Ukrainian experts in the field of radioactive waste management (RW) and IAEA experts are developing recommendations for practical aspects of improvement of classification for radioactive waste disposal.

«In April of this year, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading a bill that should change the national classification of radioactive waste in accordance with international standards. With the adoption of this law, it is necessary to amend both the regulatory isntruments and by-laws of Ukraine concerning radioactive waste disposal. Therefore, we are already beginning a search for the best solution using the best international practices»,  emphasizes Vitalii Petruk, Head of State Agency of Ukraine for the Exclusion Zone Management.

The aforementioned draft law proposes to divide all radioactive waste into four types: very low-level, low-level, intermediate-level and high-level waste. They are proposed to be buried in four types of storages, respectively: surface, near-surface, intermediate depths and geological repository. In order to implement this classification, experts will need the criteria for waste acceptance to all types of repositories, developed with due regard to the actual characteristics of the waste, the site and the repository design.

According to the Head of the Chornobyl NPP Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management Lyubov Zinkevych, the IAEA experts' participation in documents analysis and recommendations development on their improvement allows drawing on existing international experience in the implementation of GSR Part 5, GSG-1 and SSR-5 documents into the legal framework. Thus, the Ukrainian system of radioactive waste management is guaranteed to meet world standards.