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1.
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What is an interim storage facility?
An interim storage facility is a storage building intended to hold radioactive waste for a limited amount of time.
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2.
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What types of wastes are stored at an interim storage facility?
An interim storage facility is intended to hold low-level and medium-level radioactive waste with negligible heat generation and/or high-level radioactive waste with non-negligible heat generation.
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3.
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What are low-level and medium-level radioactive wastes?Low-level and medium-level radioactive wastes predominantly consist of short-lived radioactive substances with rather short half-lives.
Medium-level radioactive waste requires additional shielding. Such waste is produced during the operation and subsequent demolition of nuclear power plants as well as in medical, industrial, and research activities.
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4.
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What is high-level radioactive waste?
High-level radioactive waste includes in particular spent fuel elements, which are produced during the operation of a nuclear power plant, and vitrified fission products produced by reconditioning radioactive waste (vitrified waste block containers for highly active waste). Because of their high level of radiation and heat generation, these wastes must be stored in special containers (e.g. CASTORs).
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5.
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What is a CASTOR?
CASTOR is the abbreviation of "cask for storage and transport of radioactive material". The name CASTOR is frequently (wrongly) used as a synonym for transport and/or storage container.
CASTORs consist of a one-part nodular cast iron container body. Container body and bottom are cast in one piece.
CASTORs are specifically constructed for the transport and interim storage of spent fuel elements from nuclear power plants and research reactors and/or for vitrified highly active waste from reconditioning. They make it possible to store spent fuel elements for a limited amount of time in a dry environment.
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6.
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How leak-proof are the storage containers?
All storage containers, whether they are licensed for storage in a central or for storage in a decentralised storage facility, are equipped with a double-lid sealing system. When the container has been loaded and sealed, these two barriers, which consist predominantly of metal sealing rings, are subject to a leakage test in order to verify their proper functioning. Only if both sealings show a leakage rate below 10-8 Pa m³ s-1 (10-8 Pascal • cubic meters per second-1) is the container allowed to be stored at an interim storage facility. In this case proof has been provided that the container was dispatched according to specification. Containers fulfilling these extremely high requirements with respect to their leak tightness are also described as being technically leak-proof.
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How do you ensure leak tightness of the transport and storage containers?
The transport and storage containers are closed with two lids constituting a double barrier sealing system (double-lid sealing system). Excess pressure is applied to the interspace between both lids, which is constantly controlled via a pressure switch.
The space between the lids and the container body is sealed with durable metal seals. The lids are fixed with screws.
The container body in combination with the double-lid sealing system safely encloses the radioactive content. This way leak tightness of the transport and storage containers is ensured for the entire storage time.
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How is the interim storage of high-level radioactive waste done?
After they have spent a certain amount of time in the cooling pond of a nuclear power plant, spent fuel elements are stored at an interim storage facility in a dry environment until they are finally emplaced in deep geological formations. At an interim storage facility, spent fuel elements are stored safely in transport and storage containers in controlled conditions for a longer period of time. The containers in particular but also the storage building, which is made from reinforced concrete, serve to shield the radioactive radiation. Natural draught ventilation removes the heat generated by the radioactive waste.
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9.
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What operation time is envisaged for interim storage facilities?
Interim storage of spent fuel elements is necessary in order to allow for the decay of the high-level radioactive fuel elements. Originally, no time limit was intended for the operation of interim storage facilities in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. However, requests were made to restrict the storage time of each container to 40 years counted from loading.
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection wanted the applicants to set a time limit not only for single containers but also for the complete operation of interim storage facilities. This has now been accomplished for all interim storage facilities in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection has restricted the operation time for interim storage facilities in most cases to 40 years counting from the first container stored in such facility. The German Federal Government expects to have a repository for final storage available after this period of time.
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Why are decentralised interim storage facilities necessary?
As a consequence of the amendment to the German Atomic Energy Act made in April 2002, the operators of nuclear power plants had to ensure that interim storage facilities were established on the premises of nuclear power plants or in the immediate vicinity.
The Atomic Energy Act prohibits transports for the purpose of reconditioning since July 1, 2005. Spent fuel elements that are still produced therefore have to be stored at decentralised interim storage facilities until they are finally shipped to a repository. Decentralised interim storage facilities are necessary in order to allow for the radioactivity and the associated heat generation to decay until a repository is available.
This procedure also makes it possible to avoid transports of radioactive material within German borders from nuclear power stations to the central interim storage facilities of Ahaus and Gorleben. Furthermore, the Ahaus and Gorleben facilities would not provide sufficient storage capacity for the envisaged amount of spent fuel elements. Such amount has been calculated based on the remaining time of operation for nuclear power plants agreed between the German Government and the electric power companies. |
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11.
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Who grants licenses for interim storage facilities?
Two approvals are necessary in order to establish and operate an interim storage facility for spent fuel elements:
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a construction permit granted by the competent building authority of the German Federal State for the construction of the interim storage building according to the relevant building regulations;
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a license according to § 6 of the German Atomic Energy Act for the storage of nuclear fuels including spent fuel elements and vitrified fission products. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) is the competent central authority for such licenses.
If low-level and medium-level radioactive waste is stored in a storage building together with spent fuel elements, BfS can extend the scope of the license to low-level and medium-level waste, according to § 6 Atomic Energy Act.
However, BfS is not the competent authority for licensing the exclusive interim storage of low-level and medium-level radioactive waste in separate storage buildings. The required licenses in this case are granted by the competent authorities of the Federal State in which the interim storage facility is located, as is indicated in § 7 of the Radiation Protection Ordinance.
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On what terms does BfS grant the license according to § 6 of the Atomic Energy Act?
BfS verifies whether the legal requirements for licensing are complied with. Such verification is done in co-operation with professionals and technical experts without predetermination of the outcome.
BfS conducts the licensing procedure according to law and justice. A license will only be granted if proof has been furnished that the requirements for licensing stipulated in § 6 of the Atomic Energy Act are fulfilled.
Such decision concerning the storage of radioactive waste is what German law calls a bound decision, i.e. a license must be granted if the requirements for licensing are fulfilled. There is thus no scope of discretion for the competent authority. If the requirements for licensing are complied with, the application for the storage of spent fuel elements has to be approved.
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When and how is the public involved in the licensing procedure for interim storage facilities?
Involvement of the public is regulated by the Law on the Environmental Impact Assessment (cf. UVPG) and in the Ordinance concerning Procedures according to the Atomic Energy Act (cf. AtVfV). As can be seen in these texts, the public must always be involved if an application according to § 6 Atomic Energy Act states that this applies to all new applications filed according to the Atomic Energy Act (cf. UVPG) states that this applies to all new applications filed according to § 6 Atomic Energy Act as a rule. In the case of amendments planned later on, the obligation to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment and involve the public must be examined individually. If the public is involved in a licensing procedure by way of a public involvement procedure, such involvement is subject to the provisions of the Ordinance concerning Procedures according to the Atomic Energy Act (cf. AtVfV) and comprises the following steps:
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announcement of the project in the Federal Gazette and in regional newspapers;
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public display of documents relating to the project: the application, a brief description, the safety report, a report on the environmental impacts and the accompanying landscape conservation plan, if required, are on display for the public for a period of two months. People thus have the possibility to inform themselves. Objections against the project may be raised during the display period;
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public discussion of the objections with the applicant and the objecting parties who wish to explain their objections in more detail.
BfS reviews the objections raised and explained in the public hearing and takes them into account for its decision on the application.
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What legal remedies are available to citizens who object to the construction of an interim storage facility?
If a license for the storage of nuclear fuels at an interim storage facility is granted, citizens who had raised objections against the project may lodge a complaint with the competent court within one month after public announcement of the license. It is also possible that citizens living in the neighbourhood of a planned interim storage building lodge a complaint against the construction permit.
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What types of radiation emanate from interim storage facilities? Are health risks to be expected and is it dangerous for children to live in the vicinity of interim storage facilities?
The spent fuel elements or the wastes from reconditioning are kept in transport and storage containers. These containers ensure that their radioactive content is safely enclosed. Radiation due to radioactive decay is shielded by the transport and storage containers to such an extent that the relevant limits are not exceeded.
Storage at interim storage facilities decreases the radiation level even further since the buildings are made from reinforced concrete. Even if a person was standing at the fence of the storage facility all year long, the radiation level would not reach the authorised limit of 1 mSv/a (1 millisievert per year) as set out in § 46 of the Radiation Protection Ordinance by far so that there would not be a health risk.
Even in the event of an accident, no important release of radiation would occur that could pose a health risk. Even in the event of an intentional plane crash onto an interim storage facility, the limit of 50 mSv, which § 49 of the Radiation Protection Ordinance prescribes for accidents, would not be reached by far.
The Radiation Protection Ordinance accounts for the greater sensitivity of children towards radiation and stipulates special protection for children. Such greater sensitivity is taken into account in licensing procedures. For these reasons, there is no need to fear a particular risk even for children in the vicinity of interim storage facilities.
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Are ill effects on life and health impossible even in the event of terrorist attacks, such as an intentional crash of a plane with full fuel tanks?
After the events in the U.S. on September 11, 2001 it can no longer be excluded that an interim storage facility might be the target of such an attack. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection has therefore examined the effects of an intenational plane crash onto an interim storage facility within its licensing procedures and has taken account of the results in its decisions.
BfS experts have come to the conclusion that no inadmissible radiological burden will be imposed on the population in the vicinity of such facilities. BfS in its function as licensing authority has evaluated and confirmed the results of the experts' report. The radiological effects of such terrorist attack would not lead to a situation in which the recommended value of 100 mSv was exceeded so that disaster control measures such as an evacuation (cf. Katastrophenschutzmaßnahmen (Evakuierung) (PDF, 44 kB) would have to be taken.
The Reactor Safety Commission (cf. Reaktor-Sicherheitskommission) stated in its comment as of July 11, 2002 (cf. „Sicherheit der deutschen Zwischenlager für bestrahlte Brennelemente in Lagerbehältern bei gezieltem Absturz von Großflugzeugen“) (PDF, 129 kB) that the transport and storage containers ensured their fundamental protection function, i.e. safely enclose radioactive substances, even in the event of a large airliner crashing onto an interim storage facility. |
