What is the regulatory framework for the transport?

All the equipment and every operation related to this shipment complies with the relevant national and international regulations.

International organisations, with the participation of representatives from member States, issue these recommendations and regulations. At a national level, each country has its own laws and regulations, consistent with the recommendations and regulations established by the international organisations.

In particular, the transportation of nuclear waste complies with two types of stringent and well established regulations: dangerous goods and radioactive materials.

Dangerous goods transportation

Dangerous goods transportation is regulated by various rules depending on the modes of transport (road, rail and sea) and the countries involved.

In France, the current regulations are the order relative to the carriage of dangerous goods by road dated 5.12.96 (based on the European Agreement concerning the international carriage of Dangerous goods by Road or ADR), and the order relative to the carriage of dangerous goods by rail dated 6.12.96 (based on the international Regulations concerning the carriage of dangerous goods by rail or RID).

Sea transportation complies with the rules of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). This Code offers guidance to persons involved in handling and transport of radioactive materials in ports and on ships (provisions on identification packagings, marking, labelling and placarding, stowage, documentation and marine pollution aspects).

Radioactive materials transportation

In Japan, the transport of radioactive materials is subject to the regulation for the transport of nuclear materials outside the facility and the regulation for carriage and storage of dangerous goods by vehicle.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations are adopted internationally and apply in both Japan and France.
The regulations are enforced by each country's Authority and rely on the integrity of the transportation package to ensure safety during transport. For this reason, the regulations define three packaging categories and design criteria, taking into account the radioactivity as well as the form of the material transported.

In particular, in order to transport canisters of vitrified residues, casks must comply with the stringent IAEA Type B specifications.

Moreover, in 1993 the IMO established the INF Code, which recommends stringent requirements for ensuring the safety of vessels carrying radioactive materials, covering the design specifications of the vessels concerned. PNTL ships comply with the Code for ships carrying large quantities of radioactive material — INF 3. Indeed, the PNTL vessels have operated to this type of standard since 1979 — nearly 15 years before the Code was introduced.

The regulatory bodies in charge of implementing the regulations

In France, the Directorate for the Safety of Nuclear Installations (DSIN) is in charge of the safety regulations of the transport. The Authority over this Directorate is equally shared by the government ministers responsible for industry and environment. The Nuclear Protection and Safety Institute (IPSN) provides expertise for the evaluation of safety to the DSIN.

In Japan, the Ministry Of Transport (JMOT) and the Science and Technology Agency (STA) are responsible for the implementation of transport regulations.

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Release: December 1998