Commission opinion

of 7 May 2008

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the dismantling of the BR3 Pressurised Water Reactor, located at the SCK-CEN site in Belgium, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(Only the French and the Dutch texts are authentic)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 114/02)

On 22 July 2005, the European Commission received from the Government of Belgium, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the dismantling of the BR3 Pressurised Water Reactor.

On the basis of these data and additional information requested by the Commission on 15 November 2005 and on 7 May 2007 and provided by the Belgian authorities on 19 March 2007 and on 9 November 2007, and following consultation with the Group of Experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

1. The distance between the plant and the nearest point of another Member State, in this case the Netherlands is approximately 10 km.

2. During normal dismantling operations, the discharges of liquid and gaseous effluents will not cause an exposure liable to affect the health of the population in other Member States.

3. Radioactive solid waste arising from the dismantling operations will be transferred to the Belgoprocess plc site (adjacent to the BR3 site) for treatment, conditioning and interim storage.

4. Non-radioactive solid waste and materials in compliance with clearance levels will be released from regulatory control for disposal as conventional waste or for recycling or reuse. This will be done in compliance with the criteria laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Council Directive 96/29/Euratom).

5. In the event of unplanned discharges of radioactive waste which may follow an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses received in other Member States will not be liable to affect the health of the population.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form arising from the dismantling of the BR3 reactor at the SCK-CEN site in Belgium, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in the radioactive contamination of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.

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