WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1723/98 by Undine-Uta BLOCH von BLOTTNITZ to the Commission. Limit value exceeded in the transport of radioactive waste
Date: 1998-05-19
Institutions: BLOCH VON BLOTTNITZ, European Parliament
Subjects: France, approximation of laws, export of waste, health control, ionising radiation, occupational safety, public health, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste

C 402/156

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.12.98

(98/C 402/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1723/98

by Undine-Uta Bloch von Blottnitz (V) to the Commission

(19 May 1998)

Subject: Limit value exceeded in the transport of radioactive waste

DSIN, the French safety authority, has recorded radioactive contamination on the surface of transport containers
for radioactive substances and on the surfaces of the vehicles which in some cases are far in excess of the
permitted limit values. These dangerous contamination levels have been recorded not only on consignments
within France but also on cross-border consignments to France from other Member States, and from third
countries.

1.

Does the Commission have any information on this? If so, what information exactly?

Since when has the Commission been in possession of this information, from whom did it receive the

2.
information and when?

3. What further action will the Commission take to protect workers in companies transporting radioactive
materials from the dangers of this increased level of radiation?

Given the recent evidence of limit values being exceeded, how effective does the Commission regard the

4.
rules on radiation protection and the monitoring of these rules within the European Union?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(24 June 1998)

The Commission first received information on this matter from the French Office de protection contre les
rayonnements ionisants on 30 April 1998. Since then the Commission has regularly received and continues to
receive further information as it becomes available from the French authorities and operators involved. Contact
has also been made with other Member States. Extensive information regarding the levels and extent of
contamination of the transport flasks and the actual or potential exposure of workers and members of the public
has been received both in writing and at a meeting on 18 May 1998 of the Commission(cid:146)s standing working group
on the safe transport of radioactive material.

Limits for non-fixed surface contamination specific to transport containers, resulting from Council Directive
94/55/EC of 21 November 1994 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States with regard to the
transport of dangerous goods by road (1) and Council Directive 96/49/EC of 23 July 1996 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States with regard to the transport of dangerous goods by rail (2), have indeed been
exceeded in certain cases as regards localised (cid:145)hot spots(cid:146) on the surfaces of the spent fuel casks and within the
housings in which they are transported. However, the available information clearly indicates that neither workers
nor members of the public have received doses in excess of the limits of radiation exposure laid down in the
Community basic safety standards directive for the health protection of the general public and workers against the
dangers of ionizing radiation. Monitoring of workers has shown no indication of any significant intakes of
contamination. This finding is consistent with the conservative basis on which the surface contamination limits
have been derived. If the removable contamination over 100 cm2 is attributable to caesium 137 and is ingested in
its entirety, the dose to the recipient would be appreciably less than 1 % of the annual limit for a member of the
public.

Member States are responsible for ensuring the application of the above Community directives. In the present
case the authorities reacted appropriately to the situation which they uncovered, thus fulfilling their responsi-
bilities. Moreover, the results of the French investigations show that, even with the deviations from the
requirements which took place, no overexposure of workers or the public occurred. The standing working
group meeting of 18 May 1998 discussed the French experience in depth and the lessons learned were
communicated to Member States(cid:146) authorities. A need for the extension of the International nuclear events scale
to allow the significance of transport events to be communicated to the public was particularly noted. No other
action is foreseen by the Commission, subject to any points arising from the completion of Member States(cid:146)
investigations and confirmation of steps they will take to avoid any repetition of the situation.

(1) OJ L 319, 12.12.1994.
(2) OJ L 235, 17.9.1996.