DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL SAFEGUARDS APPROACH FOR THE FINAL DISPOSAL OF SPENT FUEL IN GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORIES

The International Atomic Energy Agency approaches applicable to spent fuel at (IAEA) is currently pursuing development of an conditioning facilities and at operating and closed international safeguards approach for the final geological repositories. Representatives from disposal of spent fuel in geological repositories each of the actively participating Member States through consultants meetings and through the were convened to coordinate activities related to Program for Development of Safeguards for Final the program. Disposal of Spent Fuel in Geological Repositories The objective of this multinational Member (SAGOR) . The consultants meetings provide State support programme is to ensure that the policy guidance to IAEA; SAGOR recommends safeguards systems developed for the final effective approaches that can be efficiently disposal of spent fuel effectively meet the implemented by IAEA. The SAGOR program, objectives of IAEA safeguards, optimize IAEA which is a collaboration of eight Member State resources, and make best use of existing Support Programs (MSSPs), was initiated in July technologies while still meeting the objectives of 1994 and has identified 15 activities in each of the safety and environmental protection. The three areas (i.e., conditioning facilities, active safeguards system must provide a high confidence repositories, and closed repositories) that must be that spent fuel diversion will be detected in a performed to ensure an efficient, yet effective timely manner. Some State strategies for safeguards approach. Two consultants meetings diversion of spent fuel are for undeclared have been held: the first in May 1991 and the last plutonium recovery or for masking diversion of in November 1995. For nuclear materials product-grade plutonium from a reprocessing emplaced in a geological repository, the facility. In addition, detection of diversion from a safeguards objectives were defined to be (1) to repository facility might indicate the potential detect the diversion of spent fuel, whether existence of a undeclared reprocessing facility. concealed or unconcealed, from the repository and One goal of the SAGOR Program is to (2) to detect undeclared activities of safeguards develop safeguards requirements during the initial concern (e.g., tunneling, underground design of the conditioning and repository facilities reprocessing, or substitution in containers). so that the standards and specifications of thesafeguards approach can be clearly identified, integrated into the design of the facilities, and adhered to during construction of the facilities.