NEA Monthly News Bulletin - November 2009

Nuclear safety and regulation
Radioactive waste management
Radiological protection
Data Bank

NEA publications


Scientific Issues and Emerging Challenges for Radiological Protection (Japanese version) -
放射線防護における科学的問題と新たな課題

Report of the Expert Group on the Implications of Radiological Protection Science
ISBN: 978-92-64-99099-9. 120 pages (434 kb).

International Experiences in Safety Cases for Geological Repositories
Outcomes of the INTESC Project
ISBN: 978-92-64-99103-3. 76 pages (1.2 Mb).

Disponible également en français :
Expériences internationales des dossiers de sûreté pour les dépôts en formation géologique (INTESC)
ISBN : 978-92-64-99104-0. 80 pages (1,2 Mb).

Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities (brochure)
8 pages (2.2 Mb).

Nuclear safety and regulation


RWM publications and reportsA workshop on Ageing Management of Fuel Cycle Facilities organised by the Working Group on Fuel Cycle Safety (WGFCS) of the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) was held on 5-7 October at the International Energy Agency in Paris, France. Twenty papers were presented devoted to regulatory authorities' and operators' views of ageing management of fuel safety facilities as well as to research and development. Proceedings will be issued following CSNI approval.

A CSNI workshop on In-Vessel Coolability, organised jointly by the Working Group on Analysis and Management of Accidents (WGAMA) and EU-SARNET 2, was held at the NEA on 12-14 October. The workshop provided an exchange of information on different severe accident management strategies used or contemplated for the reflooding issue. Over 60 specialists from 16 countries participated. Proceedings will be issued following CNSI approval.

On 26-28 October, a CSNI workshop on Implementation of Severe Accident Management Measures, hosted by the Paul Scherrer Institute in Böttstein, Switzerland, was organised by the WGAMA to update the common understanding of severe accident management measures and their treatment in risk assessment. Around 110 specialists from over 10 countries attended the workshop, which included 8 technical sessions during which 41 papers were presented. More information on WGAMA.

Radioactive waste management


The Integration Group for the Safety Case of Radioactive Waste Repositories (IGSC) held its 11th annual meeting at the NEA on 21-23 October. Key issues discussed were the latest methods used for the safety assessment of geological repositories and organisational issues in developing safety cases including knowledge management, fostering safety culture and interdisciplinary communications.

At its annual meeting on 8-9 October at the NEA, the Management Board of the International Co-operative Programme on Decommissioning (CPD - a joint undertaking for the exchange of scientific and technical information on nuclear installation decommissioning projects) approved applications from the US Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, to participate in the programme. This brings the number of participating organisations to 24. The Board also agreed that two new decommissioning projects could be included in the programme: the José Cabrera nuclear power plant in Spain and a highly active laboratory and liquid waste treatment facility at the Saclay site in France. A task group report providing a comprehensive overview of current technologies for concrete structure clean-up and demolition was approved and will be published in 2010.

Radiological protection


The Expert Group on Occupational Exposure (EGOE) met at the NEA on 19-20 October to address operational aspects of occupational exposure for new nuclear build. The group's objective is to develop a short case study of key experience and criteria that regulatory authorities may use as input when reviewing licence applications for new nuclear power plants, and which utilities and vendors may use when planning for the operational aspects of new power plants. The case study will be submitted to the Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) for approval before publication.

On 19-20 October in London, UK, the NEA's 4th International Nuclear Emergency Exercise (INEX 4) Planning Group met to develop the exercise objective and assessment documents that will be used by national exercise organisers and players. INEX 4 will be a "table-top" exercise where participants will discuss how they would handle specific aspects of consequence management following a malicious act (such as the use of a radiological dispersion device) in an urban environment. The exercise is expected to be played out in the second half of 2010.

Data Bank


Computer program services

New computer programs available

02-NOV-2009 CCC-0754 VIM 5.1, Steady-State 3-D Neutron Transport Using ENDF/B or Multigroup Cross Sections
(Arrived)
02-NOV-2009 CCC-0684 NRCDOSE 2.3.13, Evaluation of Routine Radioactive Effluents from Nuclear Power Plants
(Arrived)
02-NOV-2009 CCC-0522 VARSKIN 3 V3.1.0, Dose Calculation for Skin Contamination, with Sadde Input Generator
(Arrived)
02-NOV-2009 CCC-0760 PARTISN 5.97, 1-D, 2-D, 3-D Time-Dependent, Multigroup Deterministic Parallel Neutral Particle Transport Code
(Arrived)
29-OCT-2009 NEA-1848 ZZ KALININ3, KALININ-3 Coolant Transient Benchmark
(Tested)

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