GUIDE NO.

AERB/NF/SG/RW-3
GUIDE NO. AERB/NF/SG/RW-3

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

AERB SAFETY GUIDE

PREDISPOSAL MANAGEMENT
OF
HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE

ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD

AERB SAFETY GUIDE NO. AERB/NF/SG/RW-3

PREDISPOSAL MANAGEMENT
OF
HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

Mumbai-400 094
India

January 2012
 Price:

Order for this guide should be addressed to:

The Chief Administrative Officer

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
Niyamak Bhavan
Anushaktinagar
Mumbai-400 094
India
 FOREWORD

Activities concerning establishment and utilisation of nuclear facilities and use of

radioactive sources are to be carried out in India in accordance with the provisions of
the Atomic Energy Act 1962. In pursuance of the objective of ensuring safety of
members of the public and occupational workers, as well as protection of environment,
the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has been entrusted with the responsibility
of laying down safety standards and enforcing rules and regulations for such activities.
The Board has, therefore, undertaken a programme of developing safety standards,
safety codes and related guides and manuals for the purpose. While some of these
documents cover aspects such as siting, design, construction, operation, quality
assurance and decommissioning of nuclear and radiation facilities, other documents
cover regulatory aspects of these facilities.
Safety codes and safety standards are formulated on the basis of nationally and
internationally accepted safety criteria for design, construction and operation of specific
equipment, structures, systems and components of nuclear and radiation facilities.
Safety codes establish the safety objectives and set requirements that shall be fulfilled
to provide adequate assurance for safety. Safety guides elaborate various requirements
and furnish approaches for their implementation. Safety manuals deal with specific
topics and contain detailed scientific and technical information on the subject. These
documents are prepared by experts in the relevant fields and are extensively reviewed
by advisory committees of the Board before they are published. The documents are
revised when necessary, in the light of experience and feedback from users as well as
new developments in the field.
Operation of nuclear and radiation facilities may generate high-level radioactive waste.
Management of this waste may involve long-term storage at various stages before its
final disposal. This safety guide provides guidance for predisposal management of
high-level radioactive waste to meet various safety requirements prescribed in the
safety code on ‘Management of Radioactive Waste’. In drafting this guide, extensive
use has been made of the information contained in the relevant documents of
International Atomic Energy Agency.
Consistent with the accepted practice, ‘shall’ and ‘should’ are used in the guide to
distinguish between a firm requirement and a desirable option respectively. Approaches
for implementation different to those set out in the guide may be acceptable, if they
provide comparable assurance against undue risk to the health and safety of the
occupational workers and the general public, and protection of the environment.
For aspects not covered in this safety guide, applicable national and international
standards, codes and guides, acceptable to AERB should be followed. Non-radiological
aspects such as industrial safety and environmental protection are not explicitly
considered in this guide. Industrial safety is to be ensured through compliance with
the applicable provisions of the Factories Act, 1948 and the Atomic Energy (Factories)
Rules, 1996.

i
This guide has been prepared by specialists in the field drawn from the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Nuclear Power Corporation of
India Limited and other consultants. It has been reviewed by the relevant AERB
Advisory Committee on Codes and Guides and the Advisory Committee on Nuclear
Safety.
AERB wishes to thank all individuals and organisations who have prepared and
reviewed the draft and helped in its finalisation. The list of persons, who have
participated in this task, along with their affiliations, is included for information.

(S. S. Bajaj)
Chairman, AERB

ii
 DEFINITIONS

Acceptance Criteria
The standard or acceptable value against which the value of a functional or condition
indicator is used to assess the ability of a system, structure or component to perform
its design function or compliance with stipulated requirements.
Accident
An unplanned event resulting in (or having the potential to result in) personal injury or
damage to equipment which may or may not cause release of unacceptable quantities
of radioactive material or toxic/hazardous chemicals.
ALARA
An acronym for ‘As Low As Reasonably Achievable’. A concept meaning that the
design and use of sources, and the practices associated therewith, should be such as to
ensure that exposures are kept as low as reasonably practicable, with economic and
social factors taken into account.
Approval
A type of regulatory consent issued by the regulatory body to a proposal.
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)
A national authority designated by the Government of India having the legal authority
for issuing regulatory consent for various activities related to the nuclear and radiation
facility and to perform safety and regulatory functions, including their enforcement
for the protection of site personnel, the public and the environment against undue
radiation hazards.
Authorisation
A type of regulatory consent issued by the regulatory body for all sources, practices
and uses involving radioactive materials and radiation-generating equipment.
Competent Authority
Any official or authority appointed, approved or recognised by the Government of
India for the purpose of the rules promulgated under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
Conditioning of Waste
The processes that transform waste into a form suitable for transport and/or storage
and/or disposal. These may include converting the waste to another form, enclosing
the waste in containers and providing additional packaging.

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Contamination
The presence of radioactive substances in or on a material/the human body or other
places in excess of quantities specified by the competent authority.
Decommissioning
The process by which a nuclear or radiation facility is finally taken out of operation in
a manner that provides adequate protection to the health and safety of the workers, the
public and the environment.
Decontamination
The removal or reduction of contamination by physical or chemical means.
Design
The process and results of developing the concept, detailed plans, supporting
calculations and specifications for a nuclear or radiation facility.
Discharge (Radioactive)
Planned and controlled release of (gaseous or liquid) radioactive material into the
environment.
Discharge Limits
The limits prescribed by the regulatory body for effluent discharges into atmosphere/
aquatic environment from nuclear/radiation facilities.
Disposal (Radioactive Waste)
The emplacement of waste in a repository without the intention of retrieval or the
approved direct discharge of waste into the environment with subsequent dispersion.
Documentation
Recorded or pictorial information describing, defining, specifying, reporting or
certifying activities, requirements, procedures or results.
Dose Limit
The value of the effective dose or the equivalent dose to individuals from controlled
practices that shall not be exceeded.
Effluent
Any waste discharged into the environment from a facility, either in the form of liquid
or gas.
Emergency Plan
A set of procedures to be implemented in the event of an accident.

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Environment
Everything outside the premises of a facility, including the air, terrain, surface and
underground water, flora and fauna.
High Level Waste (HLW)
A type of waste, which contains any of the following:
(a) The radioactive liquid containing most of the fission products and actinides
present in spent fuel, which forms the residue from the first solvent extraction
cycle in reprocessing, and some of the associated waste streams.
(b) Solidified high level waste from above and spent reactor fuel (if it is declared
a waste).
(c) Any other waste with similar radiological characteristics.
Maintenance
Organised activities covering all preventive and remedial measures, both administrative
and technical, to ensure that all structures, systems and components are capable of
performing as intended for safe operation of the plant.
Monitoring
The continuous or periodic measurement of parameters for reasons related to the
determination, assessment in respect of structure, system or component in a facility or
control of radiation.
Occupational Exposure
All exposures of personnel incurred in the course of their work.
Occupational Worker
Any person, working full time or part time in a nuclear or radiation facility, who may
be employed directly by the consentee or through a contractor.
Off-site
Area in public domain beyond the site boundary.
Quality Assurance
Planned and systematic actions necessary to provide the confidence that an item or
service will satisfy given requirements for quality.
Radiation Surveillance
Measures that may be specified by the competent authority to provide adequate
protection either generally or in any individual case.

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Radioactive Waste
Material, whatever its physical form, left over from practices or interventions for which
no further use is foreseen: (a) that contains or is contaminated with radioactive
substances and has an activity or activity concentration higher than the level for
clearance from regulatory requirements, and (b) exposure to which is not excluded
from regulatory control.
Records
Documents, which furnish objective evidence of the quality of items and activities
affecting quality; they include logging of events and other measurements.
Regulatory Body
(See ‘Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’).
Safety Assessment
A review of the aspects of design and operation of a source which are relevant to the
protection of persons or the safety of the source, including the analysis of the provisions
for safety and protection established in the design and operation of the source and the
analysis of risks associated both with normal conditions and accident situations.
Segregation (Radioactive Waste)
An activity where waste or materials (radioactive and exempt) are separated or are
kept separate according to radiological, chemical and/or physical properties to facilitate
waste handling and/or processing. It may be possible to segregate radioactive material
from exempt material and thus reduce the waste volume.
Storage (Radioactive Waste)
The placement of radioactive waste in an appropriate facility with the intention of
retrieving it at some future time. Hence, waste storage is by definition an interim
measure and the term interim storage should not be used.
Surveillance
All planned activities, viz. monitoring, verifying, checking including in-service
inspection, functional testing, calibration and performance testing carried out to ensure
compliance with specifications established in a facility.
Waste Form
The waste in its physical and chemical form after treatment and/or conditioning prior
to packaging.
Waste Immobilisation
The conversion of radioactive waste into solid form (by solidification, or by embedding,

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or encapsulating in a matrix material) to reduce the potential for migration or dispersion
of radionuclides during transport, storage and disposal.
Waste Management
All administrative and operational activities involved in the handling, pre-treatment,
treatment, conditioning, transportation, storage and disposal of radioactive waste.
Waste Package
The product of conditioning that includes the waste form and any containers and internal
barriers (e.g. absorbing materials and liner), as prepared in accordance with
requirements for handling, transportation, storage and/or disposal.
Waste Treatment
Operations intended to benefit safety and/or economy by changing the characteristics
of the wastes by employing methods such as
(a) volume reduction,
(b) removal of radionuclides, and
(c) change of composition.
After treatment, the waste may or may not be immobilised to achieve an appropriate
waste form.

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 SPECIAL DEFINITIONS
(Specific for the Present Guide)

Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LILW)

Radioactive waste in which the concentration or quantity of radionuclides is above
clearance levels established by the regulatory body, but with radionuclide contents
below those of high level waste. Low and intermediate level waste is often separated
into short lived and long lived waste.

viii
 CONTENTS

FOREWORD ....................................................................... i

DEFINITIONS ....................................................................... iii

SPECIAL DEFINITIONS ....................................................................... viii

1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 1
1.1 General ....................................................................... 1
1.2 Objective ...................................................................... 1
1.3 Scope ....................................................................... 1

2. RADIATION PROTECTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL

SAFETY ....................................................................... 2
2.1 General ....................................................................... 2
2.2 Radiation Protection .................................................... 2
2.3 Non Radiological Hazards ........................................... 2
2.4 Protection Measures and Control ................................ 2
2.5 Safety Assessment ........................................................ 3

3. DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF

PREDISPOSAL MANAGEMENT FACILITIES OF
HIGH LEVEL WASTE ............................................................. 4
3.1 General ....................................................................... 4
3.2 Design ....................................................................... 4
3.2.1 Waste Tank Farm for High Level Liquid Waste
Storage ....................................................................... 5
3.2.2 Waste Transfer ............................................................. 6
3.2.3 Sampling System .......................................................... 6
3.2.4 HLLW Processing ........................................................ 7
3.2.5 Plant Ventilation System .............................................. 9
3.2.6 Off-gas System ............................................................. 9
3.2.7 Surveillance and Monitoring ........................................ 10
3.2.8 Auxiliary Service System ............................................. 10
3.3 Construction ................................................................. 11
3.4 Commissioning ............................................................. 11
3.5 Operation and Maintenance ......................................... 11
3.6 Waste Characterisation ................................................. 12
3.7 Specific Safety Aspects of HLLW Concentration
System ....................................................................... 13
3.8 Material Handling and Remotisation System .............. 13
3.9 HLW from Nuclear and Radiation Facilities ............... 14
3.10 Decommissioning ......................................................... 14
4. STORAGE OF SOLID AND SOLIDIFIED WASTE
PRODUCT ....................................................................... 15
4.1 General ....................................................................... 15
4.2 Surveillance and Monitoring of Storage Facility ......... 15
4.3 Heat Removal ............................................................... 15
4.4 Transportation of Waste Packages ............................... 16
4.5 Safety Aspects of Solid Waste Requiring
Geological Disposal ..................................................... 16

5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF WASTE GENERATOR/

MANAGER ....................................................................... 17
5.1 General ....................................................................... 17
5.2 Responsibilities of Waste Generator/ Manager ........... 17

6. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAMME (QAP) .................. 19

6.1 General ....................................................................... 19
6.2 QAP for Predisposal Management of HLW ................ 19
6.3 Training and Qualification ........................................... 21

7. DOCUMENTATION AND RECORDS .................................... 22

7.1 General ....................................................................... 22
7.2 Types of Documents and Records ............................... 22
7.3 Operational Records .................................................... 23
7.4 Waste Characterisation Records .................................. 23
7.5 Waste Package Records ............................................... 23
7.6 Reports ....................................................................... 24
7.7 Accessibility and Retention of the Records ................. 24
7.8 Record Keeping ........................................................... 24

REFERENCES ....................................................................... 25

BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................... 26

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ....................................................................... 28

EXPERT COMMITTEE FOR THE PREPARATION OF SAFETY

GUIDE (ECSGRW-3) ....................................................................... 28

ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR PREPARATION OF SAFETY

DOCUMENTS ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE
MANAGEMENT (ACSDRW) ................................................................. 29

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR SAFETY (ACNS) ............ 30

PROVISIONAL LIST OF SAFETY CODE AND SAFETY

GUIDES ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT .................... 31
 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 General
Operation of nuclear fuel cycle and radiation facilities may generate high-
level radioactive waste (HLW). A major stream of this waste is the aqueous
radioactive waste generated from the first cycle extraction of the spent fuel
processing. Also solid waste not suitable for disposal in near surface disposal
facilities due to significant concentration of long-lived radionuclides or decay
heat above the prescribed limits may also need to be regarded as high level
waste.
1.2 Objective
Objective of this safety guide is to provide guidance on predisposal
management of high-level radioactive waste to meet the safety requirements
spelt out in the safety code on ‘Management of Radioactive Waste’ AERB/
NRF/SC/RW [1]. This safety guide provides recommendations to the waste
generator/ manager at various stages in the predisposal management of high-
level radioactive waste for ensuring safety of the occupational workers, public
and the environment.
1.3 Scope
This safety guide applies to the predisposal management of HLW. It provides
guidance on design, construction and operation of facilities for predisposal
management of HLW including waste storage farm for liquid HLW. This
safety guide also provides guidelines for predisposal management of high
level waste generated during operation and decommissioning activities of
nuclear and radiation facilities.
This safety guide may not be applicable for the management of low and
intermediate level waste including the secondary waste generated during
predisposal management of HLW. Guidance on management of low and
intermediate level radioactive waste is provided in the AERB safety guide
on ‘Predisposal Management of Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive
Waste’ AERB/NRF/SG/RW-2 [2].

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 2. RADIATION PROTECTION AND
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY

2.1 General
Predisposal management of HLW needs to be dealt in a manner that protects
human health and the environment now and in the future without imposing
undue burden on future generations [3]. A programme for monitoring and
surveillance needs to be established to provide reasonable assurance that the
relevant safety objectives are fulfilled while carrying out management
activities of HLW.
2.2 Radiation Protection
Predisposal management of HLW may result in radiation exposure to
occupational workers and members of the public. Design of the facility and
operational practices for predisposal management of HLW should be aimed
to control occupational radiation exposure and also exposure to members of
the public.
Radiation exposure to the occupational workers and the public should be
within the limits prescribed by the regulatory body [4]. The exposures should
be maintained as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) by implementing
engineered and administrative controls.
2.3 Non Radiological Hazards
Non-radiological hazards associated with the predisposal management of
HLW should also be taken into account in the design and operation of the
facilities. Protection from the non-radiological hazards including chemical
toxicity should be provided in accordance with relevant standards pertaining
to industrial safety and environmental protection.
2.4 Protection Measures and Control

Following methods, as applicable should be used to control and limit radiation

exposure:
(a) Design provision
(b) Zone classification for different areas of the facility as per the
approved radiation protection procedures
(c) Remote handling techniques for operation and maintenance
(d) Work planning, training, administrative controls and mock-ups to
minimize exposures during operation and maintenance activities

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 (e) Establishing activity limits for transfer of radioactive substance from
areas of higher contamination/radiation level to areas of lower
contamination/radiation level
(f) Provision of equipment for monitoring and control of contamination,
radiation exposure of workers, public and the environment
(g) Estimation of possible intake of radionuclides by occupational
workers and ways of reducing it
(h) Provision for future augmentation and decommissioning.
2.5 Safety Assessment
Safety assessment including environmental impact assessment of the
predisposal HLW management facilities should be carried out to demonstrate
safety of the workers and the public during normal operations and anticipated
incidents/ accidents. It should be conducted prior to construction and operation
of HLW management facility. It should also demonstrate that HLW packages
adequately confine radionuclides under normal operations and anticipated
incidents/accidents.
The safety assessment should address interalia the following:
(a) Identify and address of the relevant safety criteria
(b) Methods for collection and evaluation of data and information
(c) Identification of normal and abnormal operating conditions
(d) Consequences of incident/accident
(e) Formal list of postulated initiating events (PIE’s) and design basis
accidents (DBA) and design basis for protection.
For safety assessment, the following should be considered:
(a) Design basis of the plant
(b) Equipment and the activities involved in the handling of HLW, and
the passive and active safety systems
(c) Physical and chemical properties of HLW, such as, volumes, toxicity
and inventories of radionuclides and non-radioactive components
(d) Site characteristics which are necessary to assess possible
environmental impact to be addressed during design and operation
of the respective facility;
(e) Operating conditions or limits necessary to establish safety limits
during normal operations
(f) List of PIE’s for anticipated operational occurrences (AOO) and DBA
should be prepared and provision to mitigate the consequences should
be elaborated.

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 3. DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF
PREDISPOSAL MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
OF HIGH LEVEL WASTE

3.1 General
The facilities for predisposal management of HLW need to be designed,
constructed and operated in a manner that ensures safety to occupational
workers, public and the environment now and in future.
3.2 Design
The design of HLW predisposal management facilities should ensure safe
operation and maintenance and also facilitate replacement of system, structure
and components as necessary. The following should be considered in the
design of HLW predisposal management facility:
(a) Waste generation, its characteristics and possible variations
(b) Site characteristics
(c) Environmental safety
(d) Plant and personnel safety
(e) Waste acceptance criteria
(f) Operational safety
(g) Minimization of secondary waste and its management
(h) Maintenance
(i) In-service inspection
(j) Refurbishment and renovations
(k) Interfacility transfer of waste
(l) Life expectancy
(m) Decontamination and decommissioning
(n) Retrievability of stored waste
(o) Industrial and fire safety
(p) Physical protection and security
(q) General design features
(r) Corrosion (acidity, temperature).

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3.2.1 Waste Tank Farm for High Level Liquid Waste Storage
The high level liquid waste (HLLW) generated from the spent fuel processing
plants may be stored safely in specially designed waste storage tanks located
in waste tank farm area for an interim period before it is taken up for treatment
in waste management facility.
General design philosophy for HLLW storage system should be aimed at
safe storage and transfer of HLLW by providing engineered safety,
administrative procedures and surveillance to ensure safety during normal
operation and off normal situations.
The HLLW storage tanks and the waste tank farm should be designed to
ensure structural integrity and safety against possible damage resulting in
leakage of waste to environment under all operational and accidental
conditions. This should be achieved by applying the concept of containment
with multiple barriers and leak detection system with remedial measures to
prevent spread of activity. Waste storage tanks and related structure should
be designed as per the applicable seismic code.
The tank farm vault should be lined with appropriate material as an additional
barrier. The lined compartment should have properly sized sump. The sump
should have provisions for remote surveillance, monitoring and emptying.
The storage capacity of HLLW tanks should be based on the waste generation
rate and the interim period for which the liquid waste is to be stored before
further processing. Appropriate redundancy for storage/tankage should be
provided for handling of exigencies.
The HLLW storage tanks should have provisions for cooling of its contents
to remove decay heat, for homogenization of its contents to avoid settling,
for sampling and withdrawing the contents. The tanks should be designed for
adequate negative pressure to minimise the spread of contamination. The
system design should also ensure continuous in-service inspection (ISI) and
surveillance monitoring of the tank parameters such as tank level, temperature
and pressure.
The monitoring provision should be made for HLLW storage facilities to
ensure operability of safety related systems, for example, ventilation, cooling
and level detection systems. Consideration should be given for providing
redundant monitoring. In addition, measures should be provided to monitor
physical and chemical parameters of the waste as required by the safety
assessment, for example, temperature, pressure, and concentration of
constituents, radiolytic decomposition of aqueous solutions and buildup of
potentially flammable or explosive substances during normal operation and
blackout condition. Measures should also be provided for maintaining these
parameters within acceptable limits, as well as to ensure discharge of airborne
and liquid effluents below regulatory limits.

5
 Shielding of waste storage tank farm should be designed as per the prevailing
regulatory requirements.
Primary and secondary containments of the storage system (i.e., storage tanks
and vault) should be designed as per the applicable seismic classification to
ensure that the storage system remains safe even during a maximum potential
earthquake for specific site.
Adequate monitoring and surveillance provisions such as bore wells should
be provided in the surrounding areas of the waste storage facility to detect
the activity leakages, ingress water and radionuclide migration, if any.
3.2.2 Waste Transfer
Depending on the characteristics of the waste solution, especially the solid
contents, the transfer mode should be reliable and near-maintenance-free with
adequate redundancies. The number of interfacility wastes transfer lines
should be optimised.
The facility should preferably be based on hot-cell concepts with adequate
ventilation. The storage vessels containing HLLW and transfer devices should
be housed in separate cells with provision of inspection and monitoring of
leakages and ingress water.
Inter-facility pipelines should have adequate shielding and provision for leak
detection. The transfer system should have multiple engineered barriers to
ensure containment of radioactive liquid. Pipe-in-pipe concept should be used
as primary and secondary containment. Provision should be made for
monitoring annular space of the HLLW transfer line for timely detection of
loss of primary containment of the line. Provision should also exist for
monitoring ingress water into the waste pipe-line trench and draining of water
and management scheme for the same.
The layout of the piping and the location of the facility should be such that
there is no hold up after the transfer operation. Siphoning of the liquid should
be avoided by design. Provision should be made for decontamination of the
waste transfer lines.
Process interlocks should be incorporated to facilitate the safe transfer
operations with respect to level, pressure and temperature of the source and
destination tanks involved in the HLLW transfer.
3.2.3 Sampling System

Treatment and conditioning of HLLW involves various stages where radio-

chemical analysis of the waste is important for assessing the activity and
characteristics of the liquid. Sampling system should employ passive
components. Provision should be made to provide homogenous and

6
 representative samples, ensure fail-safe operation with minimum spread of
contamination and avoid cross contamination. The sampling system should
be connected to an off-gas treatment system to provide sufficient negative
pressure in the system. Decontamination and maintenance facilities should
exist in sampling systems.
3.2.4 HLLW Processing

HLLW processing involves treatment of the waste and conditioning in suitable

matrix to produce vitrified waste product of desired properties for safe
transportation, storage and disposal. This is achieved by providing engineered
safety features, administrative procedures and surveillance to ensure safety
during normal operation and off-normal situations. The design of the HLLW
processing systems, operational practices and the maintenance of facility
should result in minimum radiological exposure. A defense-in-depth concept
should be used in the design of HLLW predisposal management facilities.
Administrative controls should also be included to enhance the safety of the
facility.
The design of predisposal management facilities for HLLW should include
features (engineering controls) to maintain containment, removal of decay
heat and avoid criticality, especially when concentrating HLLW to reduce
total volume.
Integrity and safety of the primary and secondary containments against
possible failure should be ensured. Sufficient redundancy and diversity for
normal operation as well as off-normal conditions should be incorporated in
the design.
HLLW transfer lines should be for a dedicated application and should not
have inter connection with any transfer lines of other type/categories of waste.
Independent modes of feeding for melters, evaporators and all other equipment
for critical processes should be ensured. Liquid transfer for forward routing
or recycling should be incorporated in the design to achieve necessary
operational flexibility. Such flexibility is useful to tackle the conditions that
may arise if the waste streams produced during processing do not comply
with the stipulated limits for discharge or to meet the process requirements.
Cross contamination of stream should be avoided.
All the equipment involved in processing should be connected to off gas
treatment system capable of maintaining adequate negative pressure. This
system should also ensure the proper flow of the off-gases generated. Adequate
number of filtration cycles and dilution should be provided before the off-
gases are discharged to the atmosphere. Off-gas cleaning system should aim
for removal of condensibles, entrained liquids and particulate activities.

7
Layout of the facility should be planned to provide segregation of active and
inactive services. Multiple cell concepts may be adopted and layouts of the
equipment are to be segregated in such a way that the maintenance on these
equipment involves minimum radiological exposure. Individual cell may have
multiple compartments.
Important parameters such as temperature, pressure and level of all the
processing equipments should be monitored and adequate facilities should
be available for their continuous monitoring since such parameters indicate
the operational conditions.
Design of treatment and conditioning equipments should be based on the
following basic parameters:
(a) Process conditions such as chemical kinetics, high temperature, void
fraction in the solid bed, foaming characteristics, amount of corrosive
components
(b) Waste processing rate
(c) Waste characteristics (acidity, total solid content, activity-alpha, beta,
gamma, detailed elemental analysis, sulphate content, fluoride
content, actinide content, total oxide content)
(d) Decay heat of the immobilised product and cooling requirement
during storage and transportation
(e) Compatibility of the waste with matrix
(f) Waste acceptance criteria covering the properties such as chemical
durability, thermal stability, mechanical properties and radiation
stability
(g) Radiolytic decomposition and resultant gas generation involved in
any stage of the process
(h) Consideration of secondary waste generation
(i) Suitability of the conditioned waste packages for transportation
including retrieval and emplacement in a repository.
The waste concentration system which includes the waste concentration and
acid recovery (HLLW being acidic) may contain soluble fractions and
entrained organics, which may lead to explosive reactions. In order to avoid
such occurrences safety provisions should be adequately incorporated.
Volatilization of certain radionuclides such as ruthenium during evaporation
should be taken into account in the design and accordingly off-gas treatment
to be engineered. Material of construction should be chosen taking into
account the presence of high concentration of acid and corrosion enhancing
species present in the waste in evaporators/fractionators.

8
 In addition to the above, the design of conditioning system should ensure the
following:
(a) Suitable material of construction during conditioning taking into
account high processing temperature and highly corrosive
environment
(b) Adequate redundancy for temperature measurement and its control
by proper interlocks to avoid overheating of the melter
(c) Monitoring of off gas line with provisions of flushing/dechoking
and remote replacement when necessary
(d) Off-gas to have consistent clean up system to take care of entrained
particulates and volatile species
(e) Provision for minimizing spread of radioactivity during conditioned
waste product draining
(f) Incorporation of safety provisions to avoid unplanned draining of
active glass, overflow from the storage vessel and containment in
case of failure of the melter
(g) Design provisions and safety considerations for processing/
conditioning of HLLW other than glass matrix.
3.2.5 Plant Ventilation System
The design of the ventilation system should be based on the zoning concept
and should ensure adequate air changes, flows patterns and prevent reverse
flow in normal as well as blackout condition. The exhaust air should be filtered
through absolute filter before discharge to atmosphere through stack. The
exhaust fans should be provided with stand-by and emergency power supply.
3.2.6 Off-gas System
The objective of the clean-up system should be to remove volatiles,
condensables, entrained liquids and particulate activities from the off-gas
stream. The off-gas cleaning system should be available during all plant
conditions including shutdown.
The design of off gas system should ensure the following:
(a) Keep the release of particulate activity through gaseous route within
specified limits by providing high efficiency filtration
(b) Maintain process equipment and storage vessels under suitable
negative pressure
(c) Avoid build up of condensible liquid in the off-gas filters which could
impair the filter efficiency

9
 (d) Minimise particulate activity of the off-gases to levels as to avoid
contamination of equipment such as blowers, fans etc.
(e) Incorporation of adequate measures to remove volatile components
like ruthenium, which substantially pose problem in the off-gases
during operation
(f) Redundancy of critical equipment like fans, blowers and filters with
provision of emergency power supply
(g) Isolation of blowers and filter with adequate shielding
(h) Location of the blowers and filters so that their maintenance/
replacement are done with minimum exposure
(i) Adequate instrumentation for critical parameters
(j) Adequate sampling points for measurement of the filter efficiencies
(k) Provision for testing the performance of the off-gas system.
3.2.7 Surveillance and Monitoring

Monitoring of the HLLW storage tanks on a continuous basis should typically

include level, density, temperature and negative pressure. Monitoring of sump
level and sampling in case of liquid collection should be a part of surveillance.
The cooling water flow, inlet and outlet temperatures, radiation level at
the outlet by means of installed area gamma monitor (AGM) should be monitored
on a continuous basis and sampling of cooling water should be done in case of
any abnormality. The monitoring of the radiological condition of the storage
vault, operating cells and access areas of the facility should be done on
continuous basis. Checklist of the surveillance should also include the access
control and the physical protection systems.
Provisions should be identified for the ingress of water, collect such water at
suitable location, sample it and transfer it to a desired process vessel for its
further treatment.
Environmental monitoring provisions such as bore wells, infiltration galleries
should be provided around the HLLW predisposal management facilities.
3.2.8 Auxiliary Service System
The utility and service systems should be designed and engineered to ensure
safety during their operation as well as under off-normal situations. The utility
and service systems should be designed conforming to the relevant code and
standards of industrial safety. Additional consideration should be given for
those streams, which have potential of contamination such as primary
cooling water system and steam condensate. These streams should have
provision of interim storage and should be subjected to adequate
monitoring before discharge.

10
3.3 Construction
HLW predisposal management facilities should be constructed as per approved
design and relevant codes. These include safety during civil constructions,
equipment and piping installation. The areas should be well identified with
respect to hazard during construction phase and necessary industrial safety
gadgets/wears should be used.
3.4 Commissioning
During commissioning stage, all equipment, piping and associated system
should be tested for their design intent. Emergency plans should be prepared
for handling abnormal conditions.
Records generated during design, construction and commissioning should
be verified and kept available in updated form. Quality assurance of all the
systems should be carried out. This should include preparation of as-built
drawings, documentation of all relevant test/checks carried out and their
certificates.
Visual inspection and continuity checks, flushing of equipment, pneumatic/
hydrostatic test as applicable by the codes and procedures should be carried
out. Individual equipment, related to various systems, should be tested and
system wise operation should also be checked along with the utilities and
services. Integrated testing and commissioning of all the systems involved in
different processing and conditioning should be carried out.
Calibration of equipment, transfer modes, system performance on qualitative
and quantitative manner should be included in commissioning trials. All the
individual process interlocks are to be checked under operating conditions
and simulated condition
3.5 Operation and Maintenance
Approved procedures should be used for operation and maintenance (O &
M) of the facility. The facility should be operated as per the design intent.
Documents such as safety reports, operating procedure, technical
specifications, operation and maintenance manuals, should be available.
Records of the operation parameters should be maintained. In-plant training
and auditing of the safety procedures of the facility should be adopted. During
operation and maintenance, following safety aspects should be considered.
(a) Radiological safety of the O & M personnel
(b) Industrial safety of the plant and O & M personnel
(c) Operation of the plant with laid-down approved procedures
(d) Operation of the plant within the technical specifications

11
 (e) Maintenance of the equipment as per the design intent
(f) Secondary waste generation and its management
(g) Control of the discharges to the environment with respect to chemical
and radioactive species.
3.6 Waste Characterisation
The HLLW should be characterised to ensure proper predisposal management.
The objective of characterisation is to obtain the information regarding the
properties of HLLW for ensuring final product quality and to verify critical
process parameters. Various steps involved in characterisation include
withdrawal of representative sample and subjecting the same to detailed
physical and radiochemical analysis.
Conditioning of high-level liquid waste results in the immobilisation of the
waste oxides in stable and inert solid matrix. Depending on the waste
characteristics, matrix composition should be selected. The waste should take
into account various aspects, like compatibility of waste component and
container, extent of phase separation and non-homogeneity of the conditioned
product. The processes available should be fully explored for getting the
conditioned product of the desired characteristics. The conditioning process
should also be compatible and adaptable for the particular HLLW.
Stable and inert solid form of this waste should have following characteristics:
(a) Good thermal, chemical, mechanical and radiation stabilities
(b) Insensitive to loss of services
(c) Better form from environmental safety point of view
(d) Ease of transportation
(e) Amenability to interim storage and ultimate disposal
(f) Readily available raw material and simple to manufacture.
Liquid HLW processing facilities should incorporate features to deal with
nonconforming waste packages. Example includes separate storage areas and
additional engineered barrier for non-conforming HLW packages.
Contingency plan to deal with such situation should exist in the facility.
The conditioned waste product should be characterized for its chemical
durability, thermal stability, radiation stability and mechanical strength and
other physical properties such as density and homogeneity.
Operating parameters, which are essential to yield waste packages within the
acceptable limits, should be identified and verified during operations.

12
3.7 Specific Safety Aspects of HLLW Concentration System
(a) Presence of organics in the HLLW may lead to pressure surges due
to fast reaction of nitrates or nitric acid with the organics during
evaporation. The operating procedure should incorporate safety
provisions in order to avoid such occurrences. The temperature of
the heating medium should be restricted to safe values, so that it can
be ensured that the initiation of any such effect is avoided. Proper
sampling and analysis should provide necessary information to ensure
the acceptable composition of the contents for safe operation.
(b) Sufficient free board should be maintained in the evaporator.
Necessary interlocks should be provided to avoid pressurisation in
the evaporator.
(c) The concentration of waste should be carried out in such a way that
it does not lead to high rate of Ru volatilisation and corrosion of
equipment. This may be achieved by controlling the molarity of acid
by means of proper process interlocks and selection of proper material
of construction.
(d) For measurement of all critical parameters adequate redundancies
should be provided.
(e) Adequate safety control and proper procedure should be adopted
for acid denitration.
3.8 Material Handling and Remotisation System
Processing of HLLW should be carried out remotely in shielded cells. The
conditioning process and the related equipment, decontaminations required
for the storage vessel of conditioned waste product, welding of the canisters/
overpacks and their removal out of the cell and transportation to interim
storage facility and the material handling inside the shielded areas require
remote handling systems/gadgets. Adequate gadgets should be provided for
remote handling of melters, other equipment and product transfer trolleys.
In-cell crane required for material handling, welding facility for carrying out
welding of the lids to product canisters and overpacks, product removal and
transportation cask, manipulators for assisting remote handling services inside
the conditioning and other related cells, radiation resistant cameras, radiation
shielding window for viewing the cells should be incorporated. These
equipment should be operated remotely and should also be rugged enough
requiring minimum maintenance and should also be able to withstand the
high radiation inside the cells. Material of construction should be so chosen
to allow easy decontaminations. All the equipment/gadgets should have
emergency handling operability. All the lubricants of gears should be radiation
resistant type. The remote handling equipment should be such that the units

13
 can be taken-out/replaced without cell entry. Provisions should be made so
that the material handling/gadgets for remote operation can be parked in
relatively lower radioactive areas to avoid unnecessary exposure. The design
of the viewing instruments such as windows should take care of shielding. In
the event of worst possible accident leading to the failure of cover glass of
viewing windows, the effective shielding achievable after the complete
draining of oil should be sufficient. Proper handling of cask should be ensured
with all necessary interlocks and administrative controls. The grapplers should
be of rugged construction, longer expected life, high maintainability and fail-
proof operation and should be made of corrosion resistant materials
compatible with cell atmosphere. All the remote handling gadgets should be
operated with proper interlocks, administrative controls and operational
procedures.
3.9 HLW from Nuclear and Radiation Facilities
Nuclear and radiation facilities including nuclear power plants and research
reactors may generate high level waste during operation, decontamination
and decommissioning of reactor components. This waste should be properly
characterized and, if required, properly stored to enable its subsequent
treatment and conditioning to minimize volume and meet product acceptance
criteria for final disposal.
3.10 Decommissioning
Predisposal management facilities for HLW have a definite useful life and
will need to be decommissioned. Therefore, the decommissioning aspects
should be considered at the design stage itself. The provisional
decommissioning plan should include anticipated waste generation during
decommissioning and their management scheme [5].

14
 4. STORAGE OF SOLID AND SOLIDIFIED
WASTE PRODUCT

4.1 General
Interim storage of solidified HLLW product is an important step in predisposal
management of HLW. The interim storage period may be few decades till the
decay heat and resultant temperature profile are within the limits of
transportation and emplacement in the repository. Interim storage may also
be needed for solid / solidified alpha contaminated waste products including
cladding hulls before their ultimate disposal.
Interim storage facility needs to be designed, constructed and operated taking
into account thermal aspects due to decay heat and applicable seismic
standards in view of large radionuclide inventory.
The facility should be above highest flood level for the site and in addition
there should be provisions for detection of water ingress and pumping out
the same for monitoring and/or treatment.
4.2 Surveillance and Monitoring of Storage Facility
Monitoring of canister temperature, exhaust air and underground water around
the facility for radioactivity should be carried out regularly to ascertain the
integrity of the waste canister and the safety of the storage facility. Surveillance
of storage unit may also be carried out by physical and / or remote inspection
using video camera or any other suitable devices.
4.3 Heat Removal
The design of predisposal HLW management facilities should incorporate
measures (for example, a temperature monitoring and control system) capable
of maintaining HLW temperatures within acceptable limits during all steps
of predisposal management under both normal and accident conditions. Such
temperature limits should be based on the properties of the waste and waste
packages, taking into account material properties of the container, containment
structures, and the waste form during all processing steps, including storage.
To the extent possible, cooling systems for conditioned HLLW storage
facilities should be passive and should require minimum maintenance. Where
forced circulation of air is used, a highly reliable system is needed. An induced
draft air-cooling with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter installation
for filtration of exhaust air of appropriate capacity should be provided as
stand by. Design should provide sufficient margin to avoid dust deposit.
Examples of features that enhance the reliability of the cooling system are
the ability to deal with the settling of solids and buildup on surfaces, which

15
 affects efficiency of heat removal. The design of the storage facility itself
should be capable of accommodating temporary loss of cooling without
damage to the stored waste. In addition, other mitigating measures should
be in place to deal with this kind of contingency.
4.4 Transportation of Waste Packages
Transportation of radioactive waste packages requires appropriate systems
for safe handling at consignor and consignee’s premises. This also involves
specifying procedures and control measures, including documentation of waste
packages. The solid radioactive material should be transported in a packaged
form taking into account the following aspects:
(a) Containment
(b) Shielding
(c) Heat dissipation (to maintain temperatures within permissible limits).
4.4.1 On-site Transportation of HLW Packages
On-site transport of HLW packages should be as per the approved procedure.
Precautions to be taken while transporting solid waste on-site depend mainly
on the activity, the packing and surface contamination. Adequate packaging,
shielding and supervision should be provided to keep the exposure of site
personnel to a minimum in accordance with the ALARA principle and to
minimize the potential of the release of activity in the event of an accident
during transportation.
Prior to the dispatch of package or the departure of the vehicle carrying
packaged material, the consignor should ensure that the radiation levels and
surface contamination are within the limits prescribed by regulatory body.
4.4.2 Off-site Transport of HLW Packages
Off-site transport of solid radioactive waste should be as per the approved
procedures meeting the requirements of the AERB safety code AERB/SC/
TR-1 [6].
Prior to the dispatch of package or the departure of the vehicle carrying
packaged material, the consignor should ensure that the radiation levels and
surface contamination are within the limits prescribed by regulatory body.
4.5 Safety Aspects of other Solid Waste Requiring Geological Disposal
Solid waste containing significant quantities of alpha and long-lived
radionuclides (e.g. hulls) or waste not suitable for near surface disposal should
be stored in interim storage facilities for a period till its final disposal.
Appropriate treatment/conditioning should be provided for such waste to
minimize the volume and to meet the acceptance criteria for storage,
transportation and final disposal.

16
 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF WASTE GENERATOR/
MANAGER

5.1 General
Predisposal management of HLW needs to take place within the regulatory
framework. A clear delineation of responsibilities in the entire predisposal
management of HLW including the transfer of such waste needs to be ensured
[7].
The waste manager needs to decide the mode of treatment depending on the
processes and facilities available. It may also require development of process
for treatment of non-conforming waste.
5.2 Responsibilities of Waste Generator/ Manager
Waste Generator/Manager should:
(a) Ensure provision for suitable and sufficient storage capacity on an
appropriate time-scale
(b) Perform safety and environmental impact assessments of HLW
predisposal waste management facilities and activities
(c) Ensure adequate radiation protection of the workers, the general
public and the environment
(d) Ensure that suitable staff, equipment, facilities, training and operating
procedures are available
(e) Establish and implement a quality assurance programme at all stages
(f) Establish and keep records of the generation, processing, storage
and disposal of radioactive waste
(g) Provide surveillance and control as required by the regulatory body
(h) Use operational experience to improve waste management safety
(i) Address issues related to decommissioning and management of
resulting radioactive waste
(j) Assume complete responsibility in case of delegation of any work to
a different agency
(k) Establish emergency preparedness
(l) Ensure effective organisation structure
(m) Obtain necessary approval from the regulatory body for all aspects
of waste management ([Link] segregation, classification, treatment

17
 and conditioning, safety criteria for processes/operation, acceptance
criteria for waste packages, waste discharge/disposal and
decommissioning).
(n) Ensure discharges/ disposal of radioactive waste to the environment
within the authorized limits and at an authorised destination
(o) Meet requirements of regulatory body with respect to normal/off-
normal discharges and corrective action if any.

18
 6. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAMME (QAP)

6.1 General
The facility needs to have an approved QAP based on the prevalent QA codes
and practices to meet the safety requirements.
6.2 QAP for Predisposal Management of HLW
The QA programme should address the management elements necessary for
its implementation, including planning, scheduling of activities, and resource
considerations. It should be documented in the quality assurance programme
plan (or description) and the results of these activities should be recorded.
The responsibilities and authority of personnel and organisations involved
should be clearly delineated in the approved plan.
Safety related components and systems should be managed according to their
importance for HLW containment and safe operation of HLW predisposal
management facilities. The necessary level of QA controls design, selection
of material, fabrication, piping etc. and installation of such components and
systems should be assigned accordingly.
It is important to assure that the waste packages are prepared in a manner
that will meet waste acceptance requirements, in order to ensure acceptance
at a storage facility/ repository. Prevention of non-conformances in waste
packages should be emphasized, particularly for those activities that, if not
performed properly, could lead to an irreversible non-conformance. This may
be achieved through implementation of a QA programme, including
implementing procedures, for the following activities:
(a) HLW characterisation
(b) Approval of the HLW conditioning process
(c) Development of the HLW package specifications
(d) Review of quality control records
(e) Verification of the HLW package characteristics.
For HLW, a characterisation programme is necessary to assess the suitability
of pretreated/treated HLW for the conditioning process, as well as to optimise
the composition of the solidified waste (waste form). Establishing a reference
composition of the waste form (with bandwidths) is recommended which
should include the characteristics to be determined. Proposals for deviations
from this reference composition and the characterisation programme should
be assessed to determine their effect on waste package quality.

19
The HLW package specification should be defined to meet waste acceptance
requirements for handling, transportation, storage and anticipated disposal.
The operator should develop a conditioning process that results in production
of waste packages within the specified limits. In the conditioning process,
critical parameters should be identified and controlled.
For each conditioned HLW package, quality records should be established
and maintained. These records should be reviewed against the specification
to determine the acceptability of the waste package. A record should be
made of the results of the review and retained for a specified period of time.
Should a waste package not meet the specifications/waste acceptance
requirements, the nature of the nonconformity be recorded and the decisions
taken to carry out appropriate corrective actions.
Records generated at all stages of predisposal HLW management may be
important for demonstrating compliance of the waste package with the defined
specifications. Such records should ensure traceability of waste characteristics
from receipt through processing and storage. A documentation system that
includes the development of such records should be set up. Examples of the
contents of such records include, characterisation of the waste/waste package:
(a) Key process parameters for the HLW during pretreatment, treatment
and conditioning
(b) Characterisation of the waste form, the associated canister/container,
e.g. material certificates of the container including lids, and welds
or seals etc.
(c) Significant monitoring parameters.
Lack of availability of treatment and conditioning facilities may necessitate
storage of HLW for long periods before treatment or conditioning. There
may also be a long period of storage before disposal if a suitable disposal
facility is not available, or if time must be allowed for the decay of thermal
power. In such cases, the QA programme should be designed to ensure that
the quality and integrity of the product are sustained, and the quality of the
records, as well as the marking and labeling of waste packages are maintained
and preserved.
An audit programme should be developed that includes provisions for self-
assessments and independent assessments (audits). Such assessments should
determine if the predisposal HLW management programme and plans meet
the respective requirements, that activities are covered by procedures, and
that the implementation of the programme is adequate. Process audits are
necessary for verifying that processes under the QA programme are being
operated within specified parameters, in compliance with safe operating
procedures and the requirements established by the regulatory body in a license
or other type of authorisation.

20
6.3 Training and Qualification
The plant organisation should establish a programme for training of the plant
personnel to meet the requirements.
The staff employed in the plant should also undergo training of appropriate
duration at regular intervals for updating their knowledge and skills.

21
 7. DOCUMENTATION AND RECORDS

7.1 General
Documents and records are the primary requirements of the plants meant for
predisposal management of HLW. These include project proposal, design
basis report, safety analysis reports, etc., which are generated during
establishment of the facility. Other reports/records constitute the operation
and maintenance reports of the facility which are generated during operation
of that facility.
7.2 Types of Documents and Records
The waste generators/managers of radioactive waste management facilities
should maintain documentation and records consistent with the regulatory
requirements and their own needs. The records relevant to the facility should
be kept in custody such that these can be referred to and understood by people
different from those who generated the records. The facility should take
responsibility for the retention of the records important from long-term
considerations.
Documentation and records should include relevant details of items such as:
(a) An inventory of radioactive waste, including origin, location, physical
and chemical characteristics, and, as appropriate, a record of
radioactive waste transferred or disposed from a facility
(b) Site plans, engineering drawings, specifications and process
descriptions
(c) Data resulting from operation and maintenance of the plant
(d) Data resulting from quality assurance and quality control procedures
and from operating activities
(e) Radiation exposure and health of the workers
(f) Safety and environmental assessment methods and computer codes
(g) Results of safety and environmental assessments
(h) Effluent and environmental monitoring
(i) Radioactive waste package identifications
(j) Major deviations/incidents/accidents and their corrective actions
(k) Operation and maintenance manuals and technical specifications
(l) Design basis reports and the safety report.

22
 The waste manager/generator should establish a procedure for maintaining
adequate documentation and records. Various records are waste receipt
records, waste characterisation records, operational records and storage/
disposal records. The QA record should also be maintained in accordance
with approved QAP. The scope and details of the record will depend on the
hazard and/or complexity of the proposed operation.
7.3 Operational Records
The records should include:
(a) Waste inventory
(b) Waste characterisation
(c) Treatment, packaging and conditioning process
(d) Container/canister/overpack documents
(e) Waste package specifications and audit records for individual
container/canister/overpack and packages
(f) Trends in operating performance
(g) Non-compliances with the specifications and the action taken to
rectify the situation
(h) Monitoring records.
7.4 Waste Characterisation Records
A waste characterisation record should contain the following information
pertaining to the waste:
(a) Source or origin
(b) Physical and chemical form
(c) Amount (volume and/or weight)
(d) Radiological characteristics (radio-activity concentration, total
activity, radionulcides present and their proportions)
(e) Classification in accordance with the waste classification systems
(f) Data pertaining to chemical, biological and radiological hazards.
7.5 Waste Package Records
The records of each waste package should constitute the following:
(a) Waste characterisation record - chemical and radiological constituents
(b) Waste loading

23
 (c) Unique identification of all the canisters and over pack
(d) Composition of immobilised waste form
(e) Properties of immobilised waste form
(f) Interim storage records
(g) QA details of canisters and over pack including details of the lid
welding performed.
7.6 Reports
(a) Waste generator/manager should submit a periodic report to the
regulatory body, in accordance with authorisation
(b) Waste generator/manager should submit a report on significant events,
if any, to the regulatory body in the prescribed format.
7.7 Accessibility and Retention of the Records
All the records should be preserved in multiple forms and in different places
to ensure their availability. Retrieval of data/records should be available
only to the authorised person.
7.8 Record Keeping
The period of record keeping may vary from few months to the several
hundreds of years. The record keeping should be consistent with the safety
and regulatory requirements.

24
 REFERENCES

1. ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Safety Code on Management

of Radioactive Waste AERB/NRF/SC/RW, Mumbai, India (2007).
2. ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Safety Guide on Predisposal
Management of Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste AERB/NRF/
SG/RW-2, Mumbai, India (2007).
3. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, International Basic
Safety Standards for Protection against Ionising Radiation and for the Safety
of Radiation Sources, Safety Series No.115, Vienna, (1996).
4. ATOMIC ENERGY, (Radiation Protection) Rules, (2004).
5. ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Safety Code of Regulation
of Nuclear and Radiation Facilities AERB/SC/G, Mumbai, India (2000).
6. ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Safety Code for the Transport
of Radioactive Material AERB/SC/TR-1, Mumbai, India (1986).
7. ATOMIC ENERGY (Safe Disposal of Radioactive Waste) Rules (1987).

25
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Code of Practice on Safety

in Nuclear Power Plant: Siting, AERB Safety Code, No. AERB/SC/S (1990)
2 ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Decommissioning of Nuclear
Facilities, AERB Safety Manual, No. AERB/SM/DECOM-1, Mumbai, India
(1998)
3. ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Radiation Protection for
Nuclear Facilities, Revision 4, Mumbai, India (2005)
4. ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Radiation Protection during
Operation of Nuclear Power Plants, AERB Safety Guide, No. AERB/SG/O-
5, Mumbai, India (1998)
5. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Safety Fundamentals on
The Principles of Radioactive Waste Management, Safety Series No.111-F,
Vienna (1995)
6. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Safety Standards on Near
Surface Disposal of Radioactive Waste Requirements, Safety Standard Series
[Link]-R-1, Vienna (1999)
7. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Safety Guide on Siting
of Near Surface Disposal Facilities, Safety Series No.111-G-3.1, Vienna
(1994)
8. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Acceptance Criteria for
Disposal of Radioactive in Shallow ground and Rock cavities, Safety Series
No. 71, Vienna (1985)
9. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Safety Guide on Shallow
Ground Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Safety Series No.53, Vienna (1981)
10. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Design, Construction,
Operation and Surveillance of Repositories for Radioactive Wastes in Shallow
Ground, Safety Series No. 63, Vienna (1984)
11. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Safety Series on Safety
Assessment for the Underground Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Safety Series
No. 56, Vienna (1981)
12. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Safety Analysis
methodologies for Radioactive Waste Repositories in Shallow Ground, Safety
Series No.54, Vienna (1984)

26
13. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Safety Series on Safety
Assessment for Near Surface Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Safety Guide
No. WS-G-1.1, Vienna (1999)
14. INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, International Basic
Safety Standards for Protection against Ionising Radiation and for the Safety
of Radiation Sources, Safety Series No.115, Vienna (1996)
15. ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD, Safe Disposal or Transfer of
Radioactive Waste, Rule, Form-I, III and IV (1987)

27
 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

EXPERT COMMITTEE FOR THE PREPARATION OF

SAFETY GUIDE ON PREDISPOSAL MANAGEMENT
OF HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE
(ECSGRW-3)

Dates of meeting: October 11, 2002

November 15, 2002
February 7, 2003
Jun 26, 2003
February 26, 2004
February 27, 2004
February 4, 2006
December 6, 2006

Members of ECSGRW-3

Shri P.D. Ozarde (Chairman) : BARC

Shri R.G. Yeotikar : BARC
Shri Amitav Roy : BARC
Shri K.A. Pendharkar : BARC
Shri B.B. Verma : BARC
Shri R.K. Budhwar : BARC
Dr. P. Vijayan (Member Secretary) : AERB

28
 ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR PREPARATION OF
SAFETY DOCUMENTS ON RADIOACTIVE
WASTE MANAGEMENT (ACSDRW)

Dates of meeting : October 21, 2002

December 16, 2004

Members of ACSDRW:

Shri K. Balu (Chairman) : BARC (Former)

Dr. S.K. Gupta : AERB
Shri P.D. Sharma : NPCIL (Former)
Shri S. Sankar : BARC (Former)
Shri N.K. Bansal : BARC (Former)
Shri A.R. Sundararajan : AERB (Former)
Shri R.C. Rastogi : BARC & IAEA (Former)
Shri S.S. Ali : BARC (Former)
Shri K.K. Chandraker : AERB (Former)
Shri M.L. Joshi : BARC
Shri P.M. Gandhi : BARC
Dr. P. Vijayan (Secretary) : AERB

29
 ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR SAFETY
(ACNS)

Date of meeting : August 29, 2011

Members of ACNS:

Dr. Baldev Raj (Chairman) : IGCAR

Shri S.A. Bharadwaj : NPCIL
Shri S.C. Chetal : IGCAR
Dr. D.N. Sharma : BARC
Shri K.K. Vaze : BARC
Shri S.C. Hiremath : HWB (Former)
Shri D.S.C. Purushottam : BARC (Former)
Shri A.K. Anand : BARC (Former)
Shri S. Krishnamony : BARC (Former)
Shri J.B. Doshi : IIT, Bombay
Dr. S.K. Gupta : AERB
Shri K. Srivasista (Member-Secretary) : AERB

Date of meeting : November 22, 2007

Members of ACNS:

Shri G.R. Srinivasan (Chairman) : AERB (Former)

Shri S.S. Bajaj : NPCIL (Former)
Shri S.C Hiremath : HWB (Former)
Shri D.S.C. Purushottam : BARC (Former)
Shri A.K. Anand : BARC (Former)
Shri S. Krishnamony : BARC (Former)
Prof J.B. Doshi : IIT, Bombay
Shri H.S. Kushwaha : BARC
Shri R.K. Sinha : BARC
Dr S.K. Gupta : AERB
Shri K. Srivasista (Member-Secretary) : AERB

30
 PROVISIONAL LIST OF SAFETY CODES AND SAFETY
GUIDES ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

Safety Series No. Title

AERB/NRF/SC/RW Management of Radioactive Waste

AERB/NRF/SG/ Classification of Radioactive Waste
RW-1
AERB/NRF/SG/ Predisposal Management of Low and Intermediate Level
RW-2 Radioactive Waste
AERB/NF/SG/RW-3 Predisposal Management of High Level Radioactive
Waste
AERB/NRF/SG/ Near Surface Disposal of Radioactive Solid Waste
RW-4
AERB/NF/SG/RW-5 Management of Radioactive Waste from Mining and
Milling of Uranium, Thorium
AERB/RF/SG/RW-6 Management of Spent Radiation Sources and Radioactive
Waste arising from the use of Radionuclides in Medicine,
Industry and Research including Decommissioning of
such Facilities
AERB/NF/SG/RW-7 Decommissioning of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities other
than Reactors
AERB/NPP&RR/ Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants and Research
SG/RW-8 Reactors
AERB/NPP/SG/O-11 Management of Radioactive Waste arising from Operation
of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor based Nuclear Power
Plants
AERB/SG/D-13 Liquid and Solid Radwaste Management in Pressurised
Heavy Water Reactors

31
AERB SAFETY GUIDE NO. AERB/NF/SG/RW-3

Published by : Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

Niyamak Bhavan, Anushaktinagar
Mumbai - 400 094
INDIA. BCS