Atomic energy summit proposes minimum standards

A set of recommended minimum requirements and implementation procedures to improve the control of uranium ore concentrate (UOC) were developed during the week-long seminar on best practices in the control and processing of UOC last week.

These include sprucing up the regulatory infrastructure, strengthening accounting and control of UOC, tightening facilities at UOC facilities, and enhancing transport, export and storage procedures. The Namibian Government hosted the seminar organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and co-sponsored by the European Commission and the United States Government. It brought together Government and regulator authorities from 21 countries, which included 14 African nations, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Kazakhstan, Russia, and the United States of America. Six of the seven largest uranium companies in the world were also present. At the onset of the seminar, Minister of Health and Social Security, Richard Kamwi, said Government wants uranium to be handled in the best interest of the Namibian people. The world over citizens are extremely concerned about the safety and protection of the use of nuclear technology or radiation-based technology, Kamwi reminded the gathering. The fragility and dangers related to this sort of energy source was once again clear during the Fukushima accident after the tsunami and earthquake that hit Japan in March last year. ‘While the economic and social benefits associated with the exploitation of the uranium resources enjoy high priority, we must equally remain considerate and ensure that safety and protection enjoys the same level of attention,’ Kamwi urged. He questioned the vulnerability and security of uranium products that are being transported across national boundaries and continents, and proposed that threats and potential risks associated with storage and transport of these products be quantified realistically and a uniform level of security applied within and across national borders and beyond. Kamwi said there is a need to promote nuclear disarmament, as well as the establishment of nuclear weapons free-zones, and that nuclear material be safeguarded and verified to be used for peaceful purposes only.Commissioner of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Kristine Svinicki, said the US’s experience with commercial nuclear power plants over 40 years has shown the importance of having independent regulatory oversight to ensure safe and secure production of UOC. She said it is also important to have in place an effective oversight programme to ensure that owners and operators follow regulations. In addition, said Svinicki, US regulations strive to maintain a high standard of public accountability. ‘We think transparency in our regulatory efforts is the key to public trust, and we view nuclear regulation as the public’s business,’ said Svinicki. In Namibia, a governmental axis provides the regulatory environment.On the one hand, the Ministry of Mines and Energy regulates the mining industry in terms of granting exploration and mining licenses. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism promotes the sustainable use of natural resources, and provides for a process of assessment and control of activities which may have significant effects on the environment. Thirdly, the National Radiation Protection Authority in accordance with the Atomic Energy & Radiation Protection Act of 2005 provides the regulatory framework for control of radiation source, radioactive and nuclear material, which includes the safety, safeguards, security, transport, import and export of such materials. Here, the primary responsibility for safety and security rests with the licensee, who is obliged to produce a radiation management plan as part of the compliance regime. Such a radiation management plan has to do threat assessments, provide physical protection systems to prevent threats, and provide means of detecting any threat, and it should also contain how the licensee will respond to threats.