NEWSLETTER
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

NO.7
Issued by
Japan Atomic
Industrial Forum, Inc.

Wednesday, 5

The FNCA RWM Workshop 2001
to be held this December

The Second Day of Workshop-Sub-Meeting on SRS Storage & TENORM

Thursday, 6

The FNCA Workshop on Radioactive Waste

The Third Day of Workshop-Round Table Discussion
SRS Management-Review/Modification on 3-year Plan

Management (RWM) 2001 is scheduled on
December 4-7, including a technical tour to relevant
facilities in Dalat, Vietnam. The Workshop will be

Friday, 7

hosted by the Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission

Technical Tour to Nuclear Research InstituteMove Back to Ho Chi Minh(VAEC) as a local host and the Ministr y of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Saturday, 8(MEXT) of Japan, in cooperation with Japan Atomic
Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF).

Nov. 2001

Departure of Participants from Ho Chi Minh

Hanoi

In the coming Workshop, the draft ofConsolidated Report would be reported as a country
report from each participating country and theformat of this report should be discussed at theRound Table Discussion. In the Sub-Meeting, which
will be also held sequentially at the 2nd day of theWorkshop, the discussions will be focused on theissues concerning “Spent Radiation Sources (SRS)
View of Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor

Storage” and “TENORM”. In addition, the interim

Dalat

repor t of activities of the new project, “SRSTheThe Person
Person in
in Charge
Charge ofof Workshop
WorkshopManagement Task Group”, which was implemented
Ho Chi Minhas the Discussion/Survey Meeting in the Philippines

Dr. Tran Kim Hungand Thailand this year, would be made.

FNCA RWM Project Leader in
VietnamOverall
Overall Schedule
Schedule
Sunday, 2
Arrival of Foreign Participants at Ho Chi Minh

Monday, 3Move to Dalat

Position: Director, Dept. of International Relations
and Planning
Business Address: Vietnam Atomic Energy
Commission (VAEC)TEL/FAX: +84-4-9421912/9424133

Tuesday, 4
The First Day of Workshop-Country Report on Draft of Consolidated
Report etc.

1NEWSLETTER RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

A technical tour to a hospital and a steel works

Draft Summary of
SRS Management Task Groupwas made in the Philippines, and also a technicaltour to a petroleum refinery facility and a strip millcompany was made in Thailand. Japanese visitorsThe
The FNCA
FNCA RWM
RWM Project
Project Leader
Leader ininJapan,
Japan, thethe Philippines
Philippines andand Thailand
Thailandreceived information on Sealed Radiation Source
Use including SRS Management in industry andproblem of Scrap Metal contaminated withradioactive materials.
The discussion was an opportunity to shareexperience and to seek ways to enhancecooperation on SRS Management between bothcountries under the FNCA framework. Both

Mr. Banchong
Wangcharoenroong/OAEP

countries agreed that this kind of activity through an

Following the proposal and agreement of theissues, is the most effective in strengthening theFirst Forum for Nuclear Corporation in Asia (1stSRS Management systems in both countries, andFNCA Meeting) held on November 13, 2000 inalso agreed to make available the result of the

Bangkok, Thailand, followed by the confirmation of

Meeting to the other FNCA countries for their

the FNCA countries' support at the Second FNCA

practical uses.

Prof. Toshiso
Kosako/The
Univ. of Tokyo

Ms. Eulinia M.
Valdezco/PNRI

open exchange of information and experiences,
based upon a common understanding on the critical

Coordinators Meeting on March 14-16, 2001 in

The Discussion/Survey Meeting on SRSTokyo, Japan, the Project for Establishment of SpentManagement was successful and enhanced good

Radiation Sources (SRS) Management Task Group

cooperation in the field of radioactive waste

was authorized as a new project under the FNCA

management between the Philippines, Thailand andactivities. The first activity of the Project forJapan.

Establishment of SRS Management Task Group was

Meeting participants expressed appreciation to

implemented as the Philippine-Japan Discussion/

the PNRI and OAEP respectively for theirSurvey Meeting on July 30-August 3, 2001 in Manila

arrangements, and to the Ministry of Education,at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI).

Culture, Sports, Science & Technology (MEXT) andAnd the second activity was implemented as

the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) of Japan

Thailand-Japan Discussion/Survey Meeting on

for their support in facilitating the participation of theAugust 20-24, 2001 in Bangkok at the Office ofexpert-team from Japan.

Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP).
The topics taken up at both Meetings were
the following:• Experiences and lessons learned in both countries• Status of SRS Management in both countries• International trend in SRS Management• Ways of cooperation on SRS Management within
the FNCA framework2NEWSLETTER RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENTThe Philippines

Dr. Alumanda M. de la Rosa, FNCA
Coordinator of the Philippines & Prof.
KosakoMeeting &Discussion at
PNRI

Visit to a HospitalThailand

Visit to Ongkharak Nuclear Research Center, OAEP

Meeting & Discussion
at OAEP

Friendship between Thai Experts & Japanese
Delegates3NEWSLETTER RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

submitted for regulator y review. The system

Topics from FNCA Countries

consists of two incinerators, which have the capacity
r /hr forof 30 kg/hr for combustible DAW and 8r

Korea
Korea

organic liquid waste, respectively, and a common
off-gas treatment sub-system. It has also equippedwith the emission monitoring system in stack to

Dr. Myung-Jae Song

continuously tele-measuring hazardous off-gas such

FNCA RWM Project Leader

as SOx, NOx, Cl2, etc.
Apart from the development of waste volume

General Manager, R&D
Division, Nuclear Environment

reduction technologies, the endeavor to secure aTechnology Institute (NETEC)

site for LILW disposal facility, which is planned to

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power

operate from 2008, is still going on. After the open

Co., Ltd. (KHNP)

subscription from June 2000 to June 2001 is
finished without any desirable result, NETEC iscarr ying out a new siting program to selectRecentRecent Activities
Activities related
related toto Radioactive
Radioactive
Waste
Waste Management
Management inin Korea
Korea

candidate site(s) first and then to negotiate in depthwith the relevant local governments before the final

For treatment of low-and intermediate-levelnomination of a site.

radioactive wastes (LILW), vitrification was singled
out as the most promising technology which canremarkably reduce waste volume and enhanceIndonesia
Indonesia

disposal safety in favor of public acceptance. Basedon a feasibility study, NETEC constructed a pilot
vitrification facility in 1999 and has developed its
unique vitrification process for LILW. In September

Mr. Gunandjar

22, 2001, NETEC successfully completed a long-

FNCA RWM Project Leader

term vitrification pilot test which lasted 130 hours.

Director, Center for

Total 1.1 ton of simulated dry active waste (DAW)

Development of Radioactive

and spent resin were vitrified with volume reduction

Waste Management

ratio of 80 in the test.

National Nuclear Energy

The test aimed at

Agency (BATAN)

demonstrating overall performance requirements of
the NETEC vitrification process which are expected
to be essential for commercialization. As a next

Development
Development ofof Spent
Spent Radiation
Radiation Sources
Sources(SRS)(SRS) Management
Management inin Indonesia
Indonesia

step, NETEC plans to design and construct the firstcommercial vitrification plant at one of the nuclear

In Indonesia, the Spent Radiation Sources

power plant sites by 2004.
Radioactive waste incineration system to(SRS) are generated from nuclear installation,

accept wastes from non-power sources except α-

industries, hospitals, mining company, and researchbearing waste is under license. Safety assessment

laboratory.

and environmental impact assessment reports aresafely to avoid the risk of irradiation to workers and
4

The wastes of SRS must be managed

NEWSLETTER RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

public and also for protection of the environment.

Source Arising

The Center for Development of Radioactive Waste

Hospitals(Brachytherapy,
teletherapy)

Management (CDRWM)-BATAN is the undertaking
organization as well as responsible to carry-out theradioactive wastes (including SRS) management

Research
Laboratory

with statutory as Executing Body. Management of
the SRS is an integral part of radioactive waste
management program and has been implemented in
the planning, design and operation. The SRS from

Industries(Non Destructive
Testing, Industrial
Gauges)producer (user) are transported by truck, and stored
in the interim storage for pretreatment, then the SRS
are conditioned and stored in the interim storage forhigh radiation waste facility.

Mining Company(Well-logging)

Nuclear Installation

Type of
Recommendation
to treatment*)
SRS
Co-60
Cs-137CS
Ra-226H-3(solid)C-14
IS(solid)P-32(solid)Cs-137
Co-60
CS
Sr-90
Kr-85
IS
Ir-192
Am-241
U-depletedCS
Ra-226
Cs-137
CS
Co-60
Ir-192
IS
AmBe
CS
Co-60
CS
Cs-137
Ir-192IS
I-131*) CS= Conditioning and storage in concrete bunkers
I S= Immobilization in the concrete shell and storage
safe

Concerning the spent Radium sources (Ra226), we are aware that both the World HealthOrganization (WHO) and Inter national Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) recommend that the use of
Radium for medical treatment should be replaced byInterim Storage for High Radiation Waste

other more controllable methods and radioisotopes.
Today most of the old Radium sources previously
used for Brachytherapy have been replaced by

A part of the SRS are immobilized with cement

sources containing Co-60, Cs-137, Ir-192 or othermatrix in the concrete shell and then stored in theradionuclides. As a consequence many countries

interim storage facility before sending to the final

now face the problem of ensuring that Radium withstorage. The SRS from different producer (user)

drawn from service is rendered safe and stored

and its recommendation to treatment, as follow:

securely until disposal is possible.
The CDRWM-BATAN currently find thetechnical assistance from IAEA under IAEA Model
Project INT/4/131: “Sustainable Technologies toManage Radioactive Waste” with task is Radium
Conditioning.
5NEWSLETTER RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

Preparing infrastructure for this programme

seminar. The main topics are as follows:

such as organizing team of Radium conditioning, the

1. Management and supervision of radiation

room for Radium conditioning Laboratory and somesources;equipments needed has been carried-out. The

2. Current status and existing problems of radiation

room for Radium conditioning Laboratory use a partsource management;of the incinerator area located at Radioactive Waste

3. Lessons and analyses of accidents caused byTreatment Installation Facility.

radiation sources;

In this program, Indonesia received some

4. Conditioning, Storage and Disposal of spentassistance of equipments and expert from IAEA.

radiation sources;

The Radium conditioning operation have been

5. Techniques for radiation sources safety

carried out on February 19 - 23, 2001, by a national

evaluation;team assisted by an IAEA expert.

6. Emergency preparedness and response toradiation source accidents.
The participants set forth a lot of comments
and suggestions for improving the management ofradiation sources in China. The seminar suggested

China
China

that the whole life management, training of the user,
public awareness are critical issues to prevent
accidents from occurring.

Mr. Qiao Shurong
FNCA RWM Project Leader
Director, Division ofAustralia
Australia

Environment Protection andEmergency, Department of
Safety, Protection and Health,
China National Nuclear

Dr. John R. Harries

Corporation (CNNC)

FNCA RWM Project Leader
Leader, Environmental

National
National Seminar
Seminar on
on Radiation
Radiation
SourceSource Safety
SafetyPhysics, Australian Nuclear
Science and Technology
Organisation (ANSTO)

Being co-organized by China Nuclear
Radiation Protection Society and Department of
Safety, Protection and Health, CNNC, the seminar

RADIOACTIVE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE
WASTE MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT ATATANSTO
ANSTO -- MANAGINGMANAGING CURRENT
CURRENT AND
AND
HISTORICHISTORIC WASTESWASTES

was held in Lintong from October 9 to 14, 2001. It
was under the auspice of China Atomic Energy
Authority, Ministry of Health, State Environmental
Protection Administration and Ministry of Security.

The Australian Nuclear Science andMore than one hundred officials and experts,

Technology Organisation (ANSTO) site at Lucas

including 3 IAEA officials, par ticipated in the

Heights has operated as a nuclear site for over 40
6NEWSLETTER RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

years. In 2001, ANSTO successfully completed an

VietnamVietnamintegrated five year Waste Management Action Plan
to deal with legacy radioactive waste management

Dr. Tran Kim Hungissues.

FNCA RWM Project Leader

Improved facilities were constructed forstorage and characterisation of solid low-level

Director, International

radioactive waste, better monitoring was developed

Relations & Planningfor the existing storage facilities for spent research

Department, VAEC

reactor fuel and intermediate level liquid wastes, andsome wastes were converted into more stable
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nangforms.

Manager, Department of

A hot cell process was developed to solidify

Water Chemistry and Waste

the intermediate level liquid waste generated during
the production of molybdenum-99.

Management, RRC, Nuclear

RoutineResearch Institute (NRI),

processing of the liquid waste commenced in 1999

VAEC

and to date over 2 m 3 of liquid waste has been
converted to a solid. This process has allowed forDevelopment
Development ofof Treatment
Treatment Technique
Technique for
for
Solid
Solid Radwaste
Radwaste at
at Nuclear
Nuclear Research
Research
Institute,
Institute, Dalat,
Dalat, Vietnam
Vietnamvolume reduction of more than 98% for this wasteform.
In one radioisotope production area, athreefold reduction in low level solid waste volume

According to the design technology and facility

was achieved by separating non-radioactive waste

for radwaste management, the solid wastes at thefrom radioactive waste at the source. In another

Nuclear Research Institute (NRI) was no need pre-area, gaseous emissions of noble gases from theproduction of99

treated for the storage/disposal. Therefore in the

Mo for radiophar maceuticalmore than first ten years of reactor operation, solid

production were substantially reduced by utilisingwaste only collected and stored in thethe results from new monitoring instrumentation

storage/disposal facility.

which provided real time measurements of emission.

At that time, storage

building once or twice a month opened for receiving

A pilot plant for demonstrating a membrane-

solid waste from various laboratories at NRI. The

based process for treatment of waste water has

wastes were thrown into one of the eight concrete

been installed, and the construction of a new Wastepits. Day after day, wastes are collected more andTreatment & Packaging Facility is currently undermore. The question how to treat and condition solid

way for completion in mid 2002. The new facility will

waste becomes very important because the fire

treat and package radioactive waste into forms

could cause any time in the storage building. But

acceptable for disposal in the proposed National

this problem could not decide at NRI before year

Waste Repository.

2000 due to lack of the main facilities for theseworks.
To applying volume reduction treatment
technique, the wastes have to segregate. One

7

NEWSLETTER RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

segregating box has been constructed by Waste

Meeting, the International Atomic Energy Agency

Management Division and placed in the storage(IAEA) also attend as an observer. The Delegatesbuilding. Beside that, the NRI were provided withof FNCA countries will make countr y paper

the “In-drum Compactor” and some equipment bypresentations on nuclear energy policy, and thethe IAEA TC Project VIE/9/007. Since then,following round table discussion on the 2 themes

technology for solid waste treatment has been(tentative), “Sustainable Development and Nuclear

developed. In order to solve solid wastes generated

Energy” and “Cooperation on Use of Radiation” willfrom beginning up to now, one Country Project has

be actively discussed among the FNCA countries.

just implemented successfully at NRI. More than 60

Regarding the field of RWM activities, them3 compact-able wastes were compacted in 200-

interim report of activities of “SRS Management

litter drum then conditioned in concrete. Based on

Task Group”, which was implemented in theexperiment carried out in the laborator y andPhilippines and Thailand this summer, would also be

experience from FNCA Countries, the concrete

reported to this Meeting and explored on the future

produced in following component parts:

cooperation on the good management of SRS under

Cement: 17 %, Water: 8 %, Sand: 27 %, Soil: 48 %.

the FNCA framework.

After 48 hours of setting, the water in the drum
were controlled, it is less than 1%. After 28 days,
conditioned drums were final controlled, labeled andstored in the storage/disposal facility. From now, thesolid radwaste at NRI, Dalat become not difficult andunsafe problem that long time could not solve.

Highlight in 2001
FNCA HOMEPAGE RENEWAL OPEN!!

TheThe Forum
Forum forfor Nuclear
Nuclear Cooperation
Cooperation inin
Asia
Asia (FNCA)(FNCA) toto be
be held
held inin November,
November, ininTokyo,
Tokyo, JapanJapan

The HOMEPAGE, which introduces FNCA
activities, has been renewed on November
12, and is now available on the following
address: http://www.fnca.jp/

The Second Ministerial Level Meeting (MM) of
the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA)
will be held on November 29, 2001 in Tokyo, Japan,
sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission ofJapan (AEC). The Senior Official Meeting (SOM) is
also scheduled on November 28, 2001 in

Asia Cooperation Center

conjunction with MM.

Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc.

Ministerial level representatives and senior

1-7-6 Toranomon, Minato-ku

officials from Australia, China, Indonesia, RepublicTokyo 105-0001 Japanof Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand,

Tel:+81-3-3508-7932 Fax:+81-3-3508-9021

Vietnam and Japan will participate in the FNCA
8