This Safety Guide provides recommendations on the safe disposal of disused sealed radioactive sources in borehole disposal facilities. Sealed radioactive sources are used all over the world for a wide range of purposes, in areas such as health, industry, research and agriculture. These sources are usually managed safely while in use, but States often experience challenges in their management once the sources reach the end of their useful lives. Even though they may no longer emit sufficient radiation for their intended purpose, disused sources are radioactive and potentially hazardous, and they need to be managed as radioactive waste. Written for regulators and others involved in the development and management of borehole disposal facilities, the objective of this Safety Guide is to provide recommendations on the commissioning, operation, closure, institutional control and regulation of borehole disposal facilities for disused sealed radioactive sources, and small volumes of low and intermediate level secondary waste generated during the management of these sources. This Safety Guide can also be used as a basis for reassessing and, where appropriate, upgrading the safety of existing borehole disposal facilities.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Structure
• 2. OVERVIEW OF BOREHOLE DISPOSAL AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION
  • Borehole disposal of disused sealed radioactive sources
    • Reference concept for borehole disposal of disused sealed radioactive sources
    • Periods in borehole disposal of disused sealed radioactive sources
  • Other borehole disposal concepts
• 3. LEGAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A BOREHOLE DISPOSAL FACILITY
  • Responsibilities of the government
  • Responsibilities of the regulatory body
    • Radiation protection in the operational period
    • Radiation protection in the post-closure period
  • Responsibilities of the operating organization
• 4. SAFETY APPROACH FOR A BOREHOLE DISPOSAL FACILITY
  • Importance of safety in the development and operation of a borehole disposal facility
  • Passive means for the safety of a borehole disposal facility
  • Understanding of a borehole disposal facility and confidence in safety
  • Multiple safety functions
  • Containment of radioactive waste
  • Isolation of radioactive waste
  • Surveillance and control of passive safety features
  • Step by step development and evaluation of borehole disposal facilities
• 5. SAFETY CASE AND SAFETY ASSESSMENT FOR A BOREHOLE DISPOSAL FACILITY
  • Preparation, approval and use of the safety case and safety assessment
  • Scope of the safety case and safety assessment
    • Scope of the safety case
    • Scope of the safety assessment
  • Documentation of the safety case and safety assessment
• 6. APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BOREHOLE DISPOSAL FACILITY
  • Predisposal management of radioactive waste for borehole disposal
  • Site characterization for a borehole disposal facility
  • Design of a borehole disposal facility
    • Waste inventory
    • Geology and borehole design
    • Engineered components
    • Design refinement
  • Construction of a borehole disposal facility
  • Commissioning of a borehole disposal facility
  • Operation of a borehole disposal facility
    • Radiation protection programme
    • Operating procedures
    • Waste acceptance
    • Waste emplacement
    • Backfilling of disposal boreholes
    • Sealing of disposal boreholes
    • Inspection and review
    • Records
  • Closure of a borehole disposal facility
• 7. ASSURANCE OF SAFETY FOR A BOREHOLE DISPOSAL FACILITY
  • Monitoring programmes at a borehole disposal facility
  • The period after closure and institutional controls
  • Accounting for and control of nuclear material
  • Managing interfaces between safety and security
  • Management systems
  • Preparedness and response for a nuclear or radiological emergency
• 8. EXISTING BOREHOLE DISPOSAL FACILITIES
• Appendix I SITING AND SITE CHARACTERIZATION FOR BOREHOLE DISPOSAL FACILITIES
  • Safety related factors
    • Other factors
    • Process for site selection
    • Graded approach to site characterization
    • Desk based site characterization studies
    • Surface based site characterization studies
    • Borehole based site characterization studies
• Appendix II GENERIC POST-CLOSURE SAFETY ASSESSMENT FOR BOREHOLE DISPOSAL FACILITIES
  • Generic safety assessment for borehole disposal of disused sealed radioactive sources in Categories 3–5
    • Further generic studies for borehole disposal of disused sealed radioactive sources in Categories 1 and 2
• REFERENCES
• Annex I OTHER BOREHOLE DISPOSAL CONCEPTS
• Annex II DISPOSAL DEPTH
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW