Andra hosts a DISPONET meeting in Cherbourg

38 representatives of 29 countries gathered in Cherbourg on 14 October for the 2019 edition of the annual DISPONET meeting.

Disponet is an IAEA network established to increase efficiency in sharing international experience in the disposal of low and intermediate level radioactive waste . DISPONET is intended to bring together those planners, developers and operators of disposal facilities who wish to steadily improve international practices and approaches in managing low and intermediate level waste, and to facilitate information and experience sharing amongst organizations with advanced designs and disposal facilities in operation and to  facilitate support to organizations or Member States with less advanced programmes for disposal of low and intermediate level waste, by making available the relevant skills, knowledge, managerial approaches and expertise from Member States with operating disposal facilities.

The topical session this year was devoted to the closure of disposal facilities, a subject that was aptly examplified during the visit of the  Centre de la Manche, an Andra Low and Intermediate Short-Lived disposal facility operated from 1969 to 1994 located near Cherbourg. The s ite is now capped and under monitoring.

During the 5 days of the meeting, valuable information was exchanged on the status of national waste management programmes, disposal experience and best disposal practices.

The contents of the meeting, rich and diverse, and its organization, which introduced multiple occasions of networking and discussions,  were highly appreciated by the participants.

The next edition of the DISPONET meetings will be held in Vienna in 2020.