The Australian Government’s nuclear agency, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) will apply for a licence to construct an interim storage facility for Australian radioactive waste generated by several decades of nuclear medicine production and scientific research.
For more than 50 years, almost all of Australia’s nuclear medicine has been produced at Sydney’s Lucas Heights. ANSTO produces 550,000 doses of medicine a year, which is distributed to more than 250 hospitals and medical centres across the country.
The proposed new storage facility at Lucas Heights (subject to regulatory approval) would enable Australia to meet obligations to repatriate Australian waste currently being reprocessed in France and due, under arrangements established by Governments in the 1990s, to return to Australia by the end of 2015.
This proposed interim facility would operate at Lucas Heights for up to five years from late 2015 – while planning is underway for the siting, design and construction of a permanent national radioactive waste management facility anticipated to be operational by 2020.
“For decades, Australians have benefited from nuclear medicine production, and environmental, industrial and minerals research undertaken at Lucas Heights,” said Dr Adi Paterson, Chief Executive Officer of ANSTO.
“Those benefits include production of millions of doses of nuclear medicine, increased profitability of our mining industry, irradiation of silicon used in everything from fast trains to hybrid cars, and a base of knowledge that secures Australia’s position in international nuclear non-proliferation talks.
“Along with these benefits comes a responsibility for Australia to safely deal with the by-products. Australia does not shy away from that responsibility, and ANSTO has comprehensive plans to safely manage it.”
Dr Paterson said more than 50 million nuclear medicine procedures are performed each year around the world.
“Radioactive waste resulting from nuclear medicine production and research must be managed by the countries that make it, consistent with international best practice,” Dr Paterson said.
“The vital procedures these medicines enable include the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of heart, liver, bone, kidney and skeletal conditions.”
Dr Paterson said plans for the proposed interim storage facility will be assessed by the independent regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear safety Agency, ARPANSA, which will conduct a public consultation process.
Dr Paterson said construction of an interim store at Lucas Heights would be in line with plans to create a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility.
In April 2012, the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012 came into effect – allowing the Government to establish a facility to deal with the small quantity of waste that comes from Australia’s highly valuable nuclear activities.
“The proposed interim facility would store waste that enabled important research and treatments for Australian patients, and would operate for up to five years from 2015,” Dr Paterson said.
“Most people would be really surprised at how small the volume of the waste actually is.
“The store would hold around 13.2m3 of waste from spent fuel - equal to a third of one shipping container - from the old HIFAR reactor at Lucas Heights, which is currently being reprocessed.
“The waste would be moved to the national facility once that facility is sited, designed and constructed, which is anticipated in 2020”.
Consultation process
By the end of June 2012, ANSTO will apply to the independent Australian nuclear regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), for a licence for siting and construction of an interim waste storage facility.
Shortly thereafter, ARPANSA will undertake an independent public consultation process that includes placing the application on its website, a notification in a national newspaper, inclusion of details in the Government Gazette, and an opportunity for the public to make submissions.
A decision on whether to grant the license for the storage facility will be made by ARPANSA, based on a range of criteria including compliance with international best practice in relation to radiation protection and nuclear safety, and views expressed in the public submissions process.
For more information please submit your enquiry by the ANSTO contact form.
Published: 30/04/2012