Monitoring of the repository's environment

Prior to and during the operation of the repository the surrounding area of Konrad is monitored. That way it can be ensured that the emissions and immissions originating from the repository remain within or below the legal limit values.

According to § 48 of the Radiation Protection Ordinance the discharges from a repository and the vicinity of the repository need to be monitored in terms of radiation exposure. How to proceed in this case has been set out in the Directive on Emission and Immission Monitoring of the Facilities according to Nuclear Law (REI).

Exact monitoring of discharges originating from the repository

All discharges from the repository are closely monitored. Waste water that has been cleared may be discharged into the Aue receiving water

When the Konrad repository will be taken into operation all discharges will be measured and it will then be controlled whether they are below the permissible discharge volumes. For example, samples of the waste water will be taken on a regular basis. Following laboratory tests that show if the measured values are below the licensed discharge values, the water is discharged into the river Aue via a pipeline. If the laboratory control measurement shows that the licensed discharge levels have been exceeded, the waste water is disposed of externally or solidified for disposal in the Konrad repository.

Apart from the waste water, the exhaust air from the shaft is controlled, as well. The measurements are carried out by the operator and surveyed by an independent measuring institution.

Control clearly before start of emplacement operations

Already two years before the Konrad repository will be taken into operation, the local dose rate and the activity of samples from the surrounding area are determined according to a fixed schedule. This is done to detect possible pollutions of the environment due to radioactive materials during emplacement operations and afterwards. The results of this environmental monitoring are published. The operator's measuring programme is monitored by measurements carried out and supplemented by an independent measuring institution.