Orphan Source Search Training National strategy for gaining

Orphan Source Search Training National strategy for gaining or regaining control over orphan sources

Overview • Orphan sources and the IAEA Code of Conduct • Guidance on the management of disused radioactive sources • National strategy for gaining or regaining control over orphan sources • Types of searches • Inventory verification • Search decisions and prioritization factors • When an orphan source becomes an emergency National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 2

Orphan sources • Some radioactive sources have never been under regulatory control and many others have been lost or abandoned • Unfortunately, some lost or abandoned sources have caused accidents that have resulted in injuries and deaths • All such sources are termed orphan sources National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 3

The IAEA Code of Conduct • To address the need for strengthened control over radioactive sources, the IAEA developed the “Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources” (published in 2004) National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 4

Commitment to the Code • The Code of Conduct is not legally binding, • 137 IAEA Member States have made a political commitment to work toward implementing of all the provisions of the Code of Conduct (2018) National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 5

The Code of Conduct is supported by two supplementary guidance documents • • Guidance on import/export of radioactive sources (2012) Guidance on the management of disused radioactive sources (2018) IAEA Safety Standards 6

The import/export guidance has little bearing on orphan sources • Unless the orphan source were a Category 1, 2, or 3 source to be exported National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 7

The guidance on the management of disused radioactive sources has lots to say about orphan sources (1) Each State should – ensure that it’s regulatory body…is prepared to recover and restore appropriate control over orphan sources; AND National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 8

The guidance on the management of disused radioactive sources has lots to say about orphan sources (2) Each State should – ensure that persons who are likely to encounter an orphan source (such as metal recycling industries and customs posts) are aware of the actions required for radiation protection and for the safe and secure management of the orphan source; – ensure that any person who discovers an orphan source… will not, as a result, incur any penalty or liability National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 9

The guidance on the management of disused radioactive sources has lots to say about orphan sources (3) • Each State should: – ensure that as soon as an orphan source has been discovered, it is promptly placed in a safe and secure condition and brought under regulatory control; – make financial provisions to cover the costs of management of orphan sources including…situations in which the former user cannot be traced or cannot provide funding National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 10

But what does the Code of Conduct say about the National Strategy? • One of the provisions of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources is that each Member State should have a “national strategy for gaining or regaining control over orphan sources” National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 11

How to develop a national strategy • Accordingly, in 2011, the IAEA published guidance about how to develop a national strategy and about how to search for orphan sources (SSG-19) National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 12

Why is a National Strategy Important? • “Every State should… make available appropriate facilities and services. . . for searching for missing and securing found sources. (Code of Conduct, para 9) • Thus the State, in addition to searching for orphan sources, must also make provision for how and where any orphan sources that are found will be transported, conditioned and stored. National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 13

Orphan sources are out of regulatory control • By definition, orphan sources include lost and abandoned sources AND any sources that may be under internal control at a facility or institution, but that are not under regulatory control (or for which there is no authorization) • Thus orphan sources are not just those that have been lost or abandoned; orphan sources may still be in use, for example, in a factory or mill, but they are not covered by an authorization. National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 14

Who develops the national strategy? • The national strategy is the responsibility of the state, but developing the national strategy is often delegated to the Regulatory Body • In addition to searching for orphan sources, it is crucial to plan where you’ll put them after you’ve found them. National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 15

Considerations for developing the national strategy: • Current & past regulatory control • Quality of the regulatory body source register • Current uses • Former military sites • Sources in use prior to regulatory control • Import and export of sources • • Illicit trafficking Trading partners Metal recycling Known lost and found sources • Incidents • Sites of conflict and national disasters • Security of sources National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 16

How to start to develop the strategy • Develop an initial inventory or registry • Verify that a current inventory is complete and correct • Look for specific lost sources • Consider source storage: use shipping containers or other secure storage locations National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 17

Two kinds of searches: • Administrative searches involve data collection and study • Physical searches call for site or field visits with radiation detectors • What you learn from the administrative search informs how to conduct the physical search National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 18

What is inventory verification? • It can be regarded as a combined administrative and physical ‘search’ • This is the starting point for most countries • A verified inventory is the documented, visual proof of the status of each sealed radioactive source in the country • If all known sources have not been visually sighted and inspected within the last few years an inventory verification should be conducted National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 19

A source may be discovered missing by • • an inventory verification or administrative search the report of loss by a user only part of a consignment being received a break-in at a source storage location abnormal monitoring results finding an empty, labelled source container detection of radiation-induced health effects (rare) National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 20

Possible outcomes of inventory verification 1. A source or sources are discovered that were not on the list. Action: Conduct further administrative searches and update records 2. One or more sources are not accounted for. Action: Conduct physical searches and update records 3. All sources are accounted for and no extra sources are discovered. Action: No further action required National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 21

Physical search priorities are based on: • • Potential hazard from unknown, uncontrolled sources Category of a known missing source Time since a source was lost or stolen Amount of information available Cost of the search and funds available Availability of qualified search personnel Instrument availability Local ‘risk tolerance’ of the authorities and public National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 22

Who should search? • • • If there are regulations and an authorization and the licensee lost the source, the licensee should search for it, with the search monitored by the Regulatory Body. If no authorization has been issued, the owner should look for it, not only because it is valuable, but because it poses a hazard to the public. The Regulatory Body should monitor the search. If the owner cannot be identified, then the Regulatory Body should search. National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 23

Remember… • The Regulatory Body sets the rules based on international standards. • The authorized person or organization is responsible for following the rules • The Regulatory Body is responsible for ensuring that the rules are followed National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 24

Words of advice: • A Regulatory Body may not be equipped to transport and store an orphan source. Use other organizations and facilities if available. • Don’t take into possession an orphan source if you can avoid it. • ”Regulatory control” does not necessarily mean that the Regulatory Body takes the source into possession. • BUT, don’t wait for a perfectly drafted national strategy before searching for an orphan source National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 25

When does an orphan source become an emergency? • This is possible but rare • If there is a risk of radiation injury from a Category 1, 2 or 3 source, the situation may become an emergency • “Arrangements shall be made to initiate a prompt search and to issue a warning to the public in the event of a dangerous source being lost or illicitly removed and possibly being in the public domain” • If an emergency is declared, then Regulatory Body staff need additional specialized training and equipment to deal with it and the Regulatory Body should seek help. National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 26

IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre: • (https: //www. iaea. org/about/organizationalstructure/department-of-nuclear-safety-andsecurity/incident-and-emergency-centre) National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 27

Summary • Why is there a need for orphan source searches? • Why is inventory verification important? Is it always possible? • What are the main types of searches? • How would you set search priorities? • What might call for the declaration of an emergency ? National Strategy for Regaining Control Over Orphan Sources 28

Thank you!