Radiation and Nuclear Safety SR 98 - National Report

National Report of the Slovak Republic - Radiation and Nuclear Safety , September 1998

3.1.3 State Supervision in the Nuclear Safety Area

Slovak Republic took over the legal regulations passed under former Czechoslovakia. This concerns the following regulations concerning nuclear safety:

Regulation No. 2/1978 Coll. On Ensuring Nuclear Safety in Design, Licensing and creation of building with Nuclear Power Installations

Regulation No. 4/1979 Coll. On General Criteria of Assuring Nuclear Safety in the Siting of structures with Nuclear Power Installations.

Regulation No. 6/1980 Coll. On Assurance of Nuclear Safety in the Start-up and Operation of Nuclear Power Installations

Regulation No. 8/1981 Coll. On Testing of Equipment Used to Transport and Store Radioactive Materials

Decree No 67/1987 Coll. On Assuring Nuclear Safety during the Handling of Radioactive Wastes

Decree No. 100/1989 Coll. On Physical Protection of Nuclear Installations and Nuclear Materials

Decree No. 191/1989 Coll. setting forth methods and periods and criteria for verification of particular professional competence of selected staff of nuclear installations

Decree No. 436/1990 Coll. On Quality Assurance of Selected Equipment from the Nuclear Safety Aspects at Nuclear Installation

Standards and recommendations of International Atomic Energy Agency are used and applied in licensing process for nuclear installations.

Licensing Procedure for Nuclear Installations

The licensing procedure has three major steps: site selection, construction start and commercial operation. Prior to issuing a license for commercial operation, the regulatory authority performs controls according to approved non-active and active tests program, and approves fuel loading, physical start-up, power start up, and trial operation. Fig. 3.1.2. shows the main regulatory bodies and the commercial operation licensing process.

Fig. 3.1.2 Licensing procedure

To obtain a license, the main preconditions with respect to nuclear safety is the development and submission of a safety report and other prescribed documents, and meeting the criteria of preceding approval procedures and decisions issued by the respective regulatory bodies.

Environmental Offices of Regional Offices issue licenses concerning site selection, construction, commercial operation and decommissioning of nuclear installations based on approval issued by Nuclear Authority, Ministry of Health agencies and other State administration bodies and organizations. As far as permits and permissions by these bodies are concerned, they are regulated by act No. 50/1976 Coll. (Building Act), by Decrees of the Czechoslovak Atomic Energy Commission issued under Nos. 2/1978 Coll. and 4/1979 Coll., and Decrees of the Slovak Environmental Commission Nos. 376/1992 Coll. and 378/1992 Coll.

License holder is responsible for the safety of the nuclear installation.

Site Selection

Information required for approval of site selection from the viewpoint of nuclear safety include

site characterization,

mutual effects between the site and NPP,

environmental impacts,

preliminary safety analyses report

Construction

Nuclear safety-related information required for obtaining a building permit include:

description of the NPP project, and

preliminary safety analyses report

Commissioning

Nuclear safety-related information for commissioning licensing include:

pre-operation safety analyses report,

demonstration of the components (selected equipment) and parts manufacturing quality,

demonstration of the quality of assembly of systems and components (selected equipment),

demonstration of functional reliability of systems (results of pre-comprehensive and comprehensive testing),

results of pre-operation controls according to approved program.

Operation

Nuclear safety-related information for obtaining operation license include:

deviations from the original design as described in pre-operation safety report,

other operation characteristics and requirements,

technical specifications,

quality assurance programs,

assessment of physical and energy-related start-up including trial operation and other,

operation safety report.

Decommissioning

Nuclear safety-related information required for decommissioning include:

decommissioning concept plan,

environmental assessment,

nuclear safety-related documents for the respective decommissioning stage

Regulatory Authority - ÚJD SR

The Slovak Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ÚJD) is the successor to the former Czechoslovak Atomic Energy Commission. It was established on January 1, 1993, and its responsibilities have been set forth by the act of National Council of the Slovak Republic No. 2/1993 Coll.ll. (so-called Competence Act). ÚJD is an independent State supervisory body reporting directly to the government and headed by government-appointed Chairman. The organigram of the Authority is illustrated in Fig. 3.1.4. The ÚJD staff in 1998 is 80.

Fig. 3.1.4 Organigram of the ÚJD

Tasks and Responsibilities of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority

Pursuant to act No. 130/1998 Coll.ll., the ÚJD exercises State supervision of nuclear safety of nuclear installations; it mainly

performs inspections of workplaces, operations and premises of nuclear installations, checking whether obligations as set forth by the Atomic Act, by regulations issued to support it, and operating instructions are complied with, along with keeping the limits and conditions of safe operation, quality assurance systems and obligations arising from decisions, measures and orders issued under the Atomic Act,

checks the compliance with commitments under international treaties the Slovak Republic is bound by in areas regulating nuclear safety-related criteria, handling of nuclear materials, radioactive wastes from nuclear installations and with the regulations concerning deposition of institutional radioactive wastes, handling of spent nuclear fuel, including keeping of records and control,

investigates on the spot the conditions, reasons and consequences of accidents and incidents and selected failures ; if an incident or accident is investigated by another body, it takes part as mandatory body in such investigation,

controls the performance of mandatory inspections, audits, operation controls and tests of selected equipment at nuclear installations,

orders elimination of events affecting nuclear safety,

evaluates, independently of the operator, nuclear safety of nuclear installations,

checks the contents and exercising of emergency plans.

ÚJD issues annual reports on the outcome of supervisory activities and on nuclear safety. The annual summary reports are submitted to the Slovak government.