Daejeon Storage to Ship Out 525 Drums of Intermediate and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Within the Year

A total of 525 drums of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste stored in Daejeon will be shipped out within this year.

On the early morning of the 29th, Daejeon City announced that 286 drums of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste were shipped from the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute to the final disposal site in Gyeongju.

Prior to the shipment, Daejeon City attended the pre-transport inspection conducted by nuclear regulatory agencies such as the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety to preliminarily check safety issues including preparation status before transporting the waste and any external radiation exposure.

Originally, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute planned to ship 500 drums of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste on this day, but changed direction to first ship 286 drums and then ship an additional 239 drums next month.

The transport of the radioactive waste on this day involved 10 vehicles: 6 transport trucks, 2 escort vehicles for safety assurance, 1 replacement vehicle prepared in case of vehicle breakdown, and 1 emergency response vehicle.

Low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste includes items such as work clothes, gloves, and parts containing minimal amounts of radioactivity used at nuclear power plants and hospital radiation facilities. Daejeon stores the second largest amount of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste nationwide.

Daejeon City shipped out 475 drums in 2021 and 646 drums in 2022. However, as of September, 30,976 drums still remain in Daejeon.

Yang Seung-chan, Director of the Citizen Safety Office of Daejeon City, said, “We strongly urge nuclear facilities to make multifaceted efforts to expand the disposal volume of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste stored in the region to dispel citizens’ concerns and anxieties,” adding, “We also ask that they do their best to ensure transparent information disclosure and establish safety measures.”

He added, “Daejeon City will continue to systematically manage the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste stored in the region in cooperation with nuclear regulatory agencies so that all of it can be shipped out for the safety of citizens.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.