Publications Details

IAEA safeguards for spent fuel in geologic repositories

De Montmollin, J.M.

Several countries propose to permanently dispose of spent reactor fuel as waste in geologic repositories. There is no basis for terminating safeguards on spent fuel, since it does not meet the criteria specified for termination, and conceivably it might be subsequently recovered and used for prohibited purposes. The paper proposed safeguards measures for spent fuel undergoing preparation, emplacement, recoverable storage, and after site closure which are consistent with other IAEA safeguards but which differ in detail, commensurate with the lesser risk of diversion relative to materials in other parts of the fuel cycle. The proposed measures rely on item accountability of discrete units, by means of containment and surveillance. The concept is consistent with the guidelines contained in Part I of the Safeguards Document, INFCIRC/153, but not entirely with Part II, which is based on verified material balances. After final site closure safeguards are limited to infrequent site observations, which would be sufficient to detect any attempts to recover the material. The paper points out the magnitude of effort required for recovery and the difficulty of concealing if from casual observation. 4 refs.