From the Cradle to the Grave: Making Progress in the Safe Management of Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources

H.E. Maria Castillo Fernandez, Ambassador of the European Union to Malaysia, opened the coordination meeting. The Ambassador stressed the importance of the safe management of radioactive sources, and highlighted the strong cooperation between the IAEA and the European Union in the area of nuclear safety. Dr Modh Ashhar Bin Hj. Khalid, Director General of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, also spoke, confirming Malaysia’s strong commitment to nuclear safety and the implementation of a pilot disposal programme for DSRS.

The meeting was supported by two additional key strategic partners, namely the United States of America, through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the National Nuclear Security Administration, and Spain, through the Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear. The project partners exchanged experiences and good practices, and IAEA representatives and Member States reviewed the most recent progress and achievements in the implementation of national and international systems for the management of DSRS. 

Depending on their national inventories, and based on their national policies and strategies, Member States can consider different options for the end-of-life management of DSRS, including recycling, re-use, regulatory clearance, removal and disposal. The outline for a Decision-aiding Document (DAD) for End-of-life Management Options was discussed with the participating Member States. The DAD offers guidance for countries wishing to conduct self-assessments and analyses of end-of-life management options for DSRS based on their national policy and strategy. Moreover, the DAD encourages Member States to conduct an inclusive and participatory process with all relevant national stakeholders, with a view to taking an informed decision on how best to manage the national DSRS inventory.

The interregional technical cooperation project is designed to help participating Member States to strengthen their national capacities and capabilities to manage sealed radioactive sources, following a harmonized approach based on the IAEA Safety Standards. The project receives extensive technical and financial support from the European Union, Spain and the United States.

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[1] INT9182: 'Sustaining Cradle-to-Grave Control of Radioactive Sources'