VATESI decision to issue a licence for decommissioning of Maišiagala Radioactive Waste Storage Facility

The State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) reviewed an application submitted by the State Enterprise Radioactive Waste Management Agency (RATA) on 15 January 2018, a revised application submitted by the State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant on 12 February 2019 (after RATA was reorganised by way of merger to the State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant) and on May 13, 2021, was made a final decision to issue a licence for decommissioning of Maišiagala radioactive waste storage facility (RWSF) to SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP).

• The order of the head of VATESI regarding the decision to issue a licence for decommissioning of Maišiagala Radioactive Waste Storage Facility;
• The VATESI licence to Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant for decommissioning of Maišiagala Radioactive Waste Storage Facility.

 After the assessment of SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) submitted documents, VATESI came to conclusion that the planned decommissioning activities of the Maišiagala RWSF comply with the nuclear, radiation and physical security requirements and employees, public and environment will be protected against radiation risks.

Summary information on the planned decommissioning activities of Maišiagala Radioactive Waste Storage Facility and the safety assessment performed by VATESI is provided in the summary of the safety review and assessment of the documents justifying the safe decommissioning of Maišiagala Radioactive Waste Storage Facility.

Stakeholders were invited to review the draft decision and licence application documents and submit their proposals as well.  No proposals were received from the stakeholders within the term of familiarization and submission of proposals established in the Law on Nuclear Safety.

Information about the nuclear facility

Maišiagala Radioactive Waste Storage Facility (hereinafter - Maišiagala RW storage facility) is a 200 m³ capacity monolithic reinforced concrete basement, located at a depth of 3 metres in Bartkuškis Forest, Municipality of Širvintai District. This “Radon”- type waste storage facility was closed in and preserved in 1989. It stores radioactive waste collected from industrial enterprises, medical and scientific institutions and military units during the 1963-1989 period. The facility is located about 7 km from the town of Maišiagala and about 30 km away from Vilnius. The entire storage facility area covers an area of 2.7 ha.

During the entire operation period of the storage facility, it was accumulated about 114 m³ of unsorted long-lived and short-lived radioactive waste of various activities. The waste was inter-layered with concrete. When the facility was closed, the remaining cavity was filled with concrete and sand.

According to the latest requirements for radioactive waste management, each type of waste must be managed separately, therefore it is necessary to remove it, sort and pack it in special packaging and place it in the waste disposal facilities for each type of waste.

The licence enables SE Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant to remove radioactive waste and radionuclide-contaminated structures and soil from the Maišiagala RW storage facility. The removed waste will be sorted and shipped to the Ignalina NPP radioactive waste management facilities (Visaginas municipality, Drūkšinių village), where it will be treated and stored in suitable storage facilities near the Ignalina NPP and later placed in repositories. After decommissioning of Maišiagala RW storage facility, it will be possible to use a site for other activities without any restrictions.

 
Applicant information
 
State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, company code 255450080, registered address Elektrinės str. 4, K47 Drūkšinių vil., 31152 Visaginas mun., Republic of Lithuania, Tel. No. +370 386 28 985, Fax. No. +370 386 24 396, e-mail: iae(at)iae.lt