Practical application of international recommendations and safety standards in the systematic planning and implementation of remediation of sites or areas with residual radioactive material

Abstract

The IAEA fundamental safety objective is ‘to protect people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation’ and this must be done ‘without unduly limiting the operation of facilities or the conduct of activities that give rise to radiation risks’, while ensuring that people and the environment, present and future are protected against radiation risks (IAEA 2006 Fundamental Safety Principles, Safety Fundamentals No. SF-1). In addition, ‘protective actions to reduce existing or unregulated radiation risks must be justified and optimized’ (IAEA 2006 Fundamental Safety Principles, Safety Fundamentals No. SF-1). An international system of radiological protection can be applied such that processes, such as remediation, can be systematically undertaken to address the wide range of ‘existing exposure situations’ present globally. In doing so, decisions made regarding actions undertaken can be demonstrated to be ‘justified’ and ‘optimized’ (i.e. balanced), such that the amount of effort should be commensurate with the risk (applying a ’graded approach’). In addition, protection of people and the environment can be demonstrated by comparing the actual exposure to appropriate criteria over the lifetime of remediation. This paper provides an overview of the current IAEA safety standards on remediation of sites or areas contaminated with residual radioactive material within the international system of radiological protection and provides practical examples of their application through case studies considered in IAEA international model validation programs.