In the year 2000, the geological disposal program for high-level radioactive waste in Japan moved from the phase of generic research and development (R&D) into the phase of implementation. Following legislation entitled the “Specified Radioactive Waste Final Disposal Act”, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO) was established as the implementing organization.

The scientific, technical, and sociopolitical challenges of finding a secure site for a geological repository for radioactive wastes have created a long and stony path for many countries. Japan carried out many years of research and development before taking its first steps in site selection.

As outlined in the overall program for high-level waste (HLW) management in Japan, defined by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), HWL separated from spent nuclear fuel during reprocessing will be immobilized in a glass matrix and stored for a period of 30 to 50 years to allow cooling; it will then be disposed of in a stable deep geological formation.

The primary objective of government policy, and of NUMO in implementing this policy, is to
ensure that a repository for Japan’s high-level radioactive waste is located so as to provide
secure isolation of the waste and adequate safety for present and future generations. This
means that the site has to be chosen carefully, taking full account of all its characteristics. In
order to address these characteristics in an orderly and structured manner, we have established

Denmark signed the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management 29 September 1997, the day it opened for signature. The Convention was accepted 3 September 1999 by letter from the Foreign Ministry to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Until further notice the Convention does not apply for the autonomous territories Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which both do not possess spent nuclear fuel or radioactive waste. The present report is the Danish National Report for the Second Review Meeting to the Convention.

JAEA Brochure

Nuclear facilities in Japan are as listed in the following table, the details of which are described in Section D.

Denmark signed the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management 29 September 1997, the day it opened for signa- ture. The Convention was accepted 3. September 1999 by letter from the Foreign Ministry to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Until further notice the Convention does not apply for the autonomous territories Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

There are no nuclear power stations and no nuclear fuel cycle activities in Uruguay. There are only disused radioactive sources from medical and industrial practices and there is a disused conditioned neutron Pu-239 source with 185 TBq, waiting for its reshipment to the United States. This material is stored in the building in which it was an old research reactor. The application of the Convention is limited to radioactive waste arising from the medical, industrial and research applications of radioisotopes.

Denmark signed the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management 29 September 1997, the day it opened for signature, and the Convention was accepted 3 September 1999 by letter from the Foreign Ministry to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Until further notice the Convention does not apply for the autonomous territories Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which both do not possess spent nuclear fuel or radioactive waste.

Nuclear facilities in Japan are listed in Table A1-1, the details of which are described in Section D.<br/>The overview of spent fuel management and radioactive waste management and the current<br/>status of the preparation of radioactive waste disposal regulation system are shown in Table<br/>A1-2 and Table A1-3 respectively.

Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, Answers to Written Questions on the National Report from Denmark, Third Review Meeting, May 2009

Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, National Report of Japan for the Third Review Meeting - Annexes

Over the past forty years, the development of the technology needed to isolate radioactive waste in underground rock systems has been found to be a formidable problem. This is especially the case in connection with high-level waste (HLW) after its removal from operations in nuclear power plants. There is also the additional problem of isolating low- and intermediate-level waste (LILW).

The first worldwide review of geological problems in radioactive waste isolation was published by the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in 1991 (Witherspoon, 1991). This review was a compilation of reports that had been submitted to a workshop held in conjunction with the 28th International Geological Congress that took place July 9Ð19, 1989, in Washington, D.C.

History shows that the search for sites for radioactive waste management facilities has been marred by conflicts and delays. Affected communities have often objected that their concerns and interests were not addressed. In response, institutions have progressively turned away from the traditional “decide, announce and defend” model, and are learning to “engage, interact and co-operate”. This shift has fostered the emergence of partnerships between the proponent of the facility and the potential host community, as shown in a recent NEA study.

The primary objective of government policy, and of NUMO in implementing this policy is to ensure that a repository for Japan’s high-level radioactive waste is designed and located so as to provide secure isolation of the waste and adequate safety for present and future generations. This requires that the site of a repository has to be chosen carefully and an associated repository concept is selected which is appropriate for its specific geological and environmental conditions. At NUMO, we have chosen to implement a volunteering approach to siting.