Plan

1. Country overview

2. Introduction

3. Current Key Players in the Radiation Protection and

Nuclear Field

4. Regulatory framework

5. CNSTN Storage Facility

6. Experts missions related to:

- Policy and Strategy for Radioactive Waste Management

- Provide Demonstration of Safety Assessment Tool for

Incorporation into the Safety Case

- Regulatory requirements review and SC / SA elaboration

and discussion

5. Conclusions

4

Country overview

Tunisia is a small country of 162 155 km², located at the northernmost

part of Africa. It is bordered on the west by Algeria and on the south by the

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Libya) and the Mediterranean Sea to the northeast

and north with a 1300 km of coastline. Despite its small size, Tunisia

offers a remarkably diverse natural landscape. The southern flat coastal

plains and salt lakes, and beyond to the vast Sahara Desert region cover

forty percent of the total area. The principal river is the Medjerda River

which flows to the Gulf of Tunis from Algeria.

Introduction ( 1/1)

Radiation protection system is established in Tunisia since

the eighteens.

Radioactive sources are largely used in medical, industrial,

agriculture, education and research fields.

Tunisia has not Nuclear Power Plant and all sources are

imported, but Tunisia was is planning for an energy reactor

(2025).

Currently the activities of regulatory body are mainly

dealing about the management of import, use of radioactive

sources, and return to the country of origin of these sources.

. Tunisia has around 500 categories I, II and III sources and

an inventory maintained using the RAIS web system.

Introduction ( 1/2)

There are approximately 200 cat III and V sources stored at

user premises, 100 of these are not secured

No orphan sources to date although a number of sources

have identified particularly in research institution that had not

authorized

There is currently no centralized facility in Tunisia CNRP,

together with government, is in process of updating legislation

and regulation to amongst other, allow for the use of the new

CNSTN source management facility that is currently under

construction as the national facility

Introduction ( 1/3)

New legislation has been drafted taking into

consideration the possibility of a future nuclear

power programmed

It will be benefit in exploring mechanism to apply

the principles and concepts set out in the draft by

way of, e.g regulatory guidance or operator in house

rules, particularly in respect of the radioactive waste

storage facility

Current Key Players in the Radiation Protection and Nuclear Field

1. National Center of Radiation Protection (CNRP), under the Ministry of Health

created in 1981 ,it is enabled to regulate any practices involving radioactives

sources or devices generating ionising radiation, to take enforcement actions if

there is any non compliance with regulatory requirements, and to set administrative

procedures and to report directly to the MOH

2. National Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), under Minitry of High Education and

Scientific Research, created 1990, its follwing task is to develop, promote and

implement reseach program in nuclear sciences and technologies and oversee

the technical cooperation at international level

3. National Center of Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (CNSTN) , under Minitry of

High Education and Scientific Research, created in 1993, its following task is the

completion of all activities to ensure the development of nuclear science, the

promotion of its different applications and control of nuclear technology for peaceful

purposes.

Legal and regulatory framework (1)

Laws, decrees and regulations governing RW

and DSRS Management:

The legislative framework is provided through:

– Law No.81-51 of 18 June 1981, relative to the protection

against ionizing radiations;

– Decree No 86- 433 of March 1986, implementing the Law

on radiation protection;

– Law No.96-41 of 10 June 1996, related to waste

management control;

– Law No.97-37 of 2 June 1997, related to the transport of

hazardous material by road;

Laws and decrees establishing the main actors involved

in nuclear activities, including RW, SNF and DSRS

management, in particular regulatory bodies

– Law No. 81-100 of 31December 1981 creating the Centre

National de Radioprotection – CNRP and assigning its

missions;

– Decree promulgating Law No. 81-100 of 31 December

1981 establishing the CNRP and allocating resources;

– Law No. 93-115 of 22 November 1993 establishing the

Centre National des Sciences et Technologies Nucléaires –

CNSTN and assigning its missions

Legal and regulatory framework (2)

– Vienna Convention of early notification in case of nuclear accident ( Law 88-67 of 16 June 1988 )

– Bale Convention of transport and elimination of dangers waste (Law n°95-63 of 10 July 1995 )

– Vienna Convention of assistance in case of nuclear accident (Law 88-68 of 16 June1988 )

– Bamako Convention of import interdiction of dangerous waste to Africa (Law 92-11 of 03 fubrary1992)

– Treaty of interdiction of nuclear tests (Decree 2004-1615 of 12 July 2004)

International treaties, conventions and agreements

CNSTN Storage Facility

National Center of Nuclear

Sciences and Technologies

CNSTN Storage Facility

CNSTN Storage Facility Under Construction ( 80%) 2011

Purpose of this facility

The CNSTN have designed and commenced construction of

a waste management/storage facility since 2011 wich can

accommodate their radioactive and DSRS..

The purpose of the storage facility will at the first stage be

limited to the management and storage of radioactive waste

generated at the CNSTN facilities.

It was decided, however, after discussions with the regulatory

authority, that the storage could be used as a national waste

management facility ( INT9176 play a big role )

CNSTN Unit of Management of DSRS

Receiving and

treatment Hall

Storage

Room

The radioactive waste management facility consists of a concrete structure of which the main operational areas consist of the following:

Conclusion expert report ( mission 03-07 December 2012) , Mr Gert Liebenberg

The CNSTN Radioactive Waste Management Facility is

suitable as a management and storage facility for all

categories of disused sealed radioactive sources.

The facility is suitable for the use for the CNSTN inventory as

well as the national inventory of disused sealed radioactive

sources.

Discussions with the regulator on authorization (licensing) of

the facility and also the use of the facility also as a national

facility proved to be positive.

Experts missions related to:

1. Policy and Strategy for Radioactive Waste

Management ( mars 2014)

2. Provide Demonstration of Safety Assessment

Tool Incorporation into the Safety Case (15-

19/09/2014)

3. Regulatory requirements review and SC / SA

elaboration and discussion ( 13-17/10/2014)

1. Policy and Strategy for Radioactive Waste Management (Mars 2014, Expert M.Jean Marie Poitier)

Because in the current situation there is a need for a central storage

facility in Tunisia, in order to avoid dissemination and subsequent burden

on the regulatory body to inspect multiple facilities

Because of the need to avoided that the regulator acts as the operators of

the storage facilities

Because there is a needs to clarify explicitly the scope and the field of

competencies of the regulatory body and operators taking into account the

expected increase in the range of activities and new projects

All these reasons push the government to put into place a framework for

the development of a comprehensive national strategy for safety and

security of radioactive sources, disused sources and radioactive waste

Under the Project INT9176, we have the chance to finalise our first draft

The next steps

The draft P&S will be submitted for approval to the supervisory Ministries.

The President of Government’s Office will eventually endorse the

proposed Strategy and promulgate the National Strategy as the

“Programme National de Gestion Sûre et Durable des Déchets

Radioactifs” (PNGDR) prior to launching its implementation.

Once promulgated by the Prime Minister, information on the National

Programme will be released as needed to the general public by the

ANSN.

Responsibility for implementation of the radioactive waste management

strategy will rest with the ANGDR and, for all regulatory aspects, control

of import and export of radioactive materials, detection of orphan sources

and contaminated materials and maintenance of the register of radioactive

sources and the inventory of radioactive waste, ANSTN.

2. Provide Demonstration of Safety Assessment Tool Incorporation into the Safety Case (15-19/09/2014)

Experts: D. Hofman, Facilia (Sweden) and J. Raicevic (IAEA)

Participants are from: CNSTN and CNRP

Working Group Sessions on SAFRAN version 2.2.0.14

Tutorials : TUTORIAL 11, SEALED SOURCES ; TUTORIAL 12,

SAFRAN EXPOSURE MODEL ( Dose rate estimation with SAFRAN

exposure models) and TUTORIAL 13. ANALYSIS )

The SAFRAN software is a program funded by the International Atomic

Energy Agency (IAEA), the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM),the

British Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and the French Institute

of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN).

- TNT example

TINT : The Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology Radioactive

Waste.

It ‘s a Management Centre (here in after referred to as the TINT

Facility), which acts as the centralized radioactive waste management

service in the country, was chosen as an appropriate test case.

The TINT facility consists of solid and liquid waste treatment

facilities as well as storage facilities, and represents a good test case

for applying the SAFRAN Tool to a relatively small but quite complex

waste management facility.

This example describe the key elements of the safety assessment

and to demonstrate their principle contents and roles within the overall

context of the safety case.

Using SAFRAN : unit of management of DSRS in normal situation

The first step in using SAFRAN

– is to construct a model of the facilities tobe

simulated.

– This is done by defining facilities and their rooms in

the site module.

– Each room can then be divided into areas,where

each area is used to define a waste management

activity

Using SAFRAN : unit of management of DSRS in accidental ssituation

we define our PIE types : Postulated Initiating events

for

» External natural

» External human induced

» Internal

– We define also our common point ( dose to the

worker and dose to the public)

Using SAFRAN : unit of management of DSRS in accidental ssituation

Comparaison dose inside storage facility in accidental situation

Conclusion

SAFRAN is good software to use as an aid in

performing safe assessment for waste management

facilities. It helps both in performing calculations as

well as in visualizing the waste in the facility.

SAFRAN contain many useful tools for performing

safety assessment.

An important test for the operator (CNSTN) and the

regulator ( CNRP)

With regard to the radioactive waste

storage facility, it was concluded that

there would be benefit in work

commencing on the development of a

safety case for the CNSTN storage

facility.

The SC could consider different option for

storing waste from CNSTN and options

for storing the national inventory

3. Regulatory requirements review and SC / SA elaboration and discussion, 13-17 octobre 2014

Experts: Kai Moller (IAEA), Leo Hordijk (Necsa ) and

Nicolas Solente ( ANDRA)

Participants are from: CNSTN and CNRP

Objective :

– Status of legal and regulatory framework for

management of DS and RW

– Current situation related to establishment of a

centralized RW/DS management/storage facility

– SC/SA review, good practises, gaps identification

Presentation of the current status of the Tunisian regulatory

system

Further presentations where given on the French legislation

and practical approach to DSRS management.

The draft for a new atomic law was discussed as well as the

draft for a national policy and strategy.

The SA for the management of DSRS – as prepared by

NESCA – was discussed and explained. It was agreed on a

large number of changes to the document

During the mission:

4. The new draft for a national legislation (in French) was presented and

discussed. The current national legislation does not cover radioactive

waste. The new law – which is scheduled to be published in 2015 –

regulates the roles and responsibilities in RWM and establishes a new

RWMO is being developed.

5. Drafts for the decree that will provide the detailed framework of

application for the new law do not yet exist and are foreseen to be

drafted after the new legislation is put into force. The existing draft of

the legislation to the experts was sufficient assuming that many detailed

requirements are going to be drafted later.

6 According to the new law waste owners can decide to transfer the

responsibility for the waste to the new WMO paying a fee. This transfer

is not obligatory. In the experts view it would be useful in the more

detailed regulations to define if in specific cases this transfer

Results regarding : Regulatory Framework

Results regarding : Regulatory Framework

1. The document on Policy and strategy was presented and briefly

discussed. It was noted that no Waste Classification is developed so far

and no decision is made on the disposal route.

2. The classification scheme should correspond to the chosen disposal

route (e.g surface disposal or borehole disposal).

3. The experts encouraged to focus on this as the potential disposal

option will have a huge influence on the predisposal waste

management strategy, including for DSRS

4. The strategy states that the regulator is responsible for recovering

orphan sources and contaminated materials. The experts encourage

checking whether this should be in the responsibility of the planned

RWMO.

Results regarding : Safety Case

The Safety case as prepared by Necsa was presented by the Necsa

expert. It was clarified, what still needs to be done by the operator before

submitting the document to the regulator and which adjustments still need

to be made by Nesca.

This was specified in the draft document by inserting comments. Agreed

changes have been inserted in the track changes mode to the document

The presented draft provides a basis for the operator who needs to adjust

several details to the actual situation. E.g. several assumptions on

performed tasks, construction and procedures have been made that need

to be verified by the operator.

It was noted that the document is lacking a chapter on communication

with stakeholders and on human resources. This will be included by

Nesca.

Several adjustments have been made to the safety assessment during the

discussion. Further specification and citation is needed from Nesca

especially concerning:

1. the origin of the input values for the SA which according to

the document are based on international experience but

not are backed up by relevant citations or connected to

the Tunisian source inventory. While it is considered

difficult to use the inventory for most calculations, the

relevance of the values used should be argumented.

2. It is also recommended that the values used throughout

the document (dose rates, volumetric activities in

accidental conditions …) are presented in a table upfront

before being used in the calculations, and referenced to

their source.

.

3. The definition and distribution of controlled areas on the facility will be

adjusted. So called supervised areas will be controlled areas in the next

draft

4. The normal and occupational occurrences scenarios include situations

were the source is manipulated outside its shield, for re-conditioning.

The dose rate used should be envelope for the Tunisian inventory. To

that effect, it is recommended that the value used (10 mSv/h) is

compared to the theoretical dose rate of a 60Co source of the maximum

activity found in the inventory.

5. Generally, the values used for the calculations should be

demonstratively conservative. Added calculations reflecting anticipated

operational values could be presented as an argument to the safety

margin left during normal operations when compared with the envelope

case.

6. Some specific tasks are conductive to a dose intake that is a

sizable fraction of the total DSRS management intake (as

reconditioning). The SA should explore for these tasks the dose

optimisation actions and the measures that could be taken to prevent

occurrences of the incidental scenarios

7. A number of incidental/accidental operations will require post-

accidental decontamination. The possible management options for this

waste should be briefly explained, considering the lack of waste

treatment capabilities of Tunisia

8. The DSRS, and probably active source inventory as well,

include neutron sources. The management of these sources, and the

specific hazards attached to them, is not covered in the SA.

NESCA will provide a new draft with the agreed changes as a word file

where necessary input from the operator is marked with a comment.

General conclusion

We don’t need any modification on the design of the

facility for the moment.

During the development of the safety case, It will

be benefit in dialogue being maintained with the

regulatory authority

At the same time, the SC for storage facility is

benefit in developing a license programme for the

facility and also providing for the staff of both the

CNSTN and regulatory authority related to safety

case development, safety assessment and the

associated regulatory process

Carthage has numerous historical sights, including the 19th Century Saint Louis Cathedral, pictured, and the ruins of the ancient

Phoenician city-state

National Center of Nuclear

Sciences and Technologies

Thank you

for your

attention !