Summary/>

/>According to the ToR and Article 26 of the General Conditions, the Consultant shall produce the present final report of the project, with the related documents and attachments. The final report summarises the work done and the results obtained, highlighting the achievements.

/>According to Art. 26.1 of the General Conditions, it also contains a financial section (see Section In its Title VII, the Council Directive 96/29/EURATOM requires for the first time that workplaces in the non-nuclear industry also need to be subject to regulatory control if the presence of natural radiation sources can lead to a significant exposure of workers or members of the public which cannot be disregarded from the radiation protection point of view. Such workplaces are found in industries using or processing types of minerals or rocks containing significant amounts of natural radioactive elements (NORM industry). Other operations such as storage, application or disposal of residues result from the NORM or other industries containing enhanced concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides have to be included in the control, too.Title VII of 96/29/EURATOM encompasses all kinds of natural radiation sources and the resulting increase in exposure. The focus of the Terms of Reference, on the other hand, is on materials (raw materials with increased radioactivity, NORM and TENORM residues) so that aircraft operation and radon in homes and workplaces (spas, caves etc.) are beyond the scope of this consulting assignment.

/>The Project "Development of CNCAN capabilities regarding the regulatory aspects of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) related activities " is structured in 3 tasks:

• />Task 1: "Comprehensive study on the current Romanian situation of NORM&TENORM related activities"
• Task 2: "Elaboration of specific regulations concerning the authorisation of NORM & TENORM related activities"
• Task 3: "Training of CNCAN staff involved in the specific activity of regulating the NORM & TENORM related activities, in order to improve their technical capabilities"

/>Regarding Task 1,a comprehensive description of the NORM/TENORM sites visited and the work activities/residues found there including on-site measurement results (and analytical results if applicable),After performing a critical review of the existing Romanian situation in terms of legislation and inventory of NORM&TENORM related activities and analysing in detail the situation in place the results which have been achieved are summarised in:

• a dose/risk calculation for current and future situations,
• an analysis of the current regulatory framework in Romania and recommendations on specific regulations
• recommendations on equipment, training/know-how required for NORM-related residues and industries, and remediation of existing NORM/TENORM waste sites.

1. Study concerning the national situation related to NORM&TENORM related activities, including the list of the specific regulations />
2. />Task Report of Task 1.

/>The main results can be summarised as follows:

Only few of the industries which are considered NORM/TENORM relevant in the literature, could be confirmed as being currently relevant in Romania:/>

Oil/gas production,

• Iron smelters,
• Use of hydrothermal water.

/>Some industries are currently not relevant with respect to NORM/TENORM but may become problematic in the future and should be observed by CNCAN:

• />non-uranium ore mining when new mines are opened which may contain ores with elevated radioactivity,
• drinking water treatment: removal of Uranium following the implementation of toxicity-based WHO recommendations on uranium in drinking water,
• Bauxite processing when production is resumed in the future,
• use of Th-Mg alloys when production/repair of aircraft parts is resumed in the future,
• processing of zircon sands and use of products with zircon minerals (abrasives, refractories),
• coal-fired thermopower plants when coals are burned which have higher radionuclide contents, and other thermopower plants which use peat and wood, whenever the ash-to-coal ratio is very low.

/>Other industries/working activities which are typically known as being relevant in the field of NORM/TENORM

• />have either already been phased out, such as U-containing ceramics and glassware,
• are currently being phased out such as use of Th-containing welding electrodes and gas lamp mantles,
• or have been shown by measurements and samples taken during the fact finding mission that they are not relevant such as coal mine dewatering.

/>Phosphate fertilizer production has been largely shut down in Romania for economic reasons but has resulted in the past in large amounts of radioactive phosphogypsum storage ponds which must be remediated. If an industrial owner of these sites can be identified, they are subject to Title VII of the 1996/29/EURATOM Directive. Otherwise they fall under Title IX (Interventions).

/>In order to assess the radiological situation of the various industries in Romania which were identified as candidates for NORM/TENORM relevance, a fact finding mission was carried out, which included on-site measurements and workshops with site operators and representatives of CNCAN. These workshops served not only the purpose to elicit information, to carry out on-site measurements and, in case hot spots or radiologically critical situations were discovered, to take samples. They were also a means to inform the site operators and raise their awareness of the radiation protection of workers and member of the public affected by the industrial activities.

/>Regarding Task 2, the following activities have been carried out:

• />translation of relevant regulations in force in EU Member States into English,
• analysis of the current regulations in force in Romania and development of a gap analysis,
• drafting of regulations for NORM/TENORM-related work activities and residues and discussion with stakeholders until agreement was reached
• final versions of the regulations related to the safe management of NORM & TENORM related activities (including those linked to the authorisation process, inspection and control) and translation of them into Romanian, subject to be published in the Romanian Official Bulletin.

/>The results of Task 2 can be summarised (from Task 2 Report approved by the Implementing Authority):

/>A workshop (Task 2.1) was carried out which helped to define the Beneficiary and Consultant, together with the relevant stakeholders, the principal framework of the new regulations. Detailed discussions between the CNCAN staff (Beneficiary, including other departments of CNCAN) during the development of the new regulations have contributed to a thorough understanding of the regulations drafted.

The gap analysis which was carried out under Task 1, a critical review of the existing regulations in the field of natural radioactivity and a comparison of the existing regulations with other EU member states' NORM regulations have led to a coherent concept for the NORM/TENORM regulations./>

/>Another workshop (Task 2.3), again involving all relevant stakeholders, has enabled the Consultant and the Beneficiary to identify the critical issues in the draft of the regulations and elaborate a final version taking into account the consensus reached during the workshop (see Minutes of the Meeting under Task 2.3).

The NORM/TENORM regulations were elaborated and agreed in English and subsequently translated into Romanian./>

With the implementation of the current PHARE Project, Romania is quite advanced among the European member states in the implementation of Title VII of the European Basic Safety Standards (EU BSS). The regulations comply with the best practice and contain regulatory elements which are envisaged by the EU Commission for the update of the EU BSS (e.g., new positive list, graded regulatory approach of registration and authorisation)./>

Enforcement of NORM/TENORM regulations depends critically on the level of knowledge of the regulatory authorities./>

More conclusions which are also valid for Task 2 are listed below under Task 3./>

Regarding Task 3, the following activities have been carried out:/>

• />Task 3.1 workshop held in Bucharest for Beneficiary staff and stakeholder representatives invited by the Beneficiary (13-23 May 2008)
• Task 3.2 workshop held in Seville and Huelva (Spain), Luxembourg and Vienna (Austria) for Beneficiary staff in the period 14-20 September 2008
• Task 3.3 workshop held in Berlin and 2 German federal states for Beneficiary staff in the period 21-26 September 2008.

The participants were provided with training materials, case studies and other workshop materials./>

The results can be summarised (from Task 3 Report approved by the Implementing Authority):/>

The results expected from Task 3 have been completely achieved. The workshops under Task 3 have revealed the following:/>

• />With the implementation of the current PHARE Project, Romania is quite advanced among the European member states in the implementation of Title VII of the European Basic Safety Standards (EU BSS).
• The regulations developed under Task 2 comply with the best practice and contain regulatory elements which are envisaged by the EU Commission for the update of the EU BSS (e.g., new positive list, graded regulatory approach of registration and authorisation).
• Enforcement of NORM/TENORM regulations depend critically on the level of knowledge of the regulatory authorities.
• Harmonisation of waste disposal and transport regulations with the radiation protection regulations is crucial to achieve a coherent and enforceable regulatory framework.
• The availability of accredited radiochemical laboratories with the specific know-how in the field of NORM and with QA/QC procedures is an important factor for the enforcement of the regulations.
• The management of NORM/TENORM relevant industries must be made aware of their responsibilities./>