Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, Ukraine National Report

Spent fuel and radioactive waste management constitutes the final stage in power production at nuclear power plants and utilisation of ionising radiation sources in medicine, agriculture, industry and science. The importance of this stage for environmental protection, public health and safety can be hardly overestimated. The future of nuclear energy in Ukraine and worldwide depends upon effective state policy and successful practices in the safe management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Taking into account the complexity and urgency of some problems related to spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management, international cooperation in this field, establishment of common criteria and principles of nuclear and radiation safety takes on specific significance. In compliance with the principle of priority of protection of the public and environment against ionising radiation and sharing the basic provisions of international cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, Ukraine entered into the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management in Vienna (Austria) on 29 September 1997 and ratified it by the Law of Ukraine on 20 April 2000. This document is the First Report of Ukraine concerning the implementation of obligations under the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. In conjunction with the First and Second National Reports of Ukraine under the Convention on Nuclear Safety, it comprehensively represents the status of nuclear energy and nuclear and radiation safety in Ukraine. Priority to safety in spent fuel and radioactive waste management has been given by the Law of Ukraine “On Nuclear Energy Utilization and Nuclear Safety” and the Law of Ukraine “On Radioactive Waste Management”. The very special place among the nuclear installations of Ukraine belongs to Chernobyl power unit 4 («Shelter» Object), destroyed during the severe accident in April 1986. The undertaken emergency operational measures allowed decreasing the hazards of the Object to the society and environment. This was confirmed in the special report «Shelter» Safety Analysis and the Prospective Estimate of Situation Development (September 1996), on the basis of which the State Nuclear Regulatory Committee issued a license to Chornobyl NPP for «Shelter» operation. The main peculiarity of the «Shelter» is its potential hazard, which greatly exceeds that permitted by standards and regulations established for the facilities containing nuclear hazardous fissile and radioactive materials. Transformation of the «Shelter» into an ecologically safe system requires significant financial and material resources, utilisation of non-standard innovative science and engineering solutions. This Report does not address specific problems related to the «Shelter» safety. At the same time it should be mentioned that the Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP) aimed to assure “Shelter” safety was developed by experts of Ukraine and «G-7» countries and approved by respective governments. The main goals of the SIP are to enhance nuclear, radiation and ecological safety, improve working conditions of personnel in transforming the «Shelter» into an ecologically safe system. This Report has been developed in compliance with the Guidelines INFCIRC/604 dated 10 June 2002 regarding the form and structure of national reports. The Report sets forth the main principles of the State policy, describes practices of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management, identifies criteria applied to characterize and classify radioactive waste, and describes legislative and regulatory framework and national safety requirements concerning spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management. Basic actions taken to protect individuals, society and environment against radiological risks pertaining to spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management have been highlighted. Examples are given on operating and proposed facilities, those to be commissioned and closed facilities. The safety level is assessed, safety issues are identified and activity planned to eliminate safety deficiencies is described.