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Final Disposal

Wokring Group

The Working Group on Final Disposal focuses on the implementation of safeguards for conditioning/encapsulation facilities and geological repositories for radioactive waste and spent fuel. It provides advice to relevant actors by studying among others safeguards approaches and safeguards techniques applicable to the field. It serves as an exchange platform for the various actors.

Terms of Reference

Objectives

To provide the safeguards community with expert advice on the implementation of safeguards methods and techniques in the area of final disposal facilities/installations and act as a forum for exchange of information.
The focus of the Working Group will be on the implementation of safeguards for conditioning/encapsulation facilities and geological repositories for radioactive waste and spent fuel. The scope of this work is to provide advice to relevant actors, like authorities and operators in reaching their safeguards objectives and relevant safeguards approaches, evaluating the effectiveness of possible safeguards approaches, including the impact of the type of safeguards agreement in force and the Additional Protocol by identifying tools and techniques for the efficient implementation of the safeguards approaches. This will be done by compiling and exchanging information, identifying issues, conveying tasks to existing or ad hoc Working Groups, initiating R&D activities and proposing technical solutions on topics in the area of final disposal.
Inter alia the working group will support the relevant stakeholders, like safeguards inspectorates, safeguards authorities and operators as follows:

  • Facilitate discussion on and sharing of safeguards-related information, including safeguards approaches, on geological repositories1 between stakeholders;
  • Help promote understanding of safeguards requirements and implications in other technical domains and by operators of geological repositories;
  • Provide expertise for safeguards activities and implementation support related to geological repositories;
  • Study and make recommendations on any issues that may arise regarding geological repository safeguards, including those mentioned above

Tasks

To achieve the above objectives the FD Working Group will:

  1. Review the existing and planned final disposal activities and trends in final disposal on an international level, identifying the issues that are of safeguards relevance;
  2. Promote Safeguards by Design (SbD) for the final disposal installations;
  3. Review and promote R&D programmes to fulfil the safeguards and operators’ needs;
  4. Identify and cooperate with the appropriate ESARDA Working Groups or international actors to address the above issues;
  5. Advise the safeguards authorities, operators and other relevant actors on the possible safeguards approaches, and on available methods and techniques applicable to geological repositories ;
  6. Maintain contacts with or awareness of other international initiatives in the area of geological repositories safeguards and analyse their progress and results;
  7. Promote synergies between safeguards and safety and security for geological repositories;
  8. Inform the stakeholders on the outcome of the discussions.

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1 Whenever geological repositories is mentioned, one should read ‘geological repositories and associated facilities’

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