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AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 22



SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND
MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES 





NOTE:     This is a final, advanced version of a chapter of Agenda 21, 
	  as adopted by the Plenary in Rio de Janeiro, on June 
	  14, 1992.  This document will be further edited, translated 
	  into the official languages, and published by the 
	  United Nations for the General Assembly this autumn.





                                                  ........../2

                        PROGRAMME AREA

         Promoting the safe and environmentally sound
               management of radioactive wastes

Basis for action

22.1.  Radioactive wastes are generated in the nuclear fuel 
cycle as well as in nuclear applications (the use of 
radionuclides in medicine, research and industry).  The 
radiological and safety risk from radioactive wastes varies 
from very low in short-lived, low-level wastes up to very large 
for high-level wastes.  Annually about 200,000 m3 of low-level 
and intermediate-level waste and 10,000 m3 of high-level waste 
(as well as spent nuclear fuel destined for final disposal) is 
generated world wide from nuclear power production. These 
volumes are increasing as more nuclear power units are taken 
into operation, nuclear facilities are decommissioned and the 
use of radionuclides increases. 

The high-level waste contains about 99 per cent of the 
radionuclides and thus represents the largest radiological 
risk.  The waste volumes from nuclear applications are 
generally much smaller, typically some tens of cubic metres or 
less per year and country. However, the activity concentration, 
especially in sealed radiation sources, might be high, thus 
justifying very stringent radiological protection measures.  
The growth of waste volumes should continue to be kept under 
close review.

22.2.  The safe and environmentally sound management of 
radioactive wastes, including their minimization, 
transportation and disposal, is important, given their 
characteristics. In most countries with a substantial nuclear 
power programme, technical and administrative measures have 
been taken to implement a waste management system.  In many 
other countries still only in preparation for a national 
nuclear programme or having only nuclear applications, such 
systems are still needed.

Objective

22.3.  The objective of this programme area is to ensure that 
radioactive wastes are safely managed, transported, stored and 
disposed of, with a view to protecting human health and the 
environment, within a wider framework of an interactive and 
integrated approach to radioactive waste management and safety.

Activities

(a)  Management-related activities

22.4.  States, in cooperation with relevant international 
organizations, where appropriate, should:

     (a)  Promote policies and practical measures to minimize 
and limit, where appropriate, the generation of radioactive 
wastes and provide for their safe processing, conditioning, 
transportation and disposal;

     (b)  Support efforts within IAEA to develop and promulgate 
radioactive waste safety standards or guidelines and codes of 
practice as an internationally accepted basis for the safe and 
environmentally sound management and disposal of radioactive 
wastes;

     (c)  Promote safe storage, transportation and disposal of 
radioactive wastes, as well as spent radiation sources and 
spent fuel from nuclear reactors destined for final disposal, 
in all countries, in particular in developing countries, by 
facilitating the transfer of relevant technologies to those 
countries and/or the return to the supplier of radiation 
sources after their use, in accordance with relevant 
international regulations or guidelines;

     (d)  Promote proper planning, including environmental 
impact assessment where appropriate, of safe and 
environmentally sound management of radioactive waste, 
including emergency procedures, storage, transportation and 
disposal, prior to and after activities that generate such waste.

(b)  International and regional cooperation and coordination

22.5.  States, in cooperation with relevant international 
organizations, where appropriate, should:

     (a)  Strengthen their efforts to implement the Code of 
Practice on the Transboundary Movements of Radioactive Waste 
and, under the auspices of IAEA, in cooperation with relevant 
international organizations dealing with different modes of 
transport, keep the question of such movements under active 
review, including the desirability of concluding a legally 
binding instrument;

     (b)  Encourage the London Dumping Convention to expedite 
work to complete studies on replacing the current voluntary 
moratorium on disposal of low-level radioactive wastes at sea 
by a ban, taking into account the precautionary approach, with 
a view to taking a well informed and timely decision on the issue;

     (c)  Not promote or allow the storage or disposal of 
high-level, intermediate-level and low-level radioactive wastes 
near the marine environment unless they determine that 
scientific evidence, consistent with the applicable 
internationally agreed principles and guidelines, shows that 
such storage or disposal poses no unacceptable risk to people 
and the marine environment or does not interfere with other 
legitimate uses of the sea, making, in the process of 
consideration, appropriate use of the concept of the 
precautionary approach;

     (d)  Not export radioactive wastes to countries that, 
individually or through international agreements, prohibit the 
import of such wastes, such as the contracting parties to the 
Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the 
Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes within 
Africa, the fourth Lom Convention or other relevant 
conventions, where such prohibition is provided for; 

     (e)  Respect, in accordance with international law, the 
decisions, as far as applicable to them, taken by parties to 
other relevant regional environmental conventions dealing with 
other aspects of safe and environmentally sound management of 
radioactive wastes.

Means of implementation

(a)  Financial and cost evaluation

22.6.  The costs at the national level of managing and 
disposing of radioactive wastes are considerable and will vary, 
depending on the technology used for disposal.

22.7.  The Conference secretariat has estimated the average 
total annual cost (1993-2000) to international organizations to 
implement the activities of this programme to be about $8 
million. Actual costs and financial terms, including any that 
are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the 
specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for 
implementation.

(b)  Scientific and technological means

22.8.  States, in cooperation with international organizations, 
where appropriate, should:

     (a)  Promote research and development of methods for the safe and
environmentally sound treatment, processing and disposal, 
including deep geological disposal, of high-level radioactive waste;

     (b)  Conduct research and assessment programmes concerned 
with evaluating the health and environmental impact of 
radioactive waste disposal.


(c)  Capacity-building, including human resource development

22.9.  States, in cooperation with relevant international 
organizations, should provide, as appropriate, assistance to 
developing countries to establish and/or strengthen radioactive 
waste management infrastructures, including legislation, 
organizations, trained manpower and facilities for the 
handling, processing, storage and disposal of wastes generated 
from nuclear applications.


.
