Managing Higher Activity Radioactive Waste: Engagement
This page explains how engagement between Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) and waste packagers helps the development of safe waste packaging solutions in an efficient manner.
Engagement is key throughout both Disposability Assessment and Package Assurance during Assurance of Disposability. Successful engagement involves NWS and the waste packager working together to resolve any issues potentially affecting disposability. Each side must understand the constraints affecting the other, and key decisions are made jointly.
Engagement should commence early and be sustained throughout the Assessment. It aims to use the experience of both parties to identify the most promising method and to decide what supporting evidence the Disposability Assessment needs to contain.
If NWS has accepted a packaging proposal for similar waste, this may be used as a starting point. Rather than starting the engagement from the beginning, it could consider whether any differences between the new waste and previous waste would affect approval.
Similarly, assessments can focus on innovative parts of the proposal or on the issues most likely to cause the waste package to not meet the Waste Packaging Specifications and so less time is spent on routine aspects.
Good engagement during Disposability Assessment will resolve difficulties in the submission and clarify any concerns. The assessment may be carried out in stages, so engagement will highlight what development work is needed to address the remaining issues, so they can be worked on in the next stage.
Any issues or uncertainties that cannot be resolved may become risks. Engagement continues after the assessment to review these risks and potential mitigations periodically.
See next: Managing Higher Activity Radioactive Waste: Disposability Assessment
See previous: Managing Higher Activity Radioactive Waste