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Home > Press > Latest News > Press Release 01 as of 2010/01/15
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Press Release 01 as of 2010/01/15
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Decommissioning the Asse mine: the BfS presents comparison of options outcome
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König: Safety can only be achieved by co-operating with the local community
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Concerning the subsequent handling of the radioactive waste stored at Asse II and according to the present state of knowledge, its retrieval from the mine is now judged to be the best option. This is the outcome of a comparison of options held on the decommissioning of Asse. “We not only face a huge scientific and technical challenge – we will only be able to secure permanent safety with the co-operation of the local community”, stated the president of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Wolfram König, today during the presentation of the outcome in Hanover. Other options examined in addition to retrieval were the backfilling of Asse or the relocation of waste into deeper areas of the mine. According to the present state of knowledge, retrieving the waste would provide a guarantee of permanent safety.
Three specific challenges came under scrutiny during the comparison of options:
- The likelihood that owing to the mine’s instability the time period for implementing any solution will be limited.
- Circumstances surrounding the storage of radioactive waste during the 1960s and 70s have led to insufficient knowledge existing concerning the actual inventory of radioactive waste stored there and the condition of waste packages and drums.
- Since it is impossible to predict developments in the mine, into which some 12,000 litres of saline solution flow on a daily basis, the issue of any assurances of permanent safety based on atomic energy legislation is naturally made more difficult.
All three decommissioning options were evaluated on the basis of pre-determined assessment areas and criteria.
The comparison revealed that, taking the present state of knowledge into account, the preferred solution would be the complete retrieval of waste from the Asse mine.
The main argument against backfilling the mine is that it is currently impossible to say whether permanent safety could be achieved using this decommissioning option. Moreover when it comes to relocating the waste there is the risk that no suitable storage area will be found. This last decommissioning option would also be the most time-consuming.
None of the three options is perfect, all involve uncertainties associated with their realisation. Furthermore it is impossible to predict the stability of the mine. The BfS is preparing emergency measures to cope with the possibility of a dramatic surge in the inflow of water. Should the stored waste turn out to be in a much worse condition than expected, there is the danger that employees would be exposed to unjustifiable levels of radiation during retrieval, or that the process of retrieval would become drawn out, which in the view of the risk involved would be unacceptable. Under such circumstances it would be necessary to reassess the preference for retrieval. Nevertheless, since permanent safety – and thus the safety of future generations – is paramount, and since at this time only retrieval can provide any such guarantee, this option has been chosen as the best solution.
- All retrieval plans need to be completed prior to starting the process.
- Comprehensive options concerning the systematic evaluation of the critical uncertainties already mentioned are to be established on the basis of data obtained from the storage chambers.
- At the same time all possible technical measures aimed at stabilising the mine are to continue.
- Simultaneously emergency measures aimed at containing the effects of an uncontrolled influx of solution are to be put in place, This should include an assessment concerning the effects of such an event on permanent safety.
With the aim of clarifying existing uncertainties as quickly as possible, the BfS is shortly to present a concept concerning the procedure for opening chambers and inspecting drums.
The BfS invites all those interested to follow the expert assessment and has published an interactive screen version of the text on its website (www.endlager-asse.de).
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