Commission Opinion of 25 September 2012 relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of the Caorso Nuclear Power Plant, located at Piacenza, Italy, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
Date: 2012-09-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, decommissioning of power stations, exchange of information, nuclear power station, public safety, radioactive pollution, radioactive waste, storage of waste, waste disposal








C_2012290EN.01000101.xml










26.9.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 290/1





COMMISSION OPINION
of 25 September 2012
relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of the Caorso Nuclear Power Plant, located at Piacenza, Italy, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty
(Only the Italian text is authentic)
2012/C 290/01
The assessment below is carried out under the provisions of the Euratom Treaty, without prejudice to any additional assessments to be carried out under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the obligations stemming from it and from secondary legislation.
On 4 April 2012, the European Commission received from the Italian 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 Caorso Nuclear Power Plant.
On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 8 May 2012 and provided by the Italian authorities on 18 June 2012, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:






1.


The distances between the Caorso site and the nearest border with another Member State are 200 km for France and 300 km for Slovenia.










2.


During normal decommissioning operations the discharges of liquid and gaseous radioactive effluents are not liable to cause an exposure of the population in another Member State that would be significant from the point of view of health.










3.


Solid radioactive waste will be stored on site awaiting the availability of a national repository.










4.


Non-radioactive solid waste and residual materials in compliance with clearance levels will be released from regulatory control 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).










5.


In the event of unplanned releases of radioactive effluents that may follow an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in another Member State 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 of the Caorso Nuclear Power Plant, located at Piacenza, Italy, 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 a radioactive contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.

Done at Brussels, 25 September 2012.


For the Commission

Günther OETTINGER

Member of the Commission