Environmental impact of decommissioning nuclear plants
An opportunity to study the current regulatory status of environmental impact assessments for decommissioning nuclear installations in the EU Member States and the applicant countries has arisen with an invitation to tender from the European Commission, DG XI. This work would give an overview of national laws and regulations through an extensive analysis of national requirements as well as to what extent national regulations go beyond strict compliance with the EC Directive. The aim is to provide the Commission with a clearer understanding of how environmental impact assessment is formally used and if the Directive is applied correctly. The contractor should also draw up clear practical guidelines taking into account the provisions laid down in the legislation and the proposals described in the EC review check list (from June 1994) and guides on screening and scoping methodology (from May 1996) as far as it concerns decommissioning of nuclear installations. This would give a detailed examination of the role of environmental impact assessment in the preparation of decommissioning plans. The guidelines will also suggest how to enhance the use of environmental impact assessment as a communication tool to the public. For further information, please contact, quoting reference C2/ETU/990060: European Commission DG XI - Environment, nuclear safety and civil protection Mr B. Sinnott 200 rue de la Loi B-1049 Brussels Fax +32-2-2994449