Year
2024
Abstract
| The effective regulatory control of radioactive sources in a country is a big challenge especially for the portable radioactive sources movements in order to be used in different sites (in country and abroad) like Nuclear Moisture/density gauges (e.g.: Troxler instrument), radioactive sources for radiography, etc. Those portable radioactive sources are commonly included in service supplier’s portable equipment to be used in different construction sites. So, they are always in movement when used and may by the way move easily across neighboring country's borders.We are all aware that it is thanks to the implementation of the Code of Conduct and its guidance on import/export that many suppliers, manufacturers and vendors in exporting countries require any user ordering sources to present an import permit/authorization issued by the regulatory authority in its country before the ordered sources are delivered. This implies that these users apply by themselves for authorization to their regulatory authority to import sources abroad. As a result, import/export control by these regulatory authorities is facilitated and enhanced by the simple fact of applying the code and its guidance by the exporting member states.But the situation is not so simple for the case where portable radioactive sources already in use by a service provider are brought among other equipment as work tools by that service provider to construction sites in a country from a neighboring country, in particular by road.Also, we sometimes notice, during routine inspections, the presence of certain sources in use but not authorized by us, the regulatory authority. This means that when ordering the sources the exporting country did not require from this user the import authorization issued by its regulatory authority, and he imported without authorization either out of ignorance or knowingly to avoid the related costs. Those cases are found at least once in two years and the most recent case dates back just a few months when several radioactive gauges were discovered installed in a mining industry without authorization.This paper considers the challenge in the control of transboundary movements of portable and mobile sources to be used in many construction sites and the importance of Memorandum of Understanding between the Regulatory Body and national and international (regional) key stakeholders, in addition to the Code and its guidance on import/export for enhancing the effective regulatory control of portable radioactive sources crossing the borders. |