ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (74)2285
Vol.1974/0386

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM (74)2285 final .
Bruxelles .8January 1975
PROGRAMME ONRADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND
STORAGE
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
COM (7*02285 final .

TABLEOFCONTENTS
PROGRAMME Page
1.Motivation ........ 2
2.Programmeproposals 5
-Processingofsolidradioactive \tfaste
--Storageand.disposalofhigh-activity and/or
long-livedradioactive wastes
-Studyofanadvancedmanagementmodel
(separationandtransmutation ofactinides)
-Surveyoftheproblemsinvolvedinthe
managementofradioactive wastethatcouldnot
besolvedintheexistinginternational legal.
administrative andfinancial frameworx
-Studyoftheguidingprinciplesforthe
managementofradioactive waste
3.Summaryandbreal:do;moftheproposedfunding 11
4-Technicalannexes(AandB) 12
PROPOSALPORAC0U1TCILDECI3I01I.. 30
A1W3XES 32

~2-
Programme onradioactive waste management and storage
1„Motivation
On22November 1973 "theCouncil approved ,aspart oftheCommunity 's
programme ofaction fortheenvironment ,theprinciple ofafive-point
work plan concerning themanagement ofradioactive waste (OJC112 ,
20December 19T3)-Itasked theCommission toputforward aproposal
onthesubject before 31December 1974-
The Council reaffirmed the need for such action inits resolution of
<7November 1974 (R/2996/74EHV .137/EUER .48)andfelt that itwasthe
responsibility oftheCommunities andtheMember States tostudy the
problems involved mainly innuclear power expansion andinparticular ,
inradioactive waste =.
Thereasons endaims ofCommunity action inthis sphere maybe
summarized asfollows :
~Onthetechnical side ,there isthefact that thegrowth inthe
useofnuclear energy tomeet anincreasing proportion ofthe
Community ^electricity requirements hasaconcomitant disadvantage
inthat industrial radioactive waste isproduced inquantities
proportional tothescale ofthenuclear electricity programme ;
Annex Acontains some forecasts regarding theactivity andvolume
ofthewaste which will have tobedealt with bytheendofthis
century .
Themanagement ofthis waste -especially that with ahigh specific
activity andlong half-life such asisproduced infuel-reprocessing
plants -presents andwill continue topresent difficult problems for
those Community countries which have ahigh population density .It
istherefore essential tofind effective solutions for the isolation
(and/ordestruction )ofsuch waste (after appropriate processing and ,
where necessary ,transport )forperiods which mayinsome cases run
into geological era *

-3-
ItIsalso necessary toevolve alegal ,administrative andfinancial
framework toensure that thewaste ismanaged without danger tothe
public orthe environment ,
-Action atCommunity level offers anumber ofadvantages .Some partial
solutions arealready being studied incertain Member States ,butthe
efforts vary inintensity .Inthesearch forsolutions ,time andmoney
could becaved byexchanging information andsharing work .Thepublic
service nature ofthis work andthesecondary importance ofthecommercial
interests atstake call forCommunity --level direction -
Furthermore ,many problems inthis sphere have industrial ,economic o;n&
social repercussions which affect whole regions such astheCommunity ,
■?orinstance ,theindustry which produces themost waste •-irradiated --fuel
reprocessing ■-works for amarket which transcends national frontiers ;
solutions must therefore besought onawider plane .
Thesolutions adopted mayalso influence thedevelopment ofnuclear
power through their economic impact andthrough thereception they
meet with among thepublic ;acommunity approach should convince
thegeneral public that both nan andhisenvironment will beprotected ,
whatever thetechnologies adopted tosuit particular features of
national territories ortheurgency ofthenuclear programmes ;it
should thus facilitate theharmonious development ofnuclear power
production inalltheCommunity countries .
--Asregards thetimescale ,theexperts consider that itwill take at
least another fewdecades ofhard work inorder todevelop andtry out
inpractice thebest solutions totheproblems posed byradioactive
*
waste management -andespecially disposal "--inahighly developed
nuclear economy .Itistherefore nottooearly totake animmediate
(/Cfnotes onpage 4

-4-
decisiontojoinforcesinordertocopewiththesituationwhichwill
obtainintheyears1990"to2000.
Consequently ,thisprogramme,whichisproposedforaperiodoffive
years(1975-1980)»must"beregardedasthefirststageofalonger-term
programme .
Ithasbeendrawnup"bytheCommissionwiththeaidofaworkingparty
composedofnationalexperts.Itconsistsofaseriesoftechnological
projectsandgeneralstudiesaimedatworkingoutthetechnicalsolutions -
andlegal,administrative andfinancialframeworkneededtoenablethe,
managementofradioactive wastetobecomeanintegralpartofthe
nuclear-fuelcycleindustries,withoutendangeringtheenvironment
andmankind.
AllthesestudiesandprojectswillbefinancedlargelybytheCommission
andcoordinated byitwiththehelpofaProgrammemanagementcommittee
comprisingrepresentatives of.theMember .StatesandCommissionofficials.
Thiscommitteewillhavetomeetassoonasthisprogrammeisapproved.
Theworkwillbecarriedoutbyqualifiedpublicorprivateagencies
intheMemberStates,
Theproposedprogrammetakesintoaccounttheresearchworkcurrently
inhandattheCommunityJointResearchCentre,theresultsofwhich
willserveasback-upmaterialforthisprogramme.
Italsotakesintoaccounttheactivitiesoftheinternational organizations
inordertoavoidduplication.Inparticular,itproposesaCommunity
financialcontribution towardsthecontinuation ofcertaintechnological
studiesbegunbytheOECDJointEnterprise(2urochemic).
/
Itwillbesubmittedforreviewattheendoftwoyears,toreorientate
oramplifyindividualprojectswherenecessaryinthelightofthe
resultsobtained.

2,Programmeproposals
Programmeproposaisconcern:v'
-workontheprocessingofradioactive wastewithaviewtostorage
(***)anddisposai N;
-workonwastestorage,andCommunitymeasurestopromotedisposal
ingeologicalformations ;
-strategicstudiestoassesstheadvantageofanadvancedmanagement
model(separationandtransmutation of-actinides);
-studiesdesignedtoidentifytheproblemsofradioactive waste
managementwhich"cannotbesolvedundercurrentinternational
legal,administrative andfinancialprovisions,andtopropose
appropriatesolutions;
-studiesoftheprincipleswhichmustguideradioactive waste
managementfromthetechnicalaspects.
2.1.Processingofsolidradioactive waste
Theprocessingofthevariouscategoriesofradioactive waste
isaproblemwhichisbeingtackledbymostoftheMemberStates,
althoughiTithvaryingresources.Verysatisfactory solutionsexist
forcertaintypesofwasteandforintermediate storage,butthe
processingmethodsforivastedisposal(ultimatestorage)needto
befurtherimproved.
TheCommissionandthenationalexpertsthereforefeltthatthe
followingpointsshouldbeincludedintheCommunityprogramme
tosupplementtheworkoftheMemberStates.
Thepurposeoftheseprojectsistodevelopprocessingmethods
toensuregreatersafetyinhandlingofcertaincriticalcategories
(*)SeealsoAnnexB.
(**)Storage:wasteisstoredwiththeintentionandpossibilityof
recoveringthematerialsinquestionatalaterdate.
(***)Disposal(orultimatestorage):thewasteisdepositedina
placefromwhichitisvirtuallyirretrievable-
Ref.OEOD"Radioactive wastemanagementpracticein
WesternEurope"Sept.f71•

-6-
ofwasteanditstransporttostoragesites,andtopermitor
facilitatetheuseofreliablelong-termorpermanentstorage .
(disposal)techniquestoreplacethepresentmethodsofinterim
storage..
Storagesafetyandthenatureofthematerialsconditionedarelargely
complementary and,tosomeextent,interdependent ,byreasonofthe
interactions oftheconfiningmediumandmaterialconditioned .
a.Medi^m-mtivity solidvrastes
Studyofimmobilization withplasticresins(SheetNo.1)inplace
ofbitumen,affordingasubstantialreductioninvolumecompared
withothermethods.
b,High-activity_solidwastes
Studyofthedecontamination andconditioning ofirradiatedfuel
elementcladdings(SheetHo,2)enablingthepresentprovisional
underwaterto"bereplacedbyastorageprocesswhichisreliable
inthelongterm;
Studyoftheincorporation ofcalersfrom_high-activityjraMes
producedinreprocessingplantsinametalmatrix(SheetNo..3)
inplaceofglassmaterialswhoseradiationlevelisdifficultto
assessinthelongtemandwhichdonotefficientlydissipatethe
heatgeneratedbyradioactive decay,thusaddingtotheproblems
ofstorage,
c>Alpha-contaminated solidwastes
•Studyofanincinerationprocess(SheetNo.4)affordingappropriate
conditioning ofashforthepurposesof,long-terrastorage.
d,Measurementandcomparisonofthe_piy>pertiesofthevarious
immobilization mediaforsolidifiedproducts(SheetNo.5)
Thisprogrammetobe-launchedinCommunitylaboratories should
enableacomparisontobemadeonajointbasisofthe
characteristics ofthedifferentimmobilization media-beingdeveloped,
toassistlaterselectionofthemost'promisingprocesses.
Comr.unitycontribution :
a............... « 0.5Mua
b 3,5Mua
c„ 1,3Kua
d *, 0*3Mua
Total 5.8Kuaoverfiveyears

-7-
ι
2,2 ,Storage anddisposal ofhigh-activity and/orlong-lived radioactive
wastes
After conditioning inasuitable solid form ,high-activity wastes will ,
aocording totheexperts ,bestored forseveral decades inartificial
structures inorder toenable them tobepartially cooled by
radioactive decay ,This cooling will help thesubsequent handling ,
'transport anddisposal operations ,
Theprocesses forthedisposal (final storage )ofradioactive wastes
containing long-lived emitters (high-activity wastes from reprocessing
plants ,wastes from reprocessing ofplutonium fuel elements )must in
themeantime bedeveloped with thenecessary care .They pose arather
(**)unusual problem v',because they have toisolate these products from
theenvironment forextremely long periods .
Practically alltheexperts agree that disposal into suitable geological
formations represents adefinitive solution totheproblem outlined
above andonwhich ought tobeapplied wherever possible assoon as
this canbedone with afull knowledge ofthefacts .
Thesignificance ofafinal aridirreversible decision tobury such
waste farbelow theearth must notbeunderestimated ,Apooling of
information andresults ofstudies ,apermanent comparison ofthe ,
experience gained bythevarious states atthelevel ofalarge
geographical andindustrial entity such astheCommunity -only by
these means cansuch adecision bemade attheright moment .
Accordingly ,theCommission andthenational experts having regard
tothe unequal and often limited status ofthe work carried out sofar
intheMember States ,considered that the present part ofthe progrrmme
constituted thebedrock ofCommunity action asregards environment
protection inthefield ofradioactive imstes -and inthe same way
wasafundamental factor intheharmonious development ofnuclear energy .
(*)i.e. ,emitters whose activity declines very slowly with time (thousands
ofyears ),cases inpoint being aotinides such asisotopes ofplutonium ,
americium and curium . !
(**)Certain chemical vra.stes raise similar problems (e.g.mercury ).

•8-
Theproposedactionsaxeasiollows: -.
a-Exchangeofinformation andcomparisonofdesignsforinterim
storagefacilities (artificialstructures);studyoftheposition
ofsuchstorageinanoverallwastemanagementstrategy(SheetNo.6).
b.Communitypro.jeotonthedisposalofradioactive wasteingeological
formations(SheetHo,7)comprising:
-listingormappingbyspecializedinstitutes
intheCommtmityofthegeologicalformationssituatedwithinthe
territories oftheCommunitycountriesthatareofasuitabletype
forfinaldisposal;
-•selectionandstudyofcertainsites,if
possibleofdifferentgeologicalcharacteristics ,whichnational
authorities would "bepreparedtoacceptasexperimentalfinal
(**)storagesites ;
.1....*»...-LUmv 1
-thesetting-upofthesee:rperimental sites
onthe"basisoftheresultsoftheforegoingsteadies,andtheir
technicalmanagement ,undertheauspicesoftheCommission,by
aCommitteeresponsibletotheProgrammeManagementCommittee
,referredtoonpage3;existingsite(s)couldbeincludedinthe.
projectifthegovernment(s)responsibl-sowished^\
c,Inaddition,specificpro.jectonthestorageofgaseouswaste
(SheetITo.-3)isalsosubmittedinviewofthepotentialinterest
oftheinformationobtainedinthecourseofprojects(a)and(b)
inthisconnectionandthemultinational natureoftheproblem„
Communitycontribution :
a 0.2Mua
b. ..12,0Mua
c,.., 0.2Mua
Total 12,4iiuaoverfiveyears
(*)Thismeansexperimentalsiteswherefinalstoragemethodswillbe
triedout,althoughitvrillstillbepossibletorecoverthewaste
pendingthedecisionontheuseoffinalmethods ..
(**)Atthisstage,responsibility foreachsitewillliewiththeState
concerned ,

Studyofsinadvancedmanagementmodel(separationandtransmutation
ofactinides)... 'j;~
Actions2.1and2.2in-thisprogrammeformpartofaradioactive -
managementmodelextrapolated' fromcurrentstorageandprocessing
practices;itrepresentsanoverallapproachinthatthewaste
willbemanaged(processed,storedanddisposedof)intheformin
whichitisproducedbythenuclearplants,i.e.asmixturesof
radioactiveproductshavingT-ddely'differingproperties,andin
particularwithdegreesoftoxicityandhalf-liveswhichmaydiffer
by'factorsofaboutamillion.
Onlytheactinideshaveverylonghalf-livesandexhibitalpha;
radiotoxicity ;thisraisestheproblemofisolatingthemfromthe
environmentforperhapsamillionyears.
Theproblemofwastedisposalwouldthereforeintheorybesimplified
iftheactinidescouldbeseparatedfromtheotherxfastesand
destroyedascomplementary fuelinnuclearreactors .
Although"selective"managementofthiskindappearsattractiveat
firstsight,theexpertsareunabletosayatpresentwhetherit <
isofanyrealadvantageandcouldcomeuptoexpectations ,iFirst,
thehazardstotheenvironment ofthefinalstorageofactinides
areperhapsgreatlyoverestimated andmustbeanalysedindepth,
Secondly,thenewtechnicaloperationsinvolved-separationand
destruction ofactinides-wouldaddtothelistofproblemstobe
•·'Γ1'./·
solvedand,sincetheycouldnotbeperfect,mightthemselvesproduce
furtherwaste,
Forallthesereasons,theCommissionandthenationalexperts
stronglyadvocate,inviewofwhatisatstake,thecoordination
ofeffortsintheCommunity,-andespeciallyintheJRC*slaboratories
(multi-annualresearchprogramme-directaction)withthesupport
ofCommunityfinancingforadhocevaluationstudies(SheetNo.9)>
Community ,contribution : 0.76Iluaoverfiveyears.

-10-
2o4 »Survey ofthe problems involved inthemanagement ofradioactive
waste that could not "be'solved intheexisting international legal ,
administrative and financial framework
Management .ofradioactive waste ,especially high-activity and
long-lived waste ,will call fornuclear facilities with unusual
technical characteristics ,i.e. waste storage anddisposal sites .
These facilities will have tocontain the waste inisolation from
theenvironment forvarious periods which will sometimes be
extremely long .
Itisnecessary tostudy thetypes ofproblem (financial ,
administrative ,legal )tobefaced bymanagers ofthese facilities
inorder toensure that they function correctly atalltimes andto
monitor their .operation .Itwould then bepossible toevaluate the
scope oftheir responsibilities ,todecide onthelevel (private ,
I
governmental ,Community )atwhich themanagers should berecruited
and to'assess thepossible limits oftheinternational conventions
inforce ^ , ' • ■
TheCommission intends tosetupaselect working party ofexperts
(technicians ,health protection specialists and ,atalater stage ,
specialized lawyers )tomake proposals inthis connection ,The
Commission should also have alimited budget sothat itcould have
... .thenecessary analyses performed under study contracts .
The Commission considers that this work isanessential counterpart
totheactivities outlined insection 2.2inthesearch forageneral
scheme forthestorage anddisposal ofradioactive waste insuch a
wayastosafeguard theenvironment andthegeneral public .It
appears logical totheCommission toundertake this work asandwhen
technical problems develop andincoordination with thework onthem ,
soastoprovide arealistic basis fortheir solution andprevent the
development ofnuclear energy intheCommunity from being inhibited ,
after thetechnical problems aresolved ,bytheabsence ofthe
necessary legal ,administrative ,andfinancial framework .
Community financing (tOC$ ) 0,2Muaover five years .
(*)Brussels andParis Conventions ;these govern liability tothird
parties after accidents andforvery limited periods .

-11-
\
2.5.Studyoftheguidingprinciplesforthemanagementofradioactive
waste
Theworkandstudiesoutlinedaboveshouldmakeitpossibleto
prepareapreliminarysetofguidingprinciplesforthemanagement
ofhigh-activity and/orlong-livedradioactivewaste.
ThesecriteriawillbeformulatedbytheCommission,withthe
assistanceofaworkingparty,inclosecooperationwiththe
International AtomicEnergyAgency,andtheCECD'sNuclearEnergy -
Agency. 1,
3»Summaryandbreakdownoftheproposedfunding
\'
I■111 111 ■ 1■[
!. :Totalr1975i
■ ' !
j i(lua)|(Kua)|1 \/ »–fj !! 1! --. A 1 i|1976
\■(Mua)
i'
i J1977;1978
(Mua)i(ïfca).1979
(Mua)
1 1
I
A.Contractcostsj
i
B.Staffand I
administrative
costsi
18,40j240
j*
I,
i
|
i
i0.76i0,12LL5.00
0.13
ι'
iI
4,60|3-90
i
ι
0,15j0.17
È
: ;2,50
0,19
{
♦
I
jTotal I
il,.i.1n.....^
I19.16
i
> iI
2.52 j\
I5-13
ii
4.75!4.07
l
I i
»i j
2.69
i
Thisactionwillrequireastaffof4-

AMEXA
EstimatedproductionofradioactivewasteintheEuropeanCommunity
(basedonthenewenergypolicystrategy)
I !
i I|1980
i 1990 12000 j
High-activity
waste
(1)(2)(3)j– !volume jannual
(n3)Icumulative~350 ι
~1300 1I~2500 !~6000
1~17000|~70000
i
activity
(ci)! !
annual
cumulative
! I~s.7.10?i-5.5.10?;-Ί.4.1010~1.1,1011!~3.1011!
! ! ; 1
I –La.. ' J
Médiumand
low-activity
waste
(5
1
1 11
volume
(i»3)
1 .1annual
cumulative 'severaltens
ofthousands
j>100,000 !
i I!
y100,000 1several
!hundredsof
jthousands
y1,000,000iseveral
| jmillions
i
(1)Cladding,fissionproductsandactinides.
(2)Reprocessingindustryonly.
(3)Thepercentageofactinidesisabout1%ofthetotalvolumeandQ.Y/oofthetotalactivity
ofhigh-activity waste.
(4)Processedwaste(compactedorvitrified).
(5)Nuclearreactorsandreprocessingfacilities.

ΑΝΕΕΧΒ
Descriptivetechnicalnote®onthevarious
operationsto"becarriedoutunderthisprogramme
(programmesheets)

-14-
SheetÏTo.1
Medium-activity solidwaste:studyonimmobilization withplasticresins
Medium-activity wasteoriginating fromthetreatmentofeffluentsfrom
light-i:ater powerreactorsisgoingtoconstitute ,atleastsofaras
volumeisconcerned,oneofthemostimportantfeaturesofradioactive
wasteititheyearsahead.
Theseeffluentsareprocessedbyevaporation andtheresultantconcentrate
isnowadaysalmostexclusivelyincorporated inconcrete.Althoughitis
satisfactory andcanofferahighdegreeofreliability ,thismethodhas
severalinherentdisadvantages :
l
-toproducehomogeneousblocksisatechnologically delicateoperation;
-totransporttheblocksobtained,specialdevices(shieldedtransport
containers,etc.)arenecessarytobringthepackagingintolinewith
thetransportregulations ;
-tostoretheseblocksspecialprecautions mustbetakentoavoidthe
effectsofrapidchangesoftemperature.
Themethodofpackagingbycoatingwithbitumencanoffsetthese
disadvantages ,butcallsforotherprecautions owingtotheflammable
natureofbitumen.
AthirdmethodnowbeingdevelopedintheUnitedStatesandinEurope
consistsinimmobilization inplasticresins.Developments inEurope,
atanyrate,havenotyetgonebeyondthepilotstageonverylow-activity
products.Animportantadvantageofthismethodisthatithasalarge
volume-reduction factorcomparedwiththeconcretingtechniqueinparticular,
andthisisatangiblegaininrespectoftransportandtheareasrequired
foreithertemporaryorpermanentstorage.

-15-
Theproposal istodevelop apilot facility capable ofprocessing medium -
activity effluents .Toinstall apilot facility ofthis kind ata
power reactor site would probably bedifficult andscarcely compatible
with themanagement ofthereactor effluents unless large storage
capacities were built .Forthis reason itisproposed tobuild such
apilot facility asanannex totheeffluent treatment plant attached
toanirradiated fu®l works ,seeing that therespective properties of
theeffluents make this aviable proposition .
Programme ,
-Erection ofapilot facility adjacent tosjiirradiated fuel reprocessing
works toimmobilize medium-active effluents inplastic resins .
-Operation ofthis experimental facility . x
-Comparison ofthis process with theother present-day processes .
Community contribution :0.5million u.a .over five years .
)

-16-
Sheetïïo.2
v .
High-activitysolidwaste:decontamination andconditioning of
irradiatedfuelelementcladdings .
Thecladdingsoffuelunloadedfromli$it-waternuclearreactorsafter
irradiation aresecondonthelistasregardstotalradioactivity of
radioactive waste.Thiswastehasahighspecificactivity,which
identifiesitashigh-activity waste,andalsoahighcontentof
transuranic elements.
Thepresentexpedientofunder-water storageinconcretesilosonthe
premisesofthereprocessing worksisnotasatisfactory long-term
solution.Whatisneeded,therefore,istodevelopamethodfor
decontaminating andconditioning thecladdingsinaformsuitablefor
long-termstorage.
Programme
-Assessmentofthevarioustypesofcladding.
-Physicalandchemicalpropertiesofthecladdings.
-Comparative studyondecontamination processes.
-Developmentofaprocessforconditioning thesecladdingsforlong-term
storagewhilenetrulingoutthepossibilityofrecyclingtheir
zirconium.
-Comparative studyoftheconversioncostsandrisksinherentinthe
variousprocesses.
Communitycontribution# 0.8millionu.a.overfiveyears.

-17 --
A
Sheet No,3
., (
High-activity solid waste ?immobilization offission product calces
inametallic matrix
Thereprocessing ofirradiated fuel isameans whereby "unburnt "uranium
,andnewly-created plutonium canbesalvaged forlater use .Thefission
products areseparated during these operations intheform ofvery highly
active liquid waste which isstored intanks ontheworks premises after
having been concentrated byevaporation ,
This expedient ,entirely satisfactory asitmaybeiritheshort term ,
gives rise tosome long-term problems since itwould beessential to
change thetanks periodically forfear ofcorrosion .Furthermore ,it
,will notalways befeasible tostore onsite forvery long periods anda
transport operation will beneeded which canbest becarried outwhen the
fission products have been brought into asolid form .Anumber of
techniques forsolidification andimmobilization inmatrices favouring
theoperations oftransport andstorage therefore ought tobeavailable
>forlarge-scale useinEurope during thenext decade ,when thereprocessing
industry will enter aperiod ofrapid expansion .
Theonly technique developed sofarinEurope from thelaboratory stage
tothepilot industrial stage isvitrification .While this method
.ensures ahi$i level ofsafety itha.stwodisadvantages :
-The fact that glass isapoor heat conductor complicates storage
operations .
-Glass isasubstance that would bedifficult tohanle ifinafewyears
time itproved necessary toreprocess thevitrified products inorder ,
forexample ,toseparate outthetransursnic elements .
Inaddition tothese disadvantages there isstill some uncertainty over
thelong-term behaviour ofthevitrified products .

-18-
ItisproposedtodevelopanothermethodwithintheEuropeanCommunity,
wherebyfission-product calcesbrsmall-sizedglass "beadsobtainedby
vitrification areimmobilized inametallicsubstance.Thismethod
appearstoofferthepossibility ofovercomingtheabove-mentioned
disadvantages .Themethodhasbeeninvestigated onalaboratoryscale
byEurochemicwhichhasfiledpatentsconcerningit.Trialshavenot
gonebeyondtheinactivestage,however,andthecessationbythis
companyofitsreprocessing activities meansthetermination ofthe
complementary researchworkfinancedbyit.
TheworkwhichtheCommunitywouldcarryoutinthisfieldshouldbe
doneata.reprocessing workshavingconcentrated fissionproductsonhand.
TheworkalreadycarriedoutbyEurochemicwouldappeartomakeit
desirabletocontinuethestudyatthiscompany'ssite.
Programme
ItisproposedthattheCommunityshouldgiveEurochemicacontractto
researchthisprocessunderactiveconditions.,Theprogrammewouldcover:
-preliminaryinvestigations inahotcellunderactiveconditions ;
-theconstruction ofasnailactive "pilotfacility;' ■
-operationofthispilotfacilityforabouttwoyears.
Communitycontribution :2.7millionu.a.overfiveyears.

SheetNo.4
Plutoniumcontgminated solidwaste;incineration process
Solidwastecontainingplutoniumisproducedinfairlylargequantities
incerainnuclearfuelfabricationplantssaidinthe"tail-end"operations
offuelreprocessingplants.Thiswastemainlyconsistsofpaper,
filters,gloves,oilsandawidevarietyofmaterialsusedinalpha
gloves-boxes .
7
Forthetimebeing,thiswasteisprocessedeitherbybeingcompressed
andsuitablyencasedorbybeingcompressedandimmobilizedinbitumen
orconcrete.Thesubstances,afterbeingthusconditioned ,aredisposed
ofatstoragesitesorintindergroundworkingsorelsetheyaredumpedat
seaasapartofthesea-dumpingoperationsorganizedbytheHEA.
Inthelongterm,thisapproachisunsatisfactory forthefollowing
reasons:
!■
-thevolumeisunnecessarily high;
-thefactoftheconditioning beingsomewhatrudimentarylimitsthe
storageandsea-dumpingpossibilities ;
-thepossibilities ofrecoveryaretoofew.
Itisfortheforegoingreasonsthatatwofoldeffortisneeded:
(1)toconditionslightlycontaminated wastemoresuitably;thiswould
affordalargereductioninvolumeandbetterpossibilities of
.permanentstorageorsea-dumping ; i
(2)torecoverthemaximumamountofplutonium.
Theprogrammecoversthedevelopmentofahigh-temperature incinerator
(minimum1400°C)designedtohandlevarioustypesofwastecontaminated
byplutonium,andfittedwithareliablegasscrubber.

-20
Theuseofsucljhigh-temperature furnacesinindustryhasshorntwo
majoradvantages:
(a)whensuitablycooled,thecombustiongasesareeasytofilterin
viewofthevirtualabsenceofuriburntsubstancestherein;
(b)theashcollectedinmoltenformisthenalreadyconditionedfor
permanentstorageorsea-dumping .
Thisprogrammeinessencewouldachievetheobjectivementionedaboveat
(l)andcouldalsomarkthestartingpointforachievingobjective(2).
Programme
Itcovers:
-aphaseforthedesignandconstruction ofapilotfacility;"
-aphasefortheresearchandexperimental operationofthefacility;
-aphasefortechno-economic comparisonswithotherincinerators ,as
wellascomparisonswithwettechniquesforprocessingplutonium-
containingwaste;
-exploratorytestsconcerningrecoveryoftheplutoniumheldbytheash.
Communitycontribution :1.5millionu.a.overfiveyears.

-21
Slieet$7o.5
Testingandevaluationofthepropertiesofvariouspotentialmaterials
forimmobilizing high-activitywasteinasolidform
SeveralCommunitycountriesareengagedinprogrammesonthelong-term
immobilization ofhighlyradioactivewaste(fissicnproducts)inglasses
andsimilarmaterials.Suchworkrequiresanassessmentofthelikely
long-termphysicochemical stabilityofthesematerials,whichcanonly
~"> '
"beforthcoming layemployingmethodsusing"accelerated"tests.Such
methodsaretrickyandexpensivetouse,sothatsomeconcentration of
theexperimentsinafewlaboratories wouldenableduplicationtobe
avoidedandtrulycomparativeresultstobeobtained.
Programme
Itcovers:
1.Thedevelopmentofacommonsetofequipmentformeasuring:
> •
-theleachingrateoffissionproductsandactinides;
-therateofvolatilization offissionproductsandactinidesfrom
thesolid-phasestorageplaces.
2.ACommunitystudyoftheeffectontheintegrityoftheimmobilization
substances(matrices)of: '
-temperature j
■■¥"-temperaturegradients;
-temperaturevariations ;
-ionizingradiations(neutron,alpha,beta,gamma);
-redactionandtemperature combined.
Communitycontribution :0.3millionu.a.overfiveyears.

22
Sheet No.6
Sto"PC-go .ofsolidified rad~ .oaotive eoll6--w£nt' einengineered B~fcru .ctr .rpg
Assoon assit hasteen conditioned into asuitable solid form ,high-
activity waste will ,according totheexperts ,"bestored forseveral
decades inspecial structures ("engineered structures "),located atthe
site ofthereprocessing plant producing thewaste .* This will enable
ittohepartially cooled offthrough radioactive decay andmake the
subsequent operations ofhandling ,conveyence tothepermanent storage
sites ordisposal much easier .
Such structures must isolate thewaste stored over therequired period ,
remove theradioactive decay heat ofthese products andenable them to
"berecovered fordisposal .They must combine maximum reliability with
minimum surveillance requirements .
Insome Member States saidattheCommission conceptual orpre-project
studies arebeing conducted inorder toassess various possible solutions
(individual ,modular orcollective structures forholding thecontainers ;
cooling with airorwater ,etc.).
Theprogramme proposed below should facilitate exchanges ofinformation
onthework inhand inthevarious countries andshould ensure optimum
integration ofthestage ofstorage inengineered structures into the
sequence ofdifferent operations that constitute radioactive waste
management 5itshould also provide thenecessary background fordefining
theCommunity 'scriteria forsuch facilities .
"Theannual volume ofsolidified waste produced remains quite low ,at
about 30m3fora500metric tons perannum piexit.

-23-
Programme
-Comparisonor.conceptualstudiesorunderwayintheMembercountries,
intheCommissionandoutsidetheCommunity.Mainconclusions .
-Studyofvariousstrategiesforkeyingthestageof"storagein
engineeredstructures"intothesequenceofoperationswhichstart
withtheproductionofhigh-activity liquidwaste "bythereprocessing
plantsandfinishwithpermanentstorageingeologicalformations.
-Recommendations ..
Communitycontribution :0.2millionu.a.overfiveyears.

-24-
Sheet No,7
Disposal ofradioactive waste ingeological foraations
1,Experts arepractically unanimous that high -activity andalpha -
active waste must "bepermanently stored insuitable geological structures .
Certain types ofgeological structure are "bynature capable ofoffering
allthenecessary conditions forstorage ofthis kind ,including :
-saline formations ;
-granités ;
-"basalts ;
-clays .
Itis,ofcourse ,true that notevery geological structure corresponding
tothese types islikely tohesuitable .Such structures must also
satisfy anumber ofcriteria ,such asanadequate stability ofthe
impermeable strata isolating theformation andstrength ofthe structure
forthemaking ofcavities .
Assooften happens ,theavailable data areinadequate and ,what ismore ,
arenot atthesame status forthevarious geological structures .A
further point toconsider isthat there already isastorage site inone
oftheCommunity Member countries and itwould beanadvantage tobenefit
from itsexperience .
2.Itwould therefore bedesirable :
-tocatalogue first those geological formations inCommunity countries
which Eiight besuitable forstorage purposes ;
-toassess ,bearing inmind other factors ondtheeconomic andsocial
background inparticular ,thenumber andnature ofthemost suitable
sites from amongst -Lhesites inthecatalogue ;
-toascertain whether such sites canbeused normally foroneortwo
decades orwhether temporary storage must beaccepted forafairly
lengthy period (50-100 years );
-toEtudy thestorage conditions andthepossibilities ofrecovering
waste which will beassigned into such sites .

-25-
Aspecific study ofafewgeological structures andtheexperimental
operating ofthem over several years eretheonly likely means of
achieving these objectives .Ajoint study would also obviate theneed
foreach Member country todevelop straightaway itsowndesigns and
techniques forsuch storage facilities .Itcould even possibly
constitute thefirst step towards thesetting-up ofConnunity sites ,in
particular through mutual exchanges ofwaste onanexperimental basis
between the countries where the demonstration sites would beinstalled .
3*Itisproposed that there should beaCommunity "disposal ofwaste in
geological formations "project ,financed partly bytheCommunity and
managed byanadhoccommittee answerable totheCommittee onProgramme
Management mentioned intheIntroduction ,acting under theauthority ofthe
Commission .
-Preparation bythespecialized bodies intheCommunity ofalist (or
map)ofthegeological formations located intheterritories ofthe
Community Member countries which would beofasuitable type fora
permanent storage .This work could bebased onthecomprehensive
cartographic study carried outbyEuratom from 19^3 to1963 .
-Execution ofpreliminary studies ontheselected sites ,where possible in
different geologioal formations ,while making allowances forthedifferent
levels ofinformation ,based ontheforegoing study andforwhich the
competent national authorities would beready toagree tothebuilding of
anexperimental storage site ;such studies have toform part ofthe
safety file required forobtaining thenecessary permits .
-Building ofdemonstration sites inthelight ofthecompleted studies .
These sites would bedesigned from thestart asthough thestorage hadto
bepermanent butwith thepossibility of,recovering thewaste over .a
certain period .They will bemanaged ,from thetechnical standpoint ,by
anadhoccommittee answerable totheCommittee onProgramme Management
mentioned intheintroduction ,acting under theauthority ofthe
Commission .Such sites would atthis stage remain theresponsibility of
each State concerned .

-26-
-Sitesalreadysetup"bytheMemberStatescould,wheretheGovernment
i3willing,beassociated ,withthisproject.
-Themainaimoftheseactivitiesistomakepossiblethedevelopmentof
practicalexperienceassociatedwithapermanentexchangeofinformation
fromwhichalltheMemberStateswouldbenefit,todeterminethe
technicalandeconomicconditionsofsuchstoragefacilitiesandto
improvethenecessarygeologicalknowledge.Theywouldfurthernijke
thedisposalofwasteingeologicalformationsmorereadilyacceptable
bypublicopinion.
Conmnitycontribution s12mu.a.overfiveyears.

-27-
Sheet Ho.8
Storage ofgaseous wastes
Sofareffluent gases produced bynuclear plants have largely been
discharged into theatmosphere where they become diluted andrapidly
disappear through radioactive decay .Thequantities ofkrypton -85and
tritium produced andtheir slow decay show that anaotion ought tobe
undertaken inthe near future toreduce the effect ofthese elements
upon the environment .
Methods must thus bedeveloped which will first .allow thekrypton and
•*
tritium tobecontained andisolated andthen permit appropriate steps
tobetaken towards environmental safety inconnection with their long-
term storage .Tothis end ,amethod ofimmobilizing gasbubbles inthe
pores ofwater -andair-tight solid supports istobestudied forthe
purpose offinally enabling products tobestored inthesolid form .
Thesafety ofsuch atechnology must becompared with that ofstorage
inpressurized containers onland oratsea .
Inthecase oftritium ,these studies aretobesupplemented bywork on
recovery oftritium from tritiated water .Hhis gas isatpresent
emitted bynuclear plants ,with other effluent gases ,ortoalarge
extent ,insolution inliquid wastes .„
Programme
-Study ofaseparation method forkrypton -85andtritium from other
effluent gases .
-Study oftritium recovery from solution inliquid wastes .
-Development andevaluation ofamethod ofimmobilizing krypton -85and
tritium inasolid support .
-Comparative study andevaluation onmatters relating toenvironmental
risks from :
-storage insolid supports ;
-storage onland inpressurized containers j
-discharging atseainpressurized containers .
Community contribution :0.2mu.a »over five years .

-28-
SheetZTo»9
Separationandrecyclingoflong-livedwastes(actinides)
Theradioactive wastesproducedbythenuclearindustryconsistof
fissionproducts,actinides*,andactivationproducts.Onlythe
secondofthese,asaresultoftheirverylonghalf-lives,create
problemsofisolationformillionsofyearsinthehumanenvironment.
Consequently ,theproblemofwastedisposalwouldbegreatlysimplifiedif
actinidescouldbeseparatedfromtheotherwastesanddestroyed,e.g."by
beingburntasacomplementary fuelinnuclearpowerplantswhichwould
convertthemintoshort-lived productsorinactiveproducts.
Suchaplanofactionimplies:
(a)researchinthefieldofnuclearchemistryaimedatdevelopinga
practically one-hundred-per-centefficientprocedureforseparating
actinidesfromuraniumandfissionproducts,whileensuringthatno
significantincreaseinthetotalvolumeofwastesisthereby
caused;
(b)researchintoproductionmethodsforactinide-based fuelelements;
(c)researchinthefieldofreactorphysicstohelpimproveknowledgeof
in-piledestruction oftheseproducts*andtoallowtheincreasein
potentialoftheseisotopesinvariousreactorstobeassessed.
Forthesereasons,theCommissionandthenationalexpertsreoommendthat:
-theendeavourofthevariousCommunitybodies,includingCommission
laboratories whichareworkingonthechemicalseparationandtrans­
mutationinconnectionwiththeJRC'smultiannualresearchprogramme,
beunified}
-thetechnicaldemandsofsuchaplanofactionnnditschancesofsuccess
beevaluatedindetail,andifthesechancesprovegood,theextentto
whichitwillcontributeinthelongtermtoprotectingtheenvironment
bethoroughlyassessed.
*Variousisotopesofthorium,protactinium ,uranium,neptunium,
plutonium,ainericiumandcurium.

-29-
\
Theseassessmentsnevertheless requiree.knowledgeofcertaindata^which
arestillmissing#Consequently ,thestudyoftheplanofactionproposed
hereshouldrelyuponanexperimental programmewhichisrestricted'atthis
stagetotheessentialtopics.Theprogrammeoutlinedhereanswersall
theseconcernss
Prorranme
\
-Assessmentofthevarioustechnicalpossibilities forseparatingactinides.
Determination ofthequantityofactinideproductsinthevarioustypes
ofreactorsaccordingtothedifferenttreatmentprocesses.
-Choiceoftheconditionsneededforin-piledestructionofrecycled
actinides.
-Analysis "bythecriticalpathtechniqueofthepotentialhazardspresented
byactinidesinwastes.
-Developmentofcriteriaregardingthelevelofwhichplutonium
contamination oughttobereducedbeforestorage.
-Comparisonbetweenthehazardsbroughtaboutbyactinideseparationand
itspotentialbenefit.
Communitycontributions 0.76mu.a.overfiveyears.

-30-
PROPOSALFORACOUNCILDECISION ADOPTING APROGRAMME CONCERNING THE
MANAGEMENT ANDSTORAGEOPRADIOACTIVE WASTEUNDERTHEPROGRAMME OF
ACTIONOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ONTHEEFTIROMENT
TheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunities ,
HAVINGregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanAtomicEnergy-
Community,andinparticularArticle7thereof;
HAVINGregardtotheproposalpresentedbytheCommissionafterconsulting
theScientificandTechnicalCommittee ;
HAVINGregardtotheOpinionoftheEuropeanParliament ;
HAVINGregardtotheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee;
WHEREAStheprogrammeofactionoftheEuropeanCommunities onthe
environment,approvedbytheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunitiesandthe
representatives oftheGovernments oftheMemberStatesmeetinginthe
CouncilintheDeclarationof22November1973*,underlinestheneedfor
Communitymeasuresonthemanagementandstorageofradioactive waste
andwhereasitlaysdownthecontentofandproceduresforimplementing
suchmeasures;
WHEREASinthenearfuturenuclearenergyisdestinedtobecomeoneofthe
mainsourcesofenergyalongsidetraditionalsources,andwhereasits
specificnaturerequirespermanentmonitoringofitspotentialeffectsand
intensified measuresandresearchtoprotecttheenvironment**;
WHEREASthedevelopmentofnuclearenergyinevitablyinvolvestheproduction
ofradioactive waste,andwhereasitisthereforeessentialtofind
effectivesolutionswhicharecapableofensuringthesafetyandprotection
ofbothmanandhisenvironmentagainstthepotentialhazardsinvolvedin
themanagementofsuchwastes
*0JNoC112,20December1973,Chapter7»Section2.
**0JNo, ,R/2996/74(ENV137/EKER48),Council
Meetingheldon7November1974*

-31-
HASADOPTEDTHISD3CISI0N
IArticle 1
Aprogrammeontheenvironmentrelatingtothemanagementofradioactive
wasteshallbeadoptedintheformsetoutinAnnexesIandIIfora
five-yearperiodfrom1January1975*TheAnnexesformanintegral
partofthisDecision.
Article2
Theupperlimitforexpenditure commitments andforstaffnecessaryfor
theimplementation ofthisprogrammeshallbe19«16millionunitsof
accountandfourCommunityservants,theunitofaccountbeingdefined
inArticle10ofthefinancialregulationof25April1973applicableto
thegeneralbudgetoftheEuropeanCommunities.
Article3
TheprogrammesetoutinAnnexesIandIIshallbesubjecttoamendment
attheendofthesecondyear,inaccordancewiththeappropriate
procedures•
DoneatBrussels.
FortheCouncil
ThePresident

-32-
mnsKi .
ACTIONINTHEFIELDOFTHEENTIROMENT t
MAWAGBIENT OFRADIOACTIVEWASTE ,
Amaximumamountof19«16millionunitsofaccountshnll"beallocatedto
thisprogramme(thenumberofstaff"beingfixedatfour).
Theaimoftheprogrammeisthejointdevelopment andfinalization ofa
systemofmanagementofradioactive wasteproducedbythenuclear
industrywhich,atitsvariousstages,willprovidemanandhisenvironment
withthebestprotectionpossible.
InordertoallowtheCommissiontopresentsuitableproposalsatthe
earliestopportunity ,theprogrammeseekstopromote:
A,Worktosolvecertaintechnological problemsposedbythe...
'processing ,storageanddisposalofradioactive waste
Processingï■■■ ' "
-Medium-activity solidwaste:coatingwithplasticresins;
-High-activity solidwaste:decontamination andconditioning of
irradiatedfuelelementcladding;...
-High-activity solidwaste:immobilization ofcalcinedwastefrom
fissionproductsinametalmatrix;
-Solidwastecontaminated withplutonium:incineration method;
-Comparativestudyofthepropertiesofvariousmaterialssuitablefor
immobilization ofhigh-activity waste.
Storageanddisposal
-Storageofsolidifiedradioactivewasteinengineeredstructures;
-Disposalofradioactive xirasteingeologicalformations;
-Storageofgaseouswaste.

\
-33-
Studyofanadvancedmanagement model
-Separationandrecyclingoflong-livedwast©(actiriides)./
B.Worktocontribute towardsthedefinitionofageneralfrarcework
concerningradioactive wastestorageanddisposal:
–Reviewofproblemsposedbyradioactive wastemanagementwhichare
notsolvedunderexistinginternational legal,administrative and
financialprovisionsandproposalsforsolutions }
-Studyofprincipleswhichshouldgovernradioactive wastemanagement#(legaltaariinistrativo ,financial)fortheimplementation ofmeasures
AHUESII
TABLESHOWING ?UPPERLBIITFOREXPENDITURE (AMDSTJ1FF)
ProgrammeCommitments (in
millionsofu*a.)Staff
Managementofradio'
activewaste-19.16 4