Hungary

Legal framework and waste classificationThe fundamental law is the Act of 1996 on Atomic Energy declaring that the control and supervision of the safe use of nuclear energy are Government’s tasks. These tasks are fulfilled through the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) and the responsible ministers. A divided regulatory system is set up the Act and its executive orders:

regulatory & licensing authority for nuclear facilities: HAEA regulatory & licensing authority for RW management facilities: regionally competent

radiation health centres following the professional direction of the Office of the National Chief Medical Officer (National Public Health and Medical Officer Services) under the minister responsible for health

According to § 2, Paragraph 15 of the Atomic Act, any radioactive material, which will no longer be used, and, due to its health physics properties, cannot be considered a common waste.

The 47/2003 (VIII.8.) Decree of the Minister of Health, Social and Family Affairs regulates among others the classification of radioactive waste.

That type of radioactive waste is qualified as low and intermediate level radioactive waste in which the heat production during the disposal could be neglected. Further,

that low- and intermediate level radioactive waste is short-lived, in which the half-life of the radionuclides is 30 years or less, and it contains long-lived alpha emitter radionuclides only is limited concentration

that low- and intermediate level radioactive waste is long-lived, in which the half-life of the radionuclides and/or the concentrations of the alpha emitter radionuclides exceed the limits concerning short-lived radioactive waste.

That type of radioactive waste is high level waste whose heat production shall be considered during the design and operation of storage and disposal.

Classification viewpoints for low and intermediate level radioactive wastes:

The classification of the radioactive waste into low and intermediate level classes shall be performed based ont he activity-concentration and exemption activity-concentration (EAC) of the radioisotope involved by Table 1.

Radioactive waste class Activity concentration (Bq/g)

Low level 1 EAC – 103 EAC

Intermediate level 103 EAC

If the radioactive waste contains more types of radioisotopes, then the classification shall be performed accordingly as follows:

Radioactive waste class Activity concentration ratioLow level ∑

i

AC i

EAC i≤103

Intermediate level

where ACi is the activity-concentration of the i radioisotope existing in the radioactive waste, while the EACi is the exemption activity-concentration of the ith radioisotope.

Disposal facilitiesCurrently, two waste disposal facilities for low and intermediate waste (LILW) are in operation in Hungary. The very first disposal facility was a near surface disposal facility. It was put into operation in 1960 in Solymár. It operated until 1976, when a newly designed near surface repository started its operation in Püspökszilágy.

The Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility (RWTDF) has a bigger capacity and adopted the radioactive waste from Solymár and from all sources in the state. The facility was technically implemented by the construction of near surface pools and storage tubes (wells).

The National Radioactive Waste Repository (NRWR) is the other active facility, which is near Bátaapáti village. The NRWR is designed to accommodate all operational and decommissioning radioactive waste arising from Paks NPP.

Püspökszilágy Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility

The Hungarian Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility (RWTDF) located in the ridge of a hill near Püspökszilágy village at an altitude of 200 – 250 m above sea level. The repository was completed and commissioned in 1976, for the disposal of radioactive waste from health care, research, educational and industrial applications. The repository also received low level solid waste from Paks Nuclear Power Plant from 1983 till 1996.

The facility is a typical shallow land, near surface engineered type disposal unit. It is composed of (1) concrete trenches („A” and „C” type vaults) for disposal and shallow wells for storage

purposes for LIL solid RW and spent sealed radioactive sources;(2) „B” and „D” types of wells are mainly reserved for the storage of highly active

sources.

The „A – type” vault system contains 60 vaults each of 70 m3 and 6 vaults each of 140 m3. Some drums in the vaults have been backfilled with cementitious material, other drums are not yet backfilled. The „C-type” storage system consists of 8 vaults, each of 1,5 m3, sunk into the ground.The vaults and wells are located above the water table in relatively impermeable rock. The inner walls of the vaults are covered by a waterproof layer. There are 16 wells of „B-type” with a diameter of 40 mm, and 16 wells with diameters of 100 mm. The wells are made from stainless steel, they are 6 m deep, located inside a monolithic concrete structure. The „D-type” storage unit consists of four carbon-steel wells, each one is 6 m deep and has a diameter of 200 mm. They can be locked and are provided with a protective cap. These wells were utilized for storing spent radiation sources with half-life of greater than 5 years.

∑i

AC i

EAC i>103

The total capacity of concrete trenches is 5,040 m³ which was extended from 3500 m3 in order to accommodate a portion of the low-level solid radioactive waste from the Paks NPP. Wastes from the Paks NPP occupy about 2500 m3 of the capacity of the site. The free disposal capacity of the site had declined, which is sufficient to accommodate the annual amount of approximately 20 m3 stemming from non-power generation activities for the coming years.

The transport of radioactive waste from waste generators to the site and on-site is organized by radioactive waste management company its own responsibility, using its own workforce and equipment e.g. transport vehicle, containers. If treatment is required prior to disposal, then the waste is temporarily stored. Treatment may be solidification, sponging up of liquid by absorbing material or by repackaging, it depends on the waste type. Originally the record keeping system was based on paper documents, but during the 1980s this system was replaced by a computerized database. The new waste inventory record keeping system was designed in accordance with international recommendations (IAEA TECDOC 1222).The site is guarded by well-equipped security guards, applying up-to-date security systems. The access control system ensures that only licensed persons and shipments have access to the site and can stay there.The radiation protection control begins already at the waste producers when receiving the waste. Surface dose rate and contamination of the packages are regularly measured. The transport vehicles are subject to radioactive contamination and exposure control. The exposure of personnel is measured by two different types of personal dosimeter.The monitoring system was planned and installed to provide information and data about the radiological conditions of the repository and its environment. Meteorological data are collected by a special station. The water collection system is designed to collect run-off and is routed to two large basins. The radioactivity of the collected water is sampled and monitored before being discharged via a drainage ditch to a local stream. Soil-, flora- and fauna samples are taken from the site as well as from the 20 km vicinity of the repository. Analysis of the fish samples taken from a nearby pond is also part of the environmental monitoring programme. Radioactivity of flesh, bones and the pluck of sheep, and goats grazing in the vicinity of the site is regularly measured.

The result of the safety assessments, at the same time, unambiguously indicated that certain spent radiation sources may pose a risk in the distant future, after the closure of the repository in case of human intrusion. Therefore, with the aim of enhancing the long term safety of the repository, a multi-year programme was launched in the framework of which the „critical” waste types are segregated from the recovered waste and then the rest are – as far as possible – compacted before redisposal in t he vaults. By doing this, the repository can continue to accommodate the institutional radioactive waste from all over the country.

Short history of RWTDF

1976 - Licencing of the Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility in Püspökszilágy for institutional waste.

2002 – 2005 Safety upgrading program (Phase I) based on previous safety assessments 2007 – 2009 New activities began in the framework of the second phase of the safety

enhancement program. Plans were prepared and approved for opening 4 vaults (each of 470m3

containing mainly historical waste) and for retrieving, selection, reconditioning and repackaging waste.

2013 – Preparations to continue the safety enhancement programme and a physical protection programme with US-DOE.

National Radioactive Waste Repository (NRWR)

The NRWR is operated in the region of Bátaapáti as a facility for final disposal of low- and intermediate level wastes from nuclear power plant. The repository is an underground repository in granite host rock. The disposal is done in disposal chambers using concrete containers.

Two parallel tunnels, each with length of 1700 m and an inclination of 10 %, were excavated parallel, at distance of 25 m from each other between the planned base point and the surface starting point to allow the completion of the underground investigation work. These tunnels have been interconnected thus providing for the required through ventilation and two separate escape routes for the case of accident or fire. The whole drifted tunnel length is 5500 meters.

The radioactive waste from the operation of the nuclear power plant is ad-interim stored in the power plant site, up to their transfer into disposal facility. The solid wastes are loaded, in compacted form, into 200 l drums. The liquid waste are solidified in the power plant prior to their transfer into disposal facility. The waste packages are transported by a special purpose vehicle from the Paks NPP to the disposal site. The vehicle is received in the central building of the disposal site. Following an inspection, the vehicle moves in to the process hall in the controlled zone where, after the completion of an additional inspection, the transport frames are lifted off and placed by a crane into the storage room. Control tests and the preparation of the waste for underground storage are carried out in the process hall, which is capable of accommodating 3000 drums. The disposal would be done in the disposal chambers using concrete containers. It was planned to put nine 200 l drums into one container. For cemented radioactive liquid waste, 400 l drums would be used and in this case five drums would be put into one container. In order to reduce the volume of waste packages, npp had decided to overview of the waste cementation technology and a new concept of solidification began to form: instead of cementing radioactive liquid into drums, radioactive grout is going to be used to fill up void in the disposal containers. The new, smaller size container is planned to have reinforced steel walls. The new waste package requires a new way of disposal as well. The planned change in the disposal concept is to build a high quality concrete vault in the disposal chamber and stack steel containers in them. The vaults are planned to have separate blocks, which could play two roles: reinforce the walls of the vault and make phased backfilling possible. Phased backfilling possible of the vaults enables the operator to create high quality engineer barrier near the waste with close control and without radical improvement of the „off-the-shelf” technologies. The environmental monitoring system is composed of three parts as follows: the geological and hydro-geological, radiological and conventional environmental monitoring.

The originally planned system of the NRWR on the left and new disposal concept on the right.

Short history of NRWR 1993 - A National Program was launched with the aim of finding a solution for the final

disposal of LLW/ILW of the plant. 1996 - Decision to investigate the Bátaapáti (Üveghuta) site for a subsurface repository in

granite 1997-1998 - Exploration of the suitability of the potential site Bátaapáti (Üveghuta). 1999 - IAEA WATRP Mission confirms the results of the investigation and recommends

further exploration of Bátaapáti (Üveghuta). 2000 - Collection of existing data and preparation of a preliminary safety assessment to

establish further investigation in Bátaapáti (Üveghuta). 2001-2003 - Detailed geological and hydrogeological survey from the surface as well as safety

assessment of Bátaapáti (Üveghuta) site. The geological authority stated that the site fulfils all the requirements formulated in the relevant decree: thus, from the geological point of view it is suitable for the disposal of LILW.

2004-2006 - The programme of further investigations of Bátaapáti (Üveghuta) site (construction of two parallel inclined shafts in order to determine the exact location of the repository and its safety zone) was approved by the competent minister in December 2004.

2005 - After the strongly supportive result of a local referendum held in the village of Bátaapáti, the Hungarian Parliament expressed its approval in principal for the construction of the repository

2006 - The Governmental Decree 257/2006. (XII.15.) declared that the Bátaapáti LILW repository project is an issue of preferential importance and as such it enjoys certain priorities in licensing and legal procedures.The first part of the environmental licensing procedure was accomplished in January 2006 when the regionally competent authority accepted the Preliminary Environmental Impact Study giving green light to the second part of the procedure: the compilation of the Environmental Impact Assessment.In parallel with on-going underground geological investigations in Bátaapáti the following additional activities started in 2006:

o preliminary activities (landscaping, planning etc.) for aboveground infrastructures of the future LILW repository;.

o preparation of licensing documentations of the future LILW repository. 2007 - Construction licensing of the Bátaapáti LILW repository started on 8 November 2007

when the necessary documentation based on safety assessment (Pre- construction Safety Assessment) was handed to the competent authority.The competent authority issued the Environmental License for the Bátaapáti LILW repository which entered into legal force on 17 October 2007.

2008 - On the basis of the pre-construction safety assessment the authority issued the construction licence of the Bátaapáti LILW repository in May 2008. The operation licence for the surface part entered into force in October, allowing for the temporary storage in the technology building. The name of the new facility in Bátaapáti is National Radioactive Waste Repository.

2012 - The underground part of the repository was carried out. 2012 (Sept.) - Operation licence for the underground part. 2012 (Dec.) - The first concrete container is disposed in the first chamber.