International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) support for the management of site investigations for radioactive waste disposal facilities
Authors: Havlova Vaclava , Mayer Stefan , Degnan Paul 
Published: September 2023

Abstract. Providing safe, secure and environmentally acceptable radioactive waste
disposal is a national responsibility that requires a long-term commitment,
adequate resources and the involvement of multiple stakeholders. The choice
of a particular disposal concept and its detailed design will depend on
several factors, such as the properties of the waste inventory to be
disposed of, national circumstances and strategic preferences. A concept is
likely to evolve iteratively as one or more sites are investigated and
the repository design is refined to reflect local conditions. In this context,
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently published technical guidance on the management of site investigations for radioactive
waste repositories. A key objective of the publication Management of Site Investigations for Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities (IAEA, 2023) is to
ensure that site investigation efforts in Member states have firm
foundations based on a clear understanding of data and information
requirements. The publication was developed to reflect the experiences and
knowledge from a range of disposal programmes, and it is intended to support
initiation of well-planned and focused site investigations in Member states
with a need to develop and site radioactive waste disposal facilities. A siting process is intended to result in the identification of a suitable
location for any nuclear installation, including a deep geological
repository, and ultimately to receive authorisation to construct and operate
the facility. To achieve this objective, it will be necessary to ensure that
the combination of site properties and engineered barrier properties provides requisite levels of safety for the inventory under consideration (IAEA,
2015). The siting process and associated site investigations for a radioactive
waste disposal facility follow a stepwise process, irrespective of whether
the early stages of siting start with investigating and screening the
national territory or whether the iterative investigation process starts
with a more focused approach, e.g. volunteer sites, sites with
already well-known characteristics, sites with existing nuclear facilities
or similar ones (IAEA, 2023). Site investigations should follow a graded approach in an iterative manner,
reflecting a phased approach to decision-making and the development of
disposal facilities (IAEA, 2011). At each stage in the siting process the
disposal system is to be evaluated based on the data and information
available at that time. Following an assessment, a gap analysis comparing
requirements to knowledge about the site would identify process model and
data uncertainties affecting confidence in the implementation of the
disposal concept at the site. Furthermore, the IAEA also recently launched a project to develop guidance
reflecting good practices in Member states' programmes for establishing site
selection criteria and applying a decision-making framework as part of a
siting process.