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GENERAL
A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. II)
13 August 1992
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
(Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992)
Chapter 22
SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANAGEMENT OF
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
PROGRAMME AREA
Promoting the safe and environmentally sound
management of radioactive wastes
Basis for action
22.1. Radioactive wastes are generated in the nuclear fuel cycle as
well as in nuclear applications (the use of radionuclides in medicine,
research and industry). The radiological and safety risk from
radioactive wastes varies from very low in short-lived, low-level
wastes up to very large for high-level wastes. Annually about 200,000
m3 of low-level and intermediate-level waste and 10,000 m3 of
high-level waste (as well as spent nuclear fuel destined for final
disposal) is generated world wide from nuclear power production. These
volumes are increasing as more nuclear power units are taken into
operation, nuclear facilities are decommissioned and the use of
radionuclides increases. The high-level waste contains about 99 per
cent of the radionuclides and thus represents the largest radiological
risk. The waste volumes from nuclear applications are generally much
smaller, typically some tens of cubic metres or less per year and
country. However, the activity concentration, especially in sealed
radiation sources, might be high, thus justifying very stringent
radiological protection measures. The growth of waste volumes should
continue to be kept under close review.
22.2. The safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive
wastes, including their minimization, transportation and disposal, is
important, given their characteristics. In most countries with a
substantial nuclear power programme, technical and administrative
measures have been taken to implement a waste management system. In
many other countries still only in preparation for a national nuclear
programme or having only nuclear applications, such systems are still
needed.
Objective
22.3. The objective of this programme area is to ensure that
radioactive wastes are safely managed, transported, stored and disposed
of, with a view to protecting human health and the environment, within
a wider framework of an interactive and integrated approach to
radioactive waste management and safety.
Activities
(a) Management-related activities
22.4. States, in cooperation with relevant international
organizations, where appropriate, should:
(a) Promote policies and practical measures to minimize and
limit, where appropriate, the generation of radioactive wastes and
provide for their safe processing, conditioning, transportation and
disposal;
(b) Support efforts within IAEA to develop and promulgate
radioactive waste safety standards or guidelines and codes of practice
as an internationally accepted basis for the safe and environmentally
sound management and disposal of radioactive wastes;
(c) Promote safe storage, transportation and disposal of
radioactive wastes, as well as spent radiation sources and spent fuel
from nuclear reactors destined for final disposal, in all countries, in
particular in developing countries, by facilitating the transfer of
relevant technologies to those countries and/or the return to the
supplier of radiation sources after their use, in accordance with
relevant international regulations or guidelines;
(d) Promote proper planning, including environmental impact
assessment where appropriate, of safe and environmentally sound
management of radioactive waste, including emergency procedures,
storage, transportation and disposal, prior to and after activities
that generate such waste.
(b) International and regional cooperation and coordination
22.5. States, in cooperation with relevant international
organizations, where appropriate, should:
(a) Strengthen their efforts to implement the Code of Practice
on the Transboundary Movements of Radioactive Waste and, under the
auspices of IAEA, in cooperation with relevant international
organizations dealing with different modes of transport, keep the
question of such movements under active review, including the
desirability of concluding a legally binding instrument;
(b) Encourage the London Dumping Convention to expedite work to
complete studies on replacing the current voluntary moratorium on
disposal of low-level radioactive wastes at sea by a ban, taking into
account the precautionary approach, with a view to taking a well
informed and timely decision on the issue;
(c) Not promote or allow the storage or disposal of high-level,
intermediate-level and low-level radioactive wastes near the marine
environment unless they determine that scientific evidence, consistent
with the applicable internationally agreed principles and guidelines,
shows that such storage or disposal poses no unacceptable risk to
people and the marine environment or does not interfere with other
legitimate uses of the sea, making, in the process of consideration,
appropriate use of the concept of the precautionary approach;
(d) Not export radioactive wastes to countries that,
individually or through international agreements, prohibit the import
of such wastes, such as the contracting parties to the Bamako
Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of
Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes within Africa, the fourth
Lom Convention or other relevant conventions, where such prohibition
is provided for;
(e) Respect, in accordance with international law, the
decisions, as far as applicable to them, taken by parties to other
relevant regional environmental conventions dealing with other aspects
of safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive wastes.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
22.6. The costs at the national level of managing and disposing of
radioactive wastes are considerable and will vary, depending on the
technology used for disposal.
22.7. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total
annual cost (1993-2000) to international organizations to implement the
activities of this programme to be about $8 million. Actual costs and
financial terms, including any that are non-concessional, will depend
upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments
decide upon for implementation.
(b) Scientific and technological means
22.8. States, in cooperation with international organizations, where
appropriate, should:
(a) Promote research and development of methods for the safe
and environmentally sound treatment, processing and disposal, including
deep geological disposal, of high-level radioactive waste;
(b) Conduct research and assessment programmes concerned with
evaluating the health and environmental impact of radioactive waste
disposal.
(c) Capacity-building, including human resource development
22.9. States, in cooperation with relevant international
organizations, should provide, as appropriate, assistance to developing
countries to establish and/or strengthen radioactive waste management
infrastructures, including legislation, organizations, trained manpower
and facilities for the handling, processing, storage and disposal of
wastes generated from nuclear applications.
END OF CHAPTER 22
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