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Topics
What happens in the Asse?
What will become of the Asse?
- Decommissioning Concept
- Decommissioning Planning
- 3D-seismic-measurements
- Plan-approval procedure
Decommissioning of the Asse II mine
Why one has decided not to leave the radioactive wastes in the mine
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) as the operator of Asse needs to furnish proof that the option chosen for decommissioning does not put at risk man and environment in the area, not even in the long term. According to the present state of knowledge, this can only be achieved by retrieving the wastes from the Asse mine. That is the result of the comparison of options for the decommissioning of Asse. In 2013, retrieval was provided for in the Atomic Energy Act.
In February 2013, the Bundestag voted by a large majority in favour of recovering the wastes. Still in April the same year, the so-called "Lex Asse" became effective. The Act provides for "immediately" decommissioning the facility and recovering the wastes prior to decommissioning.
Retrieval is not an end in itself
At the beginning there were scientific investigations into the decommissioning of the Asse mine, the so-called comparison of options. The BfS had initiated this comparison in 2009 already and, in its course, arrived at the conclusion that only by way of retrieval can safety be guaranteed for the long term.
It is crucial that the legal protection goals can be guaranteed according to the state of the art of science and technology after the facility has been decommissioned. The basis for this are the Atomic Energy Act and the Radiation Protection Ordinance. At no point in time must the impact of radioactive wastes put the population and the staff at risk.