SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL REPORT ON THE COMPLIANCE TO OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE JOINT CONVENTION ON SAFETY OF SPENT FUEL MANAGEMENT AND ON THE SAFETY OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT Third Report September 2014 SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL REPORT ON THE COMPLIANCE TO OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE JOINT CONVENTION ON SAFETY OF SPENT FUEL MANAGEMENT AND ON THE SAFETY OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT Third Report September 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The South African National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) acknowledges the support and cooperation of the South African Department of Energy (DoE), the South African Department of Health (Directorate Radiation Control), the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Eskom and the South African Mining Sector in the preparation of this report. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................................... ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................... 1 SECTION A: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 3 A-1. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................. 4 A-2. PURPOSE ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 A-3. STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT ....................................................................................................................... 5 SECTION B: POLICIES AND PRACTICES .................................................................................................................... 7 B-1. RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY FRAMEWORK OF SOUTH AFRICA ....................................... 8 B-2. RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ...................................................................................... 9 B-3. USED FUEL MANAGEMENT POLICY ............................................................................................................. 10 B-4. USED FUEL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ....................................................................................................... 11 B-5. CRITERIA USED TO DEFINE AND CATEGORISE RADIOACTIVE WASTE .......................................................... 11 SECTION C: SCOPE OF APPLICATION ....................................................................................................................... 14 C-1. USED FUEL AND REPROCESSING ................................................................................................................. 15 C-2. THE SAFETY OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................... 15 C-3. SAFETY OF USED FUEL AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE FROM MILITARY OR DEFENCE PROGRAMMES ............ 16 C-4. DISCHARGES ................................................................................................................................................ 16 SECTION D: INVENTORIES AND LISTS OF USED FUEL AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES ............ 17 D-1 LIST OF USED FUEL MANAGEMENT FACILITIES ........................................................................................... 18 D-2 USED FUEL INVENTORIES ............................................................................................................................ 18 D-3 LIST OF THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES ................................................................... 18 D-4 INVENTORY OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE ......................................................................................................... 19 D-5 LIST OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DECOMMISSIONED ............................................ 19 SECTION E: LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY SYSTEMS ............................................................................................ 20 E-1 IMPLEMENTING MEASURES ........................................................................................................................ 21 E-2 LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................ 21 E-2.1. ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF A LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK TO GOVERN THE SAFETY OF USED FUEL AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT ............................... 22 E-2.2. LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................ 23 E-2.2.1. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF APPLICABLE NATIONAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATIONS FOR RADIATION SAFETY ....................................................................................................... 23 E-2.2.2. A SYSTEM OF LICENSING OF USED FUEL AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ............. 24 E-2.2.3. A SYSTEM OF PROHIBITION OF THE OPERATION OF A USED FUEL OR RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY WITHOUT A LICENCE ........................................................................................... 26 E-2.2.4. A SYSTEM OF APPROPRIATE INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL, REGULATORY INSPECTIONS AND DOCUMENTATION AND REPORTING ........................................................................................................... 26 E-2.2.5. ENFORCEMENT OF APPLICABLE REGULATIONS AND CONDITIONS OF AUTHORISATION ........................ 28 E-2.2.6. A CLEAR ALLOCATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BODIES INVOLVED IN THE DIFFERENT STEPS OF USED FUEL AND OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT ....................................................... 28 E-3 THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGULATORY BODY .......................................................................................... 29 E-3.1. NATIONAL NUCLEAR REGULATOR ............................................................................................................... 29 E-3.1.1. ORGANISATION OF THE NNR ....................................................................................................................... 30 E-3.1.2. HUMAN RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................... 33 E-3.1.3. FINANCIAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 34 E-3.2. DIRECTORATE RADIATION CONTROL ........................................................................................................... 34 CONTENTS (continued) E-3.2.1. HUMAN RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................... 35 E-3.2.2. FINANCIAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 36 E-3.3. INDEPENDENCE OF THE REGULATORY FUNCTION ...................................................................................... 36 SECTION F: GENERAL SAFETY PROVISIONS ............................................................................................................ 37 F-1 RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AUTHORISATION HOLDER .................................................................................... 38 F-1.1. RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY ....................................................................................................................... 38 F-1.2. RESPONSIBILITY FOR USED FUEL OR RADIOACTIVE WASTE .................................................................... 39 F-2 HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES ......................................................................................................... 40 F-2.1. QUALIFIED STAFF ......................................................................................................................................... 40 F-2.2. FINANCIAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 41 F-2.3. FINANCIAL PROVISION FOR POST-CLOSURE MANAGEMENT OF FACILITIES ................................................ 42 F-3 QUALITY ASSURANCE .................................................................................................................................. 42 F-3.1. QUALITY ASSURANCE AT NECSA .................................................................................................................. 43 F-3.2. QUALITY ASSURANCE AT KNPS .................................................................................................................... 44 F-3.3. QUALITY ASSURANCE AT NORM FACILITIES ................................................................................................ 45 F-4 OPERATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION ..................................................................................................... 45 F-4.1. OPERATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION: LEGAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................. 46 F-4.1.1. DOSE LIMITS ................................................................................................................................................ 46 F-4.1.2. ALARA FOR WORKERS AND PUBLIC ............................................................................................................ 48 F-4.1.3. OCCUPATIONAL