Water right: Supervisory authorisation given by NLWKN

The plan-approval decision for the Konrad repository includes more than 500 collateral clauses, one of which deals with a specific approval of the water authorities. It limits the amount of non-radioactive, damaging substances contained in the radioactive waste.

Apart from the plan-approval decision and the nuclear law licence for the Konrad repository, also the evidence that the provisions of the so-called specific approval of the water authorities are complied with is required for the safe operation of the repository. This approval limits the amounts of non-radioactive, damaging substances contained in the radioactive waste.

Konrad 1 shaft in Salzgitter-Bleckenstedt

The provisions serve to protect the groundwater near the surface from radioactive substances and from substances that are damaging to man and environment due to their chemical characteristics. Thus it can be ruled out that, for instance, agricultural produce from the region will not be contaminated with harmful substances during emplacement operations or after the Konrad repository will have been sealed.

On 15 March 2011 the Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency (NLWKN) approved of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection’s approach to the concrete implementation of the provisions contained in the specific approval of the water authorities for the Konrad repository.

In connection with the development of this approach the BfS revised the Konrad waste acceptance requirements under water right aspects, newly derived material/chemical waste package quality control measures and presented more documents (Konrad waste acceptance requirements, waste package quality control (radiological aspects), waste package quality control (material aspects), accounting standards, approach to the implementation of water right collateral clauses, list of materials, list of containers).

Upon request of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) these documents were forwarded to the waste producers. The BfS is currently evaluating the explanatory notes and statements it has received. It is intended to incorporate resulting suggestions into the current revision of the BfS reports. After these works have concluded a complete version of the waste acceptance requirements and waste package quality control measures for the Konrad repository will be presented.