"A 200th of a CASTOR cask"
The comparison of the Asse mine’s radioactive inventory with the content of a CASTOR cask serves a realistic classification and is to support an objective and solution-oriented debate.
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.
Consequences of a biased risk perception
Frequently, a picture of the Asse mine is produced in the public that fuels fears rather than pointing out the true challenges. Headings such as "The radiating dungeon", the talk about the "biggest environmental disaster", the statement that the miners had the "most dangerous workplaces" or equations with the reactor accidents in Chernobyl or Fukushima contribute to this picture. However, to be able to face the challenges of retrieval, having the right sense of proportion is key for all parties involved. An escapist sense of disaster entails the risk that safeguards thinking provokes operational procedures blocking retrieval rather than supporting it. This is the main reason why the BfS, by making comparisons, tries to draw an objective picture of the existing environmental problem. The relic "Asse" must not be played down; at the same time the problems should be presented worse than they actually are.
Dangers to be aware of nevertheless
It is recognised that the inventory of the Asse mine contains a number of materials that must not get into the groundwater. Retrieving the waste is a technical and legal requirement. It is the only way to guarantee safety for man and environment. Among the dangerous materials are nuclear fuels such as uranium-235 or the highly toxic plutonium. Apart from radioactive substances the drums also contain chemo-toxic (chemically toxic) materials such as arsenic, mercury and lead.
Radiation protection underground: Periodic monitoring of staff
The radiation exposure underground is periodically monitored. Each staff member entering the mine carries a dosimeter. Measurements show that the official annual dose for a miner due to his work inside the Asse mine is zero millisievert. The mean effective annual dose per resident due to medical and technical applications in Germany is about 2 millisievert.