Report on operational safety, radiation protection and environmental monitoring

With the report "Morsleben Repository for Radioactive Waste (ERAM). Operational Safety, Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring. As of December 2010" the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) presents a summary of its comprehensive monitoring measures around the Morsleben repository.

The measurements for 2010 show that due to the very low exposure of the environment to radioactive materials and environment are not at risk and that the safe operation of the repository is ensured.

The BfS continuously conducts measurements and investigations in order to be in a position to quickly detect possibly occurring changes and to take action should this be required. The report provides information about measures and results of the geo-mechanical and hydrogeological monitoring, operational radiation protection, the monitoring of the discharge of radioactive materials and the estimated dose from the discharge of radioactive materials and the environmental monitoring.

Morsleben is a former potash and rock salt mine where low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste has been stored, at first from the GDR and later on also from the FRG. In 1998, emplacement operations discontinued on account of court proceedings and safety debates. In 2001, the BfS irrevocably terminated radioactive waste disposal in Morsleben, as it could no longer be justified for safety reasons. Between 2003 and 2011 parts of the mine were stabilised with salt concrete. In 2005, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection submitted the "Decommissioning Plan" to the Environment Ministry of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, together with all documents required for the public participation procedure in the scope of the nuclear licensing procedure for decommissioning. As part of the licensing procedure, the public hearing took place from 13 through 25 October. The plan-approval decision (licence) is still pending.

The report is available at online. Hardcopies are available at Infostelle in Morsleben or can be ordered at BfS.