Commission opinion of 20 October 2003 concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning and dismantling of the nuclear power plant KMK and the storage of radioactive wastes in the on-site storage facility at Mülheim-Kärlich in Rhineland-Palatinate in the Federal Republic of Germany, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
Date: 2003-10-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Rhineland-Palatinate, decommissioning of power stations, nuclear safety, radioactive effluent, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste, storage of waste

C 253/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.10.2003

COMMISSION OPINION

of 20 October 2003

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning and
dismantling of the nuclear power plant KMK and the storage of radioactive wastes in the on-site
storage facility at Mülheim-Kärlich in Rhineland-Palatinate in the Federal Republic of Germany, in
accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(2003/C 253/07)

(Only the German text is authentic)

On 6 May 2003 the European Commission received from the German Government, in accordance with
Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste
arising from the decommissioning and dismantling of the nuclear power plant KMK and the storage of
radioactive wastes in the on-site storage facility at Mülheim-Kärlich.

On the basis of these data and additional information provided by the German Government on 22 July
2003, and following consultation with the group of experts, the Commission has drawn up the following
opinion:

(a) The distance between the plant and the nearest point on the territory of another Member State is

approximately 90 km to Belgium.

(b) During normal operation, discharges of liquid and gaseous effluent will not cause an exposure of the

population in other Member States that is significant from the point of view of health.

(c) Solid radioactive waste arising from the dismantling operations will be stored in the on-site storage
facility (interim storage facility on the same site). Non-radioactive solid waste or residual materials and
materials which are released from regulatory control will be released for disposal as conventional waste
or for reuse or recycling. This will be done in compliance with the criteria laid down in the Basic
Safety Standards (Directive 96/29/Euratom).

(d) In the event of unplanned discharges of radioactive waste, which may follow an accident of the type
and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in
other Member States would not be significant from the point of view of health.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of
radioactive waste in whatever form arising from the decommissioning and dismantling of the nuclear
power plant KMK and the storage of radioactive wastes in the on-site storage facility at Mülheim-Kärlich in
Rhineland-Palatinate in the Federal Republic of Germany, both in normal operation and in the event of an
accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in the radioactive
contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another
Member State.