Safety Cases for Deep Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste: Where Do We Stand? Symposium Proceedings, Paris, France, 23-25 January 2007

In terms of its statute the IAEA is mandated to develop safety standards for nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and transport safety, and to provide for their use and application. At the 2000 Cordoba Conference on the safety of radioactive waste management it was concluded that in view of foreseen developments in the area that work should commence on the development of safety standards for geological disposal. Work commenced on a Safety Requirements standard in 2001 and was concluded in 2005 with the adoption of the standard by the IAEA Board of Governors and the Steering Committee of the OECD/NEA, co-sponsors of the standard. The standard sets down protection criteria together with a comprehensive set of discrete requirements for the planning, development, operation and closure of geological disposal facilities. Specific requirements are included regarding the preparation of the safety case and safety assessment, the scope of the safety case and safety assessment and concerning documentation of the safety case and safety assessment. The paper elaborates the requirements, provides some background to their development and discusses activities of the IAEA related to their use and application. The IAEA safety standards for nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and transport safety In terms of its statute [1], the IAEA is mandated to establish or adopt, in consultation and, where appropriate, in collaboration with the competent organs of the United Nations and with the specialised agencies concerned, standards of safety for protection of health and minimisation of danger to life and property (including such standards for labour conditions), and to provide for the application of these standards to its own operation as well as to the operations making use of materials, services, equipment, facilities, and information made available by the Agency or at its request or under its control or supervision; and to provide for the application of these standards, at the request of the parties, to operations under any bilateral or multilateral arrangements, or, at the request of a State, to any of that State’s activities in the field of atomic energy. Since establishment of the IAEA in 1957 its process of safety standards development has evolved and matured into an ongoing process involving development of new standard and continual review and updating of existing standards covering all aspects of nuclear, radiation, radioactive waste and transport safety. The process involves all 143 Member States of the IAEA and is controlled and directed by them. The standards are consensual and approved by the Board of Governors of the IAEA. Many of the safety standards are developed in co-operation with other relevant UN bodies and international and regional organisations such as the OECD/NEAand the EC, and cosponsored by them. The standards are presented in a suite of documents addressing particular facilities and activities such as nuclear power reactors and radioactive waste disposal facilities or thematic areas such as legal and