Sustainability of Technical and Scientific Expertise Don Macnab Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

Outline Background –Australian nuclear activities –Regulation –Strategy for technical support for regulation Example – OPAL Research Reactor Difficulties with strategy Sustainability of strategy

Regulation of Radiation and Nuclear Activities in Australia Population 20 million Australia is a federation of 6 States, 2 Territories Each State, Territory has its own radiation regulator Nuclear activities undertaken only by Federal agencies Legislation sets up ARPANSA to regulate Federal radiation and nuclear activities

Australia’s Nuclear Program Small programme by Federal Government Agency (ANSTO) Research Reactors –HIFAR 10 MW D 2 O MTR – final shutdown in Dec 2006 after 48 years continual operation –OPAL 20 MW Pool – Operating Licence granted July 2006 –Moata 100 kW university type – First stage decommissioning Radioisotope production for medicine and industry Waste processing, storage and disposal Regulated and Licensed by ARPANSA Possibly power reactors in medium term

ARPANS Legislation (1) ARPANS Act 1998 sets out: Functions - including regulation and licensing of radiation and nuclear activities Powers - including of inspectors Radiation and Nuclear Committees Take account of international best practice

Functions of the CEO Radiation protection and nuclear safety : Undertake research Provide advice Provide services Promote uniformity across jurisdictions Regulate and licence Federal activities

ARPANSA Structure

ARPANS Legislation (2) ARPANS Act 1998 and Regulations 1999 set out: Powers for –Standard setting –Assessment and licensing –Compliance monitoring –Enforcement Fees and Charges

ARPANSA’s Regulatory Responsibilities ARPANSA must –Be satisfied that nuclear facilities can, and do, operate safely –Knowledgeable of, and understand, the safety case –Ensure that safety case is comprehensive, cohesive, credible and suitable to issue a licence –Make its own regulatory decisions and own those decisions

Technical Support for ARPANSA (1) Realities Small nuclear programme cannot support a separate TSO Range of technical expertise required far exceeds: –resources ARPANSA can support –resources available in Australia

Technical Support for ARPANSA (2) So Alternative strategies are required to ensure the range of technical support allowing rigorous regulatory decisions

ARPANSA’s Technical Support Strategy Small core of knowledgeable experts, widely experienced in nuclear technology and regulation Membership of international organisations –IAEA standards and expert committees, services –OECD NEA nuclear safety and regulatory activities Bilateral agreements with overseas regulators –Information and personnel exchanges Access to national and international expertise –TSOs, research and commercial organisations

Example – OPAL Research Reactor Multi purpose, 20 MW pool, heavy water reflector, 300 kW/l, 5x10 14 n/cm 2 /s, cold source, beams, isotopes, silicone Argentinean prime contractor, 60% Australian content Site LicenceApplication April 1999 Granted Sept 1999 Construction LicenceApplication March 2002 Granted May 2002 Operating LicenceApplication Sept 2004 Granted July 2006

Thank You!

OPAL - Standard Setting Regulatory requirements developed by ARPANSA for: –Siting –Construction –Operation Based on: –IAEA standards –International practice –Australian experience Note: legislative requirement for ‘international best practice’ to be taken into account in regulatory decisions

OPAL – Assessment and Licensing ARPANSA core expertise –Mechanical, electrical, nuclear, operations, management (quality) systems, radiation protection, waste management, safety, regulation Australian national labs and companies –Civil structures, concrete, fire systems, natural convection, seismicity, security, explosions, aircraft crashes

OPAL – Assessment and Licensing Other regulators and TSOs –ARN, CNSC provided personnel on secondment –Information and advice from Argentina, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Korea, Netherlands, US IAEA Peer Reviews of SARs –IBP in siting, construction, operation –(Note IBP and public interests) International consultants –Seismic PSHA, civil structures, PSA, Cold Source, digital I&C

OPAL – Compliance Monitoring Regulation 51 –To ensure: Detailed engineering complies with intent of SAR has been reviewed, verified and accepted by licence holder is designed, constructed and installed under a suitable quality system –130 submissions for Safety Class 1 & 2 Structures, Systems Components (SSCs) 250+ inspections of Safety Class 1 & 2 SSCs –Manufacture, installation, commissioning –In Australia and overseas (Argentina, France, Russia)

OPAL – Compliance Monitoring Technical Support ARPANSA inspectors – All Safety Class1& 2 SSCs Australian national labs and companies –Fire systems, security systems, aircraft crashes, concrete cracking, welding International consultants –Paleoseismicity, civil structures (seismic, aircraft), welding (Japan), TSOs (TUV), 3 rd Party QA audits, Reactor Physics (TUM),

OPAL - Enforcement Decided and made by ARPANSA technical and legal team based on compliance monitoring –Cut-outs, liner repairs, crane

OPAL - Summary International Expertise Used by ARPANSA ARPANSA experience: Bangladesh, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Russia, UK, USA Secondments to ARPANSA: Argentina, Canada IAEA Peer Reviews: Denmark, Belgium, France, Hungary, Netherlands, South Africa, Turkey, USA Consultancies: Argentina, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand Public Consultation Panels: Canada, Sweden, USA

Difficulties of ARPANSA Strategy for Technical Support Maintaining adequate in-house resources (aging staff, lack of domestic training courses) Knowing what advice to seek Obtaining the right expert consultancies –Networking, IAEA recommendations, other regulators, past experience Managing consultancies –Legal advice, contracts –Technical liaison and coordination –Costs Judging credibility of advice, accepting it and owning it Compatible, cohesive set of quality standards

Sustainability of Technical Support Strategy To be effective, this strategy must maintain: A knowledgeable core of technical staff having a good coverage and wide experience of technology, safety and regulation Active membership of international organisations –IAEA standards and expert committees, access to services –OECD NEA CNRA, CSNI Vigorous bilateral agreements with overseas regulators –Exchange of information and personnel Commercial access to expertise: Labs, TSOs, contractors Adequate finances

Possibilities Regional networking of regulators to pool resources, experience (Multinational agreements) Harmonisation of standards, regulatory requirements and designs for nuclear power Joint licensing of standard designs by regulatory authorities for nuclear power

Thank You!