Speaker
Description
In the interests of consistence with the principles of sustainable development – of not passing undesirable burdens to future generations – it is essential that the effective radioactive waste management system also covers legacy waste and waste generated during remediation activities (remediation waste). In Belarus this waste categories include about 1000 m3 of old institutional waste, now having status of long term stored waste and more than 400 thousand tons of waste, arisen from clean-up activities in the areas, affected by the Chernobyl Accident.
In order to adopt a truly sustainable strategy for management of the waste there had been a step-by-step decision-making process, which, in addition to the safety aspects, required consideration of economic, societal and environmental factors. The process included detailed safety assessment of the waste potential radiological hazard, update of regulations, and “mutual learning” by and from all stakeholders.
The paper is intended to show how in Belarus, over the last three decades, the approaches and the strategies for the management of the legacy and remediation waste have been developed and rethought, and what sustainability challenges in the area are being considered today.
