| Chair(s): |
Manuel CAPOUET, Belgium Ulrich NOSECK, Germany |
Secretary: |
Soufiane MEKKI (soufiane.mekki@oecd-nea.org) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vice-Chair(s): |
Julie BROWN, Canada Reda GUERFI, Finland Sylvie VOINIS, France Tetsuo FUJIYAMA, Japan Miguel Angel CUNADO PERALTA, Spain Thomas KAEMPFER, Switzerland | ||
| Member(s): | All NEA member countries* | ||
| Russia (Suspended*) | |||
| *Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council. | |||
| Full participant(s): |
European Commission Under the NEA Statute | ||
| Observer(s)(International Organisation): |
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) By agreement | ||
| Date of creation: | 01 June 2000 | ||
| End of mandate: | 31 December 2025 |
Mandate (Document reference):
Mandate (Document extract):
Extract from document NEA/RWM/IGSC(2022)3/FINAL
Background
The Integration Group for the Safety Case (IGSC) was established by the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) in 2000 in recognition of the need to foster full integration of all aspects of the safety case for geological disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. The IGSC and its predecessor groups (on-site evaluation and performance assessment) have been instrumental in developing the modern concept of a safety case and outlining its main elements and the factors upon which confidence can be built. There are significant geological disposal milestones and challenges over the next decade as several countries move to siting and licensing. The member countries recognise the IGSC as the most advanced international forum for discussion of the safety case.
Projects of the IGSC provide important fora to do the following: coordinate international research and development (R&D) programmes, share experience(s), develop consensus on the state-of-the-art, and develop an understanding of specific topics and technical tools to support the safety case.
The activities and priorities of IGSC fall into the following main themes regarding safety cases:
Activities of the IGSC have historically focussed on long-term safety. However, as some national programmes approach licensing, a higher degree of integration is required, not only for all elements related to long-term safety but also for engineering and operational considerations. Many current challenges in a safety case arise from the balance between long-term safety, operational safety, siting and engineering feasibility, and societal acceptance.
To encourage confidence in (and acceptance of) a repository, it must be shown not only that the system will be safe over the long term, but also that it can be built and operated safely. It is important that the interfaces between pre-disposal, operational and post-closure safety are thoroughly addressed and managed according to a holistic approach resulting in a consistent and integrated waste management programme. Furthermore, to gain acceptance of a repository, strong communication and engagement with key stakeholders are needed to build a sufficient understanding of the technical and complex contents of a safety case. In line with the decision to structure its activities using a holistic approach, the RWMC made the request to IGSC to investigate, in parallel with its historical activities dedicated to deep geological repositories (DGR), how the principles of DGR safety case development could be applied in the concepts and development strategies of other types of disposals facilities, and what could be learned from other disposal facility concepts for application in a DGR safety case.
Scope
The IGSC provides advice to the RWMC on major and emerging issues to facilitate the development of waste management strategies at both the national and international levels, and enable radioactive waste and material management to benefit from the progress of scientific and technical knowledge. In particular, the IGSC:
Objectives
The IGSC will:
Membership
Members of the IGSC are senior technical specialists with considerable experience and knowledge in developing safety cases. They are typically senior representatives from radioactive waste management agencies, regulatory authorities, and research and development institutions. Their level of seniority is such that they can mobilise relevant specialists in their own organisation and, in principle, make resources available to support IGSC initiatives.
Interactions
The IGSC will continue to interface with other international bodies, such as the IAEA and European Commission, to ensure broad collaboration and avoid duplication of effort. Within the NEA, the IGSC will continue to develop existing and establish new collaborations with other NEA groups [e.g. the Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC), Regulators’ Forum (RF), Working Party on Information, Data and Knowledge Management (WP IDKM) and others].
Deliverables
The IGSC deliverables will include both IGSC outcomes and the results of the IGSC expert groups’ work. The IGSC will provide its reports and other documents relevant to safety aspects of disposal facilities and organise events (workshops, conferences, etc.), whose outcomes will be made available to RWMC members.
