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

In Austria there is neither a nuclear power plant (NPP) nor any other fuel cycle facility in op- eration. One NPP was constructed in Zwentendorf in the 1970s, but, as a consequence of the negative vote in a referendum never put into operation. Two out of three research reactors in Austria have been shut down (ASTRA Seibersdorf in 2000, SIEMENS Argonaut Graz in 2004) and are currently under decommissioning. The remaining TRIGA research reactor in Vienna is still in operation. Spent nuclear fuel is stored on site in wet or dry storage facilities. All spent fuel has been and will be returned to the USA. Austria operates one central radioactive waste management and interim storage facility – Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf GmbH (NES) for pre-disposal management including treatment, conditioning and interim storage of low- and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW). High-level radioactive waste (HLW) does not arise in Austria. The small quantities of LILW in Austria (originating primarily from medicine, research and industry and decommissioning) are brought to NES; short-lived radioactive waste is kept in interim storage at the producers. There is no final repository for disposal of radioactive waste currently in operation. Up to now no decision has been taken about a geological disposal or a near-surface long- term storage. Austria favours an international or regional cooperation in radioactive waste management. NEW: The biological shield of the former ASTRA reactor in Seibersdorf has been completely dismantled. Beginning in 2006 all remaining contaminations will be removed and the building will be cleared for the use of interim storage facility for conditioned radioactive waste. The Joint Agreement between the Austrian State, the Community of Seibersdorf and Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf GmbH (NES), based on the Radiation Protection Act was amended in 2003 and extended the interim storage period of the LILW in Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf to 2030. In order to allow for a visual control of every single drum, the current storage capacities have decreased. The conversion of the reactor building will give sufficient room to store all conditioned and if necessary re-conditioned LILW in NES. In case a defect drum is detected it can be withdrawn from the storage and reconditioning can be carried out. NEW: The revised Radiation Protection Act has come into force in Austria on 1 January 2005 implementing recent EU-legislation. The new Radiation Protection Act clearly requires from each licensee to present a decommissioning plan including closure and radioactive waste management scheme as a prerequisite for receiving a construction and/or operating license. NEW: The entirely new General Radiation Protection Ordinance will enter into force on 1 January 2006. Complemented by the Medical Radiation Protection Ordinance (2004) it will replace the Radiation Protection Ordinance (1972). The previous clearance limit of 10 μCi/m3 has been replaced in the new General Radiation Protection Ordinance by nuclide specific values derived from the internationally accepted ‘10 μSv/year additional dose concept. Conclusion: After considering in detail the requirements laid down in the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, the present report concludes that the safety of radioactive waste management in Austria is in line with the obligations of the Convention. However, further strengthening of the regulatory system is intended, the roles and responsibilities of the competent licensing and regulatory authorities need to be revised. A solution for the long-term management of radioactive waste is currently being developed