On 25 April 2017, the operator responsibilities for the Asse II mine as well as the Konrad and Morsleben repositories were transferred to the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung mbH, BGE). This website of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) will therefore no longer be updated and displays the status as on 24 April 2017. You will find current information at the BGE: www.bge.de

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Statements and comments on the Asse II mine

Current debates and events that affect the Asse II mine: statements and comments by BfS spokespersons on current issues.

Search results 6 to 10 from a total of 26

Vier Kilometer Mindestabstand zur Wohnbebauung

statement No solution: Minimum distance of four kilometres to residential area

Recent demands for a minimum distance of four kilometres between an interim storage facility and a residential area do not help solve the current conflict of interest in terms of a potential site. Individual members of the Monitoring Group have repeatedly voiced these demands most recently in the debate about an interim storage facility. Thus, when applying this criterion, no licensable sites can be found within a radius of 50 kilometres around the Asse mine. This is shown in an analysis of geographical maps conducted by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). The examination showed that altogether five uninhabited areas can be found in Lower Saxony in the aforementioned radius, where it would be possible to leave the mentioned distances. However, these areas are located in tourist local recreation areas, national parks or drinking water catchment areas, as can be seen in an animation.

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statement BGR “does not generally rule out the sinking of a shaft at the site”

In this press release the BGR makes the following statement: “The geological analysis of the BGR of the exploration drilling for shaft 5 (Remlingen 15) at the Asse repository site shows that this drilling has not encountered the expected older rock salt layers but younger layer sequences of rock salt. This would mean that the drilling encountered the margin of the Asse's salt structure and that the dimensions of the salt body are smaller than expected. However, this does not generally rule out the sinking of a shaft at the site.”

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Geologen begutachten Bohrkern

statement No definite findings so far according to which the examined site for the sinking of another shaft would be unsuitable

In the scope of expert talks taking place on a regular basis, members of the Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) presented a paper giving the impression of a final report. In a conclusion, this paper questions basically the suitability of the collaring point for the planned recovery shaft. Among the scientists taking part in the expert talk there was agreement that the conclusions in the document were not technically substantiated and that the document therefore needed revising. Now the paper has been made public. To avoid misunderstandings, the BfS informs in the following about the current status of works.

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statement "A 200th of a CASTOR cask"

The prime objective of the BfS is to decommission the Asse mine safely. This can only be guaranteed if the radioactive waste is retrieved from the Asse mine. According to the present state of knowledge, this is the only way to keep the legal protection goals for man and environment. Nor is this task and objective incompatible with the fact and the corresponding statement that the Asse mine’s radioactive inventory corresponds to about one 200th of a CASTOR cask. The indication as to the actual radiological risk and a realistic classification are important to support an objective and solution-oriented debate.

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Mit der semimobilen Baustoffanlage wird Sorelbeton für die Firstspaltverfüllung hergestellt

statement BfS plans public briefing on "emergency preparedness" and "drainage"

The BfS had to cancel its participation in the Asse-2 Monitoring Group briefing on the same topic, since key requirements previously agreed were missing. In order to fulfil its duty to inform the public, the BfS will therefore organise a special briefing. Unfortunately, such a dual-track approach will neither contribute to a good co-operation nor to the actual challenges of the Asse project.

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Transfer of operator responsibilities

On 25 April 2017, the operator responsibilities for the Asse II mine as well as the Konrad and Morsleben repositories were transferred to the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung mbH, BGE). Previously, the responsibility for the projects was with the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). The foundations for the change of operatorship are laid down in the "Act on the Realignment of the Organisational Structures in the Field of Radioactive Waste Disposal", which became effective on 30 July 2016. The BfS focusses on the federal tasks of radiation protection, for example in the field of defence against nuclear hazards, medical research, mobile communication, UV protection or the measuring networks for environmental radioactivity.

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