WATRP mission
SUMMARY WATRP REVIEW REPORT
In response to a request from the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SONS) in December 2003, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) convened a Team of four international experts to review the status of the Deep Geological Repository Development Programme (GRD) in the Czech Republic, implemented by the Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (RAWRA) within the auspices of IAEA's Waste Management Assessment and Technical Review Programme (WATRP). The scope of the review included assessing whether the development activities were carried out and planned optimally, economically and effectively. The review mission was organized in the frame of the IAEA TC project CZR/9/015.
The Team, comprising experts from Finland, France, Germany, and Switzerland, reviewed background material provided in English by RAWRA. In May 2004, the Team had a review meeting in Prague with staff of RAWRA, Board Members, subcontractors and other stakeholders such as SONS, mayors of towns close to low and intermediate level waste repositories. At the meeting outstanding issues and questions from the Team were discussed in detail.
About 3 800 tHM of spent nuclear fuel and more than 20 000 m3 of waste is expected to be produced from the operation of existing nuclear power reactors. Spent fuel from nuclear power generation is currently stored at the nuclear power plants. Radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel, after being declared waste, will be finally disposed of in a geological repository.
The Concept of Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management published in the Czech Government Decree No. 487/2002 of 15 May 2002 defines the main objectives and phases of the GRD programme. RAWRA has been assigned the mission to implement the programme.
The Review Team observes that RAWRA programme of activities is running in several directions. The main effort is devoted to the repository siting, which is in an initial step of the site characterisation phase. The current goal is to narrow down the size of 6 sites selected for future investigation during the screening of the Czech territory. Design and engineered barrier studies are based on a generic (non-site specific) design of the disposal facility; some optimisation studies have been completed and research on barrier materials has been initiated. Safety studies are focusing on preparation of modelling tools/procedures and on demonstrating generic repository safety (e.g. safety case, natural analogue studies). Activities performed by RAWRA include also the project management (planning, budgeting, QA, public involvement, information collection, international co-operation, etc.).
The Review Team explicitly acknowledges the general approach pursued by RAWRA to the research and development and to the siting for the final disposal of radioactive waste, and of high-level waste in particular. The Team appreciates that the recommendations of a previous WATRP mission performed in 1993 have been fully taken into consideration by the Czech authorities while establishing the legal and institutional framework for the waste management. When planning and performing the scientific and technical work, RAWRA equally was guided by these recommendations.
The Review Team makes a number of recommendations to further improve the implementation by RAWRA of the Czech GRD Programme. The recommendations are presented according to the following topics:
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Management and implementation of the DGR Programme;
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Repository concept and safety approach;
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Repository siting and public information / acceptance.
The document is accessible here 
(pdf, 199 kB)
