DS538 - Long Term Post-Remediation Management of Areas Affected by Past Activities or Events

Status: STEP 5

Neues Dokument

Beteiligte IAEO-Komitees: WASSC, RASSC, EPReSC, NSGC

Specific Safety Guide

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Background Information

Residual radioactive contamination in areas affected by past activities or events may pose risks to people and the environment. These are exposure situations that already exist when a decision is taken on the need for control. The affected areas can vary widely in size and level of impact and call for major commitments of resources in terms of time, funding, personnel and capabilities for the implementation of remediation programmes.

Remediation is defined in the IAEA Safety Glossary (2018 Edition) as “Any measures that may be carried out to reduce the radiation exposure due to existing contamination of land areas through actions applied to the contamination itself (the source) or to the exposure pathways to humans. Complete removal of contamination is not implied”. When contamination is not completely removed, it is necessary to manage the risks from residual contamination through the use of controls to restrict the uses of the remediated areas and to maintain control over the source and exposure pathways in the long term.

In recent decades, States have made progress in the remediation of areas affected by past activities or events, which has led to a gradual shift in focus to the post-remediation management of these areas to ensure the long term protection of people and the environment.

IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSG-15, Remediation Strategy and Process of Remediation of Areas Affected by Past Activities or Events (in publication), provides general recommendations for the remediation process, including post-remediation management. However, as the gap analysis indicates, there is currently no specific guidance for the implementation of a comprehensive and integrated approach to post-remediation management that ensures the continued effectiveness of remediation and the protection of people and the environment in the long term.

The objective of the proposed Safety Guide is to provide recommendations on the planning and implementation of long term post-remediation management of areas affected by past activities or events. These recommendations will support States in meeting the requirements of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3, Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards, and other applicable safety requirements and recommendations (e.g. GSG-15).