An International Conference on Radioactive Waste Management has wound up. The conference was held both in online and offline formats in Vienna, the Republic of Austria from 1 to 5 November, 2021.

Representatives of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management and Chornobyl NPP took part in the event.

The Conference was aimed to increase the safety of radioactive waste, exchange gains and effective solutions, gained experience among national operators, regulators, scientists, young professionals of IAEA member countries.

The event’s participants determined key programs and prospects for future development, in particular, in terms of disposal of radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel and storage in geological formations.

“During the Conference, there were commended the achievements of the SNRIU in the direction of harmonization of requirements in the field of radioactive waste management to the so-called Safety Reference Levels (RL), which are based on IAEA standards and take into account the practice of European countries.

Since Ukraine's accession to WENRA in 2015, the SNRIU has developed new regulations on radioactive waste management and decommissioning, namely: General safety provisions for radioactive waste management prior to disposal (2017); General safety provisions for radioactive waste disposal (2018); General safety provisions for the decommissioning of nuclear installations (2020).

These are important documents that take into account both WENRA reference levels and IAEA recommendations. The SNRIU has also developed regulations that set requirements for the structure and content of Safety Analysis Reports for radioactive waste management facilities and near-surface storage facilities for radioactive waste disposal,” said Deputy Head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine - Deputy Chief State Inspector for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine Ruslana Tripaylo.

Oleksii Myasnikov, a representative of Chornobyl NPP, presented information titled International Cooperation on Chornobyl NPP Projects on Achievements in the Establishment of Important Radioactive Waste Management Facilities, in particular, the Liquid Radioactive Waste Processing Plant, the Industrial Solid Waste Management Complex waste, facilities for the release of radioactive materials from regulatory control, the new safe Confinement as well as the Shelter facility, and others.

Iryna Kutina, a specialist of the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, presented an electronic poster about radioactive waste generated in the destroyed Chernobyl Unit 4 after the Chernobyl disaster and the ways to handle them during the operation of the New Safe Confinement complex and Shelter facility. In particular, an analysis of the applicability of regulatory requirements for safety in the field of radioactive waste management to activities related to the management of emergency radioactive waste of the Shelter facility in the New Safe Confinement was presented.

The results of the Conference testify to the significant progress of the IAEA member states in the management of radioactive waste, introduction of new technologies, development of new approaches and perspectives.