Art. 35 Verification Spain: Former Uranium Sites
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR ENERGY DIRECTORATE D - Nuclear Safety and Fuel Cycle D.3 Radiation Protection TECHNICAL REPORT VERIFICATIONS UNDER THE TERMS OF ARTICLE 35 OF THE EURATOM TREATY Southern and western Spain – former uranium installations and national monitoring SPAIN 24-28 September 2012 Reference: ES 12/06 Art. 35 Technical Report – ES-12/06 VERIFICATIONS UNDER THE TERMS OF ARTICLE 35 OF THE EURATOM TREATY SITES and FACILITIES: Former uranium mining sites (La Virgen, Valemascaño, 'Quercus'); former uranium production sites at Andújar and Saelices el Chico ('Quercus' and to a certain extent 'Elefante'); national monitoring system for environmental radioactivity in Andújar (Andalusia) and Saelices el Chico (Castile and León); laboratories at Seville University, Granada University, Salamanca University, Saelices el Chico (ENUSA) and Juzbado (ENUSA). DATE: 24 to 28 September 2012 REFERENCE: ES-12/06 INSPECTORS: C. Gitzinger (Head of team) E. Henrich V. Tanner E. Hrnecek DATE OF REPORT: 8 November 2013 2 of 40 Art. 35 Technical Report – ES-12/06 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 7 2 PREPARATION AND CONDUCT OF THE VERIFICATION..................................................... 7 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Documentation ........................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Representatives of the competent authorities, the site operators and other organisations involved in environmental radioactivity monitoring .................................................................. 8 3 COMPETENT AUTHORITIES & LEGAL BACKGROUND ....................................................... 9 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 9 3.2 Competent Spanish authorities and other actors ....................................................................... 9 3.2.1 Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (Nuclear Safety Council) .................................................. 9 3.2.2 Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade ......................................................................... 10 3.2.3 Autonomous government of Andalusia “Junta de Andalucía” ........................................ 10 3.2.4 Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs ........................................................................ 11 3.2.5 ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas, S.A. .................................................................................. 11 3.2.6 ENRESA............................................................................................................................ 11 3.3 Legal provisions for environmental radioactivity monitoring ................................................. 11 3.3.1 Legislative acts regulating environmental radioactivity monitoring (general) ................. 11 3.3.2 Legislative acts regulating environmental radioactivity monitoring (uranium mining and milling) ............................................................................................................................. 12 3.3.3 Legislative acts regulating the radiological surveillance of foodstuffs ............................ 12 3.3.4 International legislative and guidance documents ............................................................ 12 4 FORMER URANIUM MINING AND MILLING SITES IN SPAIN........................................... 13 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 13 4.2 Restoration of former uranium sites ......................................................................................... 15 4.3 Uranium mining and milling sites in Andalusia ....................................................................... 15 4.3.1 La Virgen mining site – description and verification ....................................................... 15 4.3.2 Andújar uranium mill – description and verification ....................................................... 16 4.4 Ciudad Rodrigo area ................................................................................................................ 17 4.4.1 Saelices el Chico site – description and verification ........................................................ 17 4.4.1.1 'Elefante' plant .............................................................................................................. 18 4.4.1.2 Mining exploitations and restorations at the 'Quercus' site .......................................... 19 4.4.1.3 Treatment of contaminated waters from the 'Quercus' site .......................................... 19 4.4.1.4 'Quercus' plant .............................................................................................................. 20 4.4.1.5 Site visit ........................................................................................................................ 20 4.4.2 Valdemascaño uranium mine – description and verification ........................................... 22 4.4.3 General situation of uranium mines in the area ................................................................ 22 5 SPANISH NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAMMES ...................... 23 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 23 5.2 The national monitoring network REVIRA ............................................................................... 23 5.2.1 Network of automatic REA stations ................................................................................. 24 5.2.1.1 REA Andújar station - verification ............................................................................... 25 5.2.1.2 REA Saelices el Chico station - verification ................................................................. 26 5.2.2 Network of REM sampling stations .................................................................................. 26 5.2.2.1 Air samplers ................................................................................................................. 27 5.2.2.2 Surface water sampling programme ............................................................................. 27 5.2.2.3 Drinking water sampling programme ........................................................................... 27 5.2.2.4 Soil sampling programme............................................................................................. 28 5.2.2.5 Foodstuffs sampling programme .................................................................................. 28 5.2.2.6 Quality assurance arrangements ................................................................................... 28 3 of 40 Art. 35 Technical Report – ES-12/06 5.2.3 Transmission of monitoring data and records .................................................................. 28 5.3 Mobile measurement systems ................................................................................................... 28 5.4 RAR network ............................................................................................................................. 29 6 VERIFICATION OF LABORATORIES ...................................................................................... 29 6.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 29 6.2 University of Seville .................................................................................................................. 29 6.2.1 CITIUS.............................................................................................................................. 29 6.2.2 Nuclear physics department ............................................................................................. 32 6.3 Granada university laboratory ................................................................................................. 33 6.4 Salamanca university laboratory ............................................................................................. 35 6.5 ENUSA Saelices laboratory ..................................................................................................... 35 6.6 ENUSA Juzbado laboratory ..................................................................................................... 36 7 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................ 37 Appendix 1 Verification programme Appendix 2 References and documentation 4 of 40 Art. 35 Technical Report – ES-12/06 TECHNICAL REPORT ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AECID Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarollo (Agency of International Cooperation for Development) AEMET Agencia Estatal de METeorología (National Meteorology Agency, formerly INM) AVRA Área de Vigilancia Radiológica Ambiental (Environmental Radiological Surveillance Area; unit at CSN) a.s.l. Above sea level BAC Balsa Aguas Corta BOE Boletín Oficial del Estado (Official Gazette) BRV Balsa de Regulación de Vertido CEDEX Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas, Madrid