The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority [SRSA] is about to finish the ongoing initial review of the license application to build a final repository for spent nuclear fuel, submitted by the power industry’s nuclear waste company SKB. Today, SRSA has submitted a statement to the Land and Environmental Court were they place extensive demands on completions. Since the application is simultaneously being tried by SRSA in accordance with the Act on Nuclear Activities, the document was also sent directly to the nuclear power industry’s nuclear waste company SKB. Furthermore SRSA intends to submit detailed demands on completion specifically regarding the long term safety to SKB by the end of this year.
SRSA states to the court that the environmental impact assessment needs completion in several areas, and especially in the account of alternative methods. The regulator has also identified a need for additional information regarding the long term radiation safety of the repository, as well as more information on the protection of health and environment. These completions demand further research to be made, research linked to the copper canister amongst others. SRSA emphasizes that demands on further research on the canister and copper corrosion have been put forward on previous occasions.
“We see a need for completion, even in the parts of the license application which adhere to the long term safety and the protection of health and environment. Some completions may require SKB to do further research, particularly on the subject of the long term safety of the copper canister”, says authority specialist Björn Dverstorp, and continues by adding that: “we would also like to see more transparent plans for demonstrating how the technology for depositing canisters into the repository will match the level of quality that the company assumes in their license application”
Completion: the court has ordered SKB to respond to the demands of completion of the license application made by the referral bodies no later than April 2, 2013.
The license application is being reviewed by the Land and Environmental Court in accordance with the Environmental Code, and simultaneously by the SRSA in accordance with the Act on Nuclear Activities.
