(Virtual Event) International Conference on the Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) in Industry

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, this conference will be held virtually.

Participants who would like full access to the virtual conference platform, must be officially designated and can register by sending Participation Form (Form A) to the IAEA through their national authority. Designations previously received for this event remain valid and participants are not required to resubmit their participation form.

Persons who would like to officially register as observers at the conference can do so by completing Participation Form (Form A) and sending it directly to the IAEA. By registering as an observer, you will have access to the conference related material (e.g. abstracts, presentations, posters) and other limited functions within the virtual conference platform.

Persons who simply would like to follow discussions during the conference can do so via the live-stream button which will be available on this website.

Over the past few decades, many studies have found elevated natural radionuclide activity concentrations in wastes and residues from a wide range of industrial activities that are not part of the nuclear fuel cycle. Since then, despite some successful cases, most Member States have been struggling to find feasible and implementable approaches for the proper management of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) wastes and residues.

To address these issues, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is organizing the International Conference on the Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in Industry. This is the first conference on NORM organized by the IAEA, and it will build upon inputs provided by different events already organized by the international community with a focus on industry.

Non-nuclear industries are becoming aware of potential radiological issues in their operations, and some organizations have already established effective management practices. Such examples can be shared to support others to effectively address this issue. The conference will cover all the industrial operations outside the nuclear fuel cycle that are associated with increased natural radionuclide activity concentrations in wastes and residues and can give rise to increased exposure of members of the public and workers to ionizing radiation.

Objective

The objective of the conference is to foster the sharing of experiences in the management of NORM waste and residues in industrial operations with the aim of contributing to the harmonization of approaches and the adoption of good practices that are both cost effective and safe, and take into consideration the protection of the public and workers.

The conference will explore the good practices that have been put in place worldwide and bring together different players to identify current issues and expected future challenges and possible strategies for dealing with them.

Although the conference will focus on industrial operations, it will consider the latest technological developments and research work, considering regulatory requirements and safety aspects.

Topics

NORM Inventories (identification of NORM-related industries operating within the country; amounts of residues and wastes being generated; radioactivity concentrations or exposure rates; other hazardous materials of concern).

National Policies and Strategies (setup of a waste management organization; centralized vs. multiple dispersed facilities; NORM-dedicated facilities vs. facilities accepting multiple types of wastes; stakeholder involvement).

NORM Characterization in Industrial Operations (appropriate sampling and monitoring methodologies; analytical methodologies; infrastructure and equipment requirements; quality assurance and quality control; recordkeeping).

Residue and Waste Management (life cycle management; cost assessment across all aspects of residue and waste management; management options for residues/wastes (application of the waste management hierarchy); selection of management options, financial guarantees; other considerations (e.g. economic impacts); transportation requirements and controls).

Decommissioning of NORM Facilities and Remediation of Contaminated Sites (decommissioning and waste management plan; decontamination technologies; dismantling technologies; remediation, identification of contaminated sites; remedial action evaluation and selection; costing and funding; long term stewardship of closed or decommissioned NORM management facilities and sites, institutional controls).

Conference Workshops

NORM 2020 will be implemented in Plenary Sessions that will discuss cross-cutting issues that are relevant to all NORM related industries. Recognizing that some of these industries entail specificities that deserve focused discussions, a series of workshops are planned to allow for interested parties to discuss with worldwide experts the specific issues of particular activities.

This includes, Metal Mining Operations, Oil and Gas industry, Fertilizer and Phosphogypsum, Groundwater Treatment and Radiation Protection in NORM industry. In addition, there will be a workshop to launch a task group of Environet NORM Project on Sampling and Radiological Characterization of NORM Residues. The final workshop will see Exhibitors showcase their products and services.

Workshops will take place via WebEx prior to the plenary sessions on each day of this virtual event.

Participants can register for the individual workshops here.

Audience

The conference is intended for professionals in the industry dealing with NORM-related issues, including stakeholders such as operators, policymakers, scientists and others with responsibilities in the field such as health, safety and environmental professionals.

Registration

No registration fee is charged.

Greening

To demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, the IAEA will organize this conference as a 'green meeting' according to the guidelines of the Austrian Ecolabel.

There will be a focus on the areas of paper smart documentation, waste reduction and recycling, and environmentally friendly catering.

Conference app

The IAEA Conferences and Meetings App provides a one-stop access to information on the Conference, exhibitions and scheduled side events. The app also allows users to put together their own personalized schedule of events. Via this app participants will be able to view contributed papers and the latest conference programme, message other participants, and view PowerPoint presentations released after the event. Participants will receive an email inviting them to register for the app approximately one week before the conference.

For iPhone or iPad users, get your free download through the Apple iTunes Store; those with Android devices can visit the Google Play Store.