Dismantling of nuclear facilities, radioactive waste and materials management, circular economy and sustainable development

Decommissioning of nuclear facilities and sites’ clean-up can lead to the production of significant amount of radioactive waste and materials: steel, concrete, soils, etc. Traditionally, these activities have been managed according to radiation protection criteria, such as clearance levels based on a 10 μSv.year-1 criterion. However, the volumes of waste and materials involved are leading many countries to question their strategy, considering for instance the risk of saturation of radioactive waste storage buildings and repositories, or even the absence of storage facilities. Production of large volumes of waste may also be considered in contradiction to the principles of the circular economy promoted by the European Union, sustainable development objectives and even the views of some stakeholders. As part of the HARPERS project, funded by the European Commission, several case studies on the implementation of best practice for the management of radioactive waste and materials have been investigated to identify useful lessons from a circular economy perspective, both in terms of standards and regulations and operational aspects. This article highlights some of the main findings.