Radioactive waste. Operational management

In the article [BN 3 660v2] , the French classification of radioactive waste is given, distinguishing between short-lived (SL) and long-lived (LL) waste. We also gave orders of magnitude for the activity limits of the major radionuclides they contain, to distinguish between very low-level (VLL), low- and medium-level (LML) and high-level (HL) waste. This classification is almost universal. Mention was also made of the scientific and socio-economic issues involved in managing these wastes, particularly nuclear waste. Finally, the context of their institutional management, designed to ensure the protection of man and the environment in all circumstances, was presented. Within the framework of laws and regulations, it is the operational management of waste that arises on a day-to-day basis. This article deals with this vast subject.

The operational management of radioactive waste concerns the treatment of this waste at all stages, from production to disposal. Today, the only possible disposal option is surface, sub-surface or deep disposal of TFA waste (without distinction of VC or VL), FMAVC and some FAVL to MAVL waste. The operational management of radioactive waste must comply with the principles of radiation protection for workers. But it must also take into account the doses that could be delivered to the public today and in the future. Finally, in the interests of ethics, we must also minimize management constraints for future generations and preserve the quality of the environment. The application of these principles leads to practical rules for industrial management operations, which are highly restrictive and luxurious compared to those in other industrial fields where waste is processed.

Numerous guides and publications from the IAEA, OECD-NEA and other supranational and national organizations provide concrete information on these practices (see [BN 3 660v2] ). Nuclear waste management practices vary from one country to another, as do the situations with regard to nuclear power plants and energy policies involving nuclear power as a primary source of electricity. They can involve very large facilities in dedicated centers, outside production sites, or in more modest on-site facilities. These...