Amendments to NP-093-14

On April 5, 2022 the amendments to the Federal Safety Regulations NP-093-14 "Criteria for Accepting Radioactive Waste for Disposal" are coming into effect. The amedments were approved by the Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia of December 14, 2021 No. 428 (registered by the Ministry of Justice of Russia on March 25, 2022 under the registry No. 67916).

The Amendments are aimed at improvement of the legal and regulatory framework in the field of safety in atomic energy use in the part of safety requirements to disposal of radioactive wastes (hereinafter to be referred to as RW) generated in the process of mining and milling of uranium ore, mineral and organic raw material with the increased content of natural radionuclides, including as follows:

• clarification of safety requirements to RW-tailing Disposal Facilities intended for disposal of the mentioned RW;
• ageing of the general acceptance criteria for RW of class 6 (unpacked) generated in the process of mining and milling of mineral and organic raw material with the increased content of natural radionuclides.

Clarification of the requirements of NP-093-14 was caused by the development of the unified state system for RW management, i.e. by the necessity to implement works on modification of special RW storage facilities into RW Disposal Facilities, envisaged in the Article 4 of the "Provision on the Procedure and Deadlines for Creation of the Unified State System for Management of Radioactive Wastes" approved by the Decree of the RF Government of November 19, 2012 No. 1185. The Amendments to NP-093-14 will allow for safe disposal of RW containing natural radionuclides, including those generated in the process of mining and milling of rare-earth ores necessary for civil areas in economics and military-industrial complex.

Information for reference

NP-093-14 were approved by the Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia of December 15, 2014 No. 572. Registered by the Ministry of Justice of Russia on March 27, 2015 under the No. 36592. Enacted on April 7, 2015. With the account of the Amendments introduced by the Order of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia of November 17, 2017 No. 481 (registered by the Ministry of Justice of Russia on Decmber 11, 2017 under the registry No. 49197).

NP-093-14 stipulates:

• general acceptance criteria for RW for disposal;
• requirements to establishment of acceptace criteria for RW for disposal to the certain RW disposal facility;
• requirements to verification of RW compliance with the acceptance criteria for disposal;
• requirements to certification of RW delivered for disposal.

The document covers all classes and types of RW for disposal, excluding spent sealed sources of ionizing radiation, ways for RW disposal and RW disposal facilities.