INT9176 interregional project the IAEA also initiated the development of safety cases for the management of DSRS in six countries that are included in INT9176. Once again here the aim is to ensure the safety and security of DSRS from the time it is no longer fit for use until it is disposed of. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the two new projects mentioned above and how solutions can be found for countries that more or less share the same problems and constraints when dealing with the management of DSRS.