Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, National Report from Iceland to the 2nd Review Meeting, 15-24 May 2006

Iceland deposited an instrument of accession to the Joint Convention on 27 January 2006. There were no declarations or reservations attached to the instrument of accession. The Convention entered into force for Iceland on 27 April 2006. Iceland is a country that has no nuclear industry, no research reactor or other facility generating radioactive substances. Therefore many of the requirements of the Joint Convention do not apply to Iceland. There is no nuclear fuel or high level waste on Icelandic territory. The total amount of radioactive waste in Iceland is very low, due to the small size of the country, with a population of only about 300 thousand and requirements to have disused sealed sources sent back to the foreign supplier or to a foreign waste management facility. Radioactive waste in Iceland originates mainly from the use of radioactive sources in medicine but also from uses in research, education and industry. The very low activity and volume of radioactive waste produced in Iceland does not justify a national final waste depository. The first legislation in Iceland on radiation protection was passed in 1962 and has been revised periodically. The legislation covers all relevant radiological safety issues. The latest revision took place in 2002, Act 44/2002, with the aim of harmonizing the Icelandic legislation in the field of radiation protection and its implementation with the Directives of the European Union in the field of radiation protection and their implementation. Iceland is not a member of the European Union and the the Directives of the European Union in the field of radiation protection have no legal bearing in Iceland. The present report is the first Icelandic national report and is presented to the Second Review Meeting to the Convention that takes place 15 – 24 May 2006 at IAEA in Vienna. The report was prepared by the regulatory authority, the Icelandic Radiation Protection Institute, at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iceland. The aim of this national report is to demonstrate that Iceland meets its obligations of the Join Convention. The report is laid out according to the requirements and headings contained in the IAEA Information Circular INFCIRC/604 of July 2002. Since this is the first report submitted by Iceland, it welcomes this opportunity to present the status of radioactive waste management in Iceland and to participate in a constructive dialogue on ways for improvement.