In 2010, the Committee on WASTE CONDITIONING, TRANSPORT AND INTERIM STORAGE (AZ) dealt with the following four requests of advice of the BMU:
- Conditioning of waste for the case of retrieval of radioactive waste from the Asse II mine
- Periodic safety reviews of the interim storage facilities for irradiated fuel elements and high active material
- Treatment of radioactive waste resulting from the dismantling of the HAWC storage facilities of the Karlsruhe Reprocessing Plant (WAK); it is planned to resume consultations on at the end of 2011/the beginning of 2012 within a joint ad hoc working group with the Committee on DECOMMISSIONING (ST) if further information will be available
- Return of medium-level vitrified waste from the reprocessing of irradiated fuel elements in France to Germany
In 2011, the consultations concentrated on the following:
- Revision and update of the guidelines a) for dry interim storage of irradiated fuel and b) for the interim storage of MAW and LAW
- Ageing management in the periodic safety reviews of interim storage facilities for irradiated fuel assemblies and vitrified HAW
- Experiences with the handling and interim storage of transport and storage casks for irradiated fuel assemblies and HAW
- Specifications for radioactive waste to be returned from abroad
- Further consultations took place with regard to the commissioning of the Konrad repository, e.g. the implementation of the plan approval procedure and the intermediate permit under water law (gehobene, wasserrechtliche Erlaubnis) as well as with regard to the logistics for the conditioning and intermediate storage of the radioactive waste.
In 2012, the consultations will concentrate on the following:
- Continuation and completion of the consultations on the revision and update of the guidelines a) for dry interim storage of irradiated fuel and b) for the long-term interim storage of MAW and LAW (with negligible heat generation).
- Issues related to the conditioning of waste packages that meet the requirements for disposal in the Konrad repository.
- International programmes on long-term safety in the context of interim storage of irradiated fuel assemblies.
- Consultations on studies regarding the retrieval of radioactive waste from the Asse II.
- Operation of waste treatment plants at La Hague.