This Order of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine establishes clear rules for the classification of radioactive waste (RW) for its subsequent safe disposal. The document defines how waste is categorized into classes (from very low-level to high-level) depending on its radiological characteristics and the type of disposal facility. It is mandatory for implementation by repository operators and RW generators. The main purpose of the act is to ensure the safety of the public and the environment through the science-based selection of waste isolation methods.
### Structure and Main Provisions
The act consists of four sections and an annex:
1. **General Provisions:** define terminology, scope, and principles of exemption from regulatory control.
2. **Classification of RW for Existing Disposal Facilities:** describes approaches to establishing waste acceptance criteria based on safety assessments and repository evolution scenarios.
3. **Classification of RW for New Disposal Facilities:** establishes the methodology for determining boundaries between waste classes at the design stages.
4. **Specifics of Handling “Hot Particles”:** regulates the presence of localized high-level activity particles within waste of lower classes.
**Amendments:** The act was supplemented by Order No. 526 dated May 28, 2026, which clarified the requirements for safety assessments and inadvertent human intrusion scenarios.
### Most Important Provisions for Practice
* **Classification:** Waste is divided into very low-level waste (VLLW), low-level waste (LLW), intermediate-level waste (ILW), and high-level waste (HLW). The criteria are the specific and total activity of radionuclides.
* **Safety Assessment:** The repository operator is required to perform calculations of dose burdens to the public (representative persons) based on scenarios of normal evolution, accelerated degradation, and inadvertent intrusion.
* **Dose Limits:** The document operates with values of the annual effective dose (typically 1 mSv or 0.3 mSv, depending on the scenario), which must not be exceeded as a result of the repository’s impact.
* **Hot Particles:** The presence of such particles in lower-class waste is permitted, provided that their volume and activity are strictly limited and the risk to humans does not exceed 10% of the acceptable level.
* **Conservative Assumptions:** The annex to the order contains detailed parameters for calculations (e.g., duration of administrative control, radionuclide migration time), which serve as a basis for design documentation.
