ISO 24389-1:2023

DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ISO/DIS 24389-1
ISO/TC 85/SC 5 Secretariat: BSI
Voting begins on: Voting terminates on:
2022-07-01 2022-09-23
Management of radioactive waste from nuclear facilities —
Part 1:
General principles, objectives and practical approaches
ICS: 27.120.20; 13.030.30
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ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
ISO/DIS 24389-1
ISO/TC 85/SC 5 Secretariat: BSI
Voting begins on: Voting terminates on:

Management of radioactive waste from nuclear facilities —
Part 1:
General principles, objectives and practical approaches
ICS: 27.120.20; 13.030.30
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
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PROVIDE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. © ISO 2022

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ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 General terms . 1
3.2 Terms related to waste management . 2
4 Principles, objectives and practical approaches . 5
4.1 Principles and objectives . 5
4.1.1 Principle 1: Benefits . 5
4.1.2 Principle 2: Transparency . 5
4.1.3 Principle 3: Protection of people and the environment . 5
4.1.4 Principle 4: Security . 5
4.1.5 Principle 5: Non-proliferation . 6
4.1.6 Principle 6: Long-term commitment . 6
4.1.7 Principle 7: Resource efficiency . 6
4.1.8 Principle 8: Continual improvement . 7
4.2 Practical Approaches . 7
4.2.1 Ensure optimum design of waste management lifecycle . 7
4.2.2 Ensure process is safe, secure, and effective . 7
4.2.3 Compliant with applicable acceptance criteria . 7
4.2.4 Minimization of radioactive waste (e.g. reduce, reuse, recycle) . 8
4.2.5 Minimize environmental impacts for present and future generations . 8
4.2.6 Protection from facility accident and emergencies . 9
4.2.7 Waste management solutions should be proportional to risk/hazard . 9
4.2.8 Ensure the above principles are part of routine business . 9
4.2.9 Provide best value (cost effectiveness) . 9
4.2.10 Suitable characterization . 9
5 Structure and contents of the ISO 24389 series .13
5.1 Part 1: General principles, objectives, and practical approaches .13
5.2 Part 2: Pre-disposal . . .13
5.3 Part 3: Disposal . 14
5.4 Part 4: Governance . . . 14
5.5 Part 5: Data quality . . 14
5.6 Part 6: Documentation . 14
5.7 Part 7: Supporting systems . 14
Bibliography .15
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ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity assessment,
as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee ISO/TC 85, Nuclear energy,
nuclear technologies, and radiological protection, Subcommittee SC 5, Nuclear installations, processes and
technologies.
A list of all parts in the ISO 24389 series can be found on the ISO website.
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ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
Introduction
The IAEA outlines a framework for the long-term management of radioactive waste, including waste
from operational activities and waste from decommissioning activities. This framework sets out the
objectives, criteria and requirements for the protection of human health and the environment that
apply to the siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation and shutdown of facilities for the
predisposal management of radioactive waste, and the requirements that must be met to ensure the
safety of such facilities and activities.
However, additional practical guidance is required to assist development of processes for the safe,
secure, efficient, effective management of radioactive waste. This document has been developed to
provide the guidance needed for consistent implementation of the framework provided by the IAEA,
while also enabling member states to develop processes that meet their own applicable requirements.
This includes considerations with regards to:
— Safety;
— Waste prevention;
— Security (non-proliferation)
— Lifecycle management (e.g., waste minimization, repurposing or reuse, effectiveness, efficiency,
acceptance criteria for disposal); and
— Applicable requirements for waste certification.
The guidance provided in this document considers the need to demonstrate fitness for purpose of
applied solutions and the requirement for continuous improvement. Long-term disposal requirements
are not addressed in this document.
This series of standards provides guidance in the following areas:
Part 1 (24389-1): General principles, objectives and practical approaches
Part 2 (24389-2): Pre-Disposal
Part 3 (24389-3): Disposal
Part 4 (24389-4): Governance
Part 5 (24389-5): Data Quality
Part 6 (24389-6): Documentation
Part 7 (24389-7): Supporting Systems
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DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
Management of radioactive waste from nuclear facilities —
Part 1:
General principles, objectives and practical approaches
1 Scope
This document is the first of a suite of seven (7) documents which outlines the general principles to
manage the various type of radioactive waste, and provides guidance for the practical implementation
of those principles.
The purpose of this document is to address the following:
1) Principles, objectives and practical approaches for radioactive waste management;
2) Outline of the structure of suite from ISO 24389 part-1 through part-7.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 12749-3, Nuclear energy, nuclear technologies, and radiological protection — Vocabulary — Part 3:
Nuclear fuel cycle
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 12749-3, and the following
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 General terms
NOTE General terms are arranged alphabetically (English).
3.1.1
decommissioning
administrative and technical actions taken to allow the removal of some or all of the regulatory controls
from a nuclear facility (3.1.3)
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition , modified – “nuclear” added]
3.1.2
non-proliferation
prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, fissionable material, and weapons-applicable nuclear
technology and information
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ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
3.1.3
nuclear facility
facility (including associated buildings and equipment) in which nuclear material is produced,
processed, used, handled, stored or disposed of
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.1.4
proportional
corresponding in size or amount to something else
EXAMPLE Punishment should be proportional to the offense.
3.1.5
resource(s)
stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn upon to achieve a specific
function or outcome
3.1.6
safeguards
preventing the diversion of civil nuclear materials to non-peaceful applications
3.1.7
stakeholder
person, group or organization that has interests in, or can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be
affected by, any aspect of a project, programme or portfolio
[2]
[SOURCE: ISO 21500:2021 , 3.18, modified – “the project” changed to “a project”]
3.2 Terms related to waste management
NOTE These terms are arranged conceptually based on the order of concepts as presented in this document.
3.2.1
radioactive waste
material for which no further use is foreseen that contains, or is contaminated with, radionuclides
Note 1 to entry: For legal and regulatory purposes, waste is considered to be radioactive if the concentrations or
activities are greater than clearance levels as established by the regulatory body.
[SOURCE: ISO 12749-3:2015, 3.7.1]
3.2.2
radioactive waste management
all administrative and operational activities involved in the handling, pretreatment, treatment,
conditioning, transport, storage and disposal of radioactive waste (3.2.1)
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.3
waste handling
physical manipulation (sorting, moving, etc.) of waste or waste packages.
[SOURCE: IAEA Radioactive Waste Management Glossary]
Note 1 to entry: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Radioactive Waste Management Glossary, Non-
serial Publications, IAEA, Vienna (2003)
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ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
3.2.4
waste predisposal
predisposal management
any waste management steps carried out prior to disposal, such as pretreatment, treatment,
conditioning, storage and transport activities.
Note 1 to entry: Predisposal is not a form of disposal: predisposal is used as a contraction of ‘pre-disposal
management of radioactive waste’.
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.5
recycle
convert [radioactive waste (3.2.1)] into reusable material
3.2.6
reduce
make smaller or less in amount
3.2.7
waste processing
any operation that changes the characteristics of waste, including pretreatment, treatment and
conditioning
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.8
waste pre-treatment
any or all of the operations prior to waste treatment, such as collection, segregation (3.2.10), chemical
adjustment (3.2.11) and decontamination (3.2.12)
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.9
waste retrieval
process of recovering radioactive waste (3.2.1) from a storage facility for waste disposal (3.2.20)
3.2.10
segregation
activity where types of radioactive waste (3.2.1) or material (radioactive or exempt) are separated or
are kept separate on the basis of radiological, chemical and/or physical properties, to facilitate waste
handling (3.2.3) and/or waste processing (3.2.7)
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.11
chemical adjustment
change to the state, condition or properties of a material using chemical means
3.2.12
decontamination
complete or partial removal of contamination by a deliberate physical, chemical or biological process
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.13
volume reduction
step or steps taken to reduce (3.2.6) the volume of radioactive waste (3.2.1)
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ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
3.2.14
waste treatment
operations intended to benefit safety and/or economy by changing the characteristics of radioactive
waste (3.2.1)
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.15
waste conditioning
operations that produce a waste package suitable for waste handling (3.2.3), transport, waste storage
(3.2.19) and/or waste disposal (3.2.20)
Note 1 to entry: Conditioning can include the conversion of the waste to a solid waste form, enclosure of the
waste in containers and, if necessary, provision of an overpack.
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.16
waste immobilization
conversion of waste into a waste form by solidification, embedding or encapsulation
Note 1 to entry: The intent is to reduce the potential for migration or dispersion of radionuclides during waste
handling (3.2.3), transport, waste storage (3.2.19) and/or waste disposal (3.2.20).
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.17
waste packaging
preparation of radioactive waste (3.2.1) for safe waste handling (3.2.3), transport, waste storage (3.2.19)
and/or waste disposal (3.2.20) by means of enclosing it in a suitable container
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.18
waste overpack
secondary (or additional) outer container for one or more waste packages, used for waste handling
(3.2.3), transport, waste storage (3.2.19) and/or waste disposal (3.2.20)
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.19
waste storage
holding of radioactive waste (3.2.1) in a facility that provides for its containment, with the intention of
waste retrieval (3.2.9)
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
Note 1 to entry: The main distinguishing factor between waste storage and waste disposal (3.2.20) is the intention
of waste retrieval (3.2.9), which applies to storage but not to disposal.
3.2.20
waste disposal
emplacement of waste in an appropriate facility without the intention of waste retrieval (3.2.9).
[1]
[SOURCE: IAEA Safety Glossary, 2018 edition ]
3.2.21
repository
nuclear facility where radioactive waste (3.2.1) is emplaced for disposal
[SOURCE: ISO 12749-3:2015, 3.7.9.1]
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ISO/DIS 24389-1:2022(E)
4 Principles, objectives and practical approaches
[3]
IAEA has published a document on radioactive waste management objectives which describes
principles and objectives for radioactive waste management. These are summarized below, and are
explained within the context of this document.
4.1 Principles and objectives
4.1.1 Principle 1: Benefits
Objective: Minimization of generation and optimization of the management of radioactive waste.
The main benefit of nuclear energy is in the electricity produced from it and related improvements
in quality of life, while the management of radioac
...