Commission opinion

of 20 October 2003

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning and dismantling of the nuclear power plant KMK and the storage of radioactive wastes in the on-site storage facility at Mülheim-Kärlich in Rhineland-Palatinate in the Federal Republic of Germany, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty

(2003/C 253/07)

(Only the German text is authentic)

On 6 May 2003 the European Commission received from the German Government, in accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning and dismantling of the nuclear power plant KMK and the storage of radioactive wastes in the on-site storage facility at Mülheim-Kärlich.

On the basis of these data and additional information provided by the German Government on 22 July 2003, and following consultation with the group of experts, the Commission has drawn up the following opinion:

(a) The distance between the plant and the nearest point on the territory of another Member State is approximately 90 km to Belgium.

(b) During normal operation, discharges of liquid and gaseous effluent will not cause an exposure of the population in other Member States that is significant from the point of view of health.

(c) Solid radioactive waste arising from the dismantling operations will be stored in the on-site storage facility (interim storage facility on the same site). Non-radioactive solid waste or residual materials and materials which are released from regulatory control will be released for disposal as conventional waste or for reuse or recycling. This will be done in compliance with the criteria laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive 96/29/Euratom).

(d) In the event of unplanned discharges of radioactive waste, which may follow an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in other Member States would not be significant from the point of view of health.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste in whatever form arising from the decommissioning and dismantling of the nuclear power plant KMK and the storage of radioactive wastes in the on-site storage facility at Mülheim-Kärlich in Rhineland-Palatinate in the Federal Republic of Germany, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in the radioactive contamination, significant from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.