ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY SRI LANKA

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Status of Radiation Safety Infrastructure in Sri
Lanka
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ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY SRI LANKA
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Sri Lanka
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

• Land Area 65,610 sq km
• Population 20 million
• Official Language Sinhala
• Main Religion Buddhism
• Growth Rate 1.0
• Infant Mortality rate 2
• Life Expectancy 74.8 Years
• Literacy Rate 94
• Monetary Unit Sri Lanka Rupee (SL Rs.)
• English is commonly used
• Capital City Colombo

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ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY SRI LANKA
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• Status of Radiation Safety Infrastructure in Sri
  Lanka
• Legislation, Regulations, Regulatory Authority
• Radiation Protection Training
• Authorization and Licensing
• Inspection and Enforcement
• Information and Quality Management
• Safety and Security of Sources
• Radiological Protection in Occupational Exposure
• Radiological Protection in Medical Exposure
• Public and Environmental Radiological Protection

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Sri Lanka is a non Nuclear Power Country Looking
at the energy demand in the country Cabinet of
Ministers has approved the establishment of a
Steering Committee to carry out
a Pre-Feasibility Study on the Use of Nuclear
Power for Electricity Generation Supported by a
number of National Organizations. A Technical
Cooperation Project was approved by IAEA for
2012-2013 cycle. SRL/2/008 - Supporting Energy
Planning and Pre-Feasibility Study for Nuclear
Power and Human Resources Development in Nuclear
Power Engineering.
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Legislation Basic Law (Challenges)

• Atomic Energy Authority Act No. 19 of 1969
• It does not fully address the radiation safety
  principles set out in the BSS, GSR Part-1 and
  the Code of Conduct
• Lack of
• Current requirements (gt 40 years old)
• Clear identification of functions of AEA
• AEA has dual functions to do and does not
  clearly identify regulatory body and its assigned
  functions as per GSR part-1
• Effective independence of AEA
• AEA carries out both regulatory and promotional
  functions
• and decisions are taken by the Board for both
  activities
• Legal basis for Regulations in some cases
• Adequate enforcement provisions

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Ionizing Radiation Protection Regulations of 1999
Regulations (Challenges)

• Gazetted in July 2000 and superseded
  regulations made in 1975.
• Mainly compatible with BSS-115.

• However, certain inconsistencies
• Some wording are not rigorous
• Some regulations are not based on provisions of
  the Act
• Absence of security requirements

Guidance documents have been developed
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Regulatory Authority

• Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) Sri Lanka
• Established in 1969. Functions under the
• Ministry of Technology Research
• Mainly responsible for regulatory activities

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Legislation New Atomic Energy Bill

• New Bill was drafted to separate promotional and
  regulatory functions of the AEA
• New Bill was reviewed by the IAEA Legal Division
  and provided their comments
• Final draft was prepared incorporating the IAEA
  comments
• The draft bill will be sent to the Cabinet for
  the approval soon
• After Cabinet approval of the New Atomic Energy
  Act there will be two entities
• Atomic Energy Regulatory Council for regulatory
  activities
• Atomic Energy Board for promotional activities

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Radiation Protection Training

• Conduct 2 training courses annually
• Conduct about 2 awareness programs annually at
  the request of users
• Trained more than 100 personal annually
• Provide about 3 on the job training annually for
  undergraduate students
• Conduct Radiation Protection lectures and
  Practicles for
• MD Radiology,
• MD Radiotherapy and
• MSc. In Medical Physics degrees
• B.Sc. In Radiography/Radiotherapy degrees

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Authorization and Licensing

• Radiation Facilities
• X-ray facilities
• CT Scanning Facilities
• Radiotherapy Facilities
• Other Activities
• Import Export of Radiation Sources
• Transport of Radiation Sources
• Waste Management
• Construction Facilities

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Authorization and Licensing (Challenges)

• Registration and licensing requirements are
  established in the Regulations.
• Procedures for authorization and review of
  applications are established (practice-specific
  application forms, assessment checklists...)
• Frequency of renewal is according to BSS
• Technical assessments usually performed by AEA
  on behalf of users, and no independent review.
• No provisions given in the Act for effective
  implementation of action against non-compliance
  violations ( immediate cease of the unauthorized
  operation of facilities, Legal actions is a long
  process)
• Lack of commitments from higher level of
  administration especially in Government
  institutions

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Inspection

• The Act and Regulations make provisions for
  inspection
• Inspection programme is established (Checklist,
  survey equipment, submission of report, follows
  up, corrective actions )
• Frequency of inspection is according to the
  radiation risks associated (Frequency according
  to BSS)
• AEA also undertakes inspections in response to
  abnormal events, and unannounced inspections
• Lack of monitoring instrument required for
  Inspections

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Enforcement (Challenges)

• Act and Regulations provide provisions for
  enforcement
• However, it is unclear who should take the
  appropriate action
• Enforcement policy not developed and no formal
  arrangements with relevant Government agencies
• In situations deemed to threat to health and
  safety, AEA may revoke, suspend or modify an
  authorization.
• However, it seems that written directions from
  AEA to cease operation have been ignored
  (according to RaSSIA report)
• No provision for inspectors to take on-the-spot
  enforcement actions

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Information and Quality Systems (Challenges)

• IAEA Regulatory Authority Information System
  (RAIS) Version 3.0 is used (including a National
  Registry on Radiation Sources)
• 1. Regulations, 2. all the forms and 3.
  information for the public are available through
  AEA web site
• ( http//www.aea.gov.lk/Intro
  duction.html)
• There is no quality management system for
  regulatory activities in place yet

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Safety and Security of Sources

• Authorization is required from the AEA for both
  radioactive sources and X-ray machines
• Installed Portal Monitors at the port entries in
  the harbors to prevent Illicit Trafficking of
  radioactive sources
• Arrangements exist with
• Sri Lanka Customs
• Sri Lankan Airlines
• Sri Lanka Ports Authority, and
• Import and Export Department
• to control Import and Export of sources.

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Safety and Security of Sources (Challenges)

• No Provisions in the current legislation to
  implement nuclear security. (Implementing as an
  initiatives by the regulatory authority)
• Lack of funds for Nuclear Security and has low
  priority
• Lack of knowledge of the importance of the
  nuclear security in Heads as well as the
  radiation workers of Rradiation Facilities
• No Provisions given in the Act for the Physical
  Protection of Radioactive Sources
• Only Radiation protection of General Public is
  addressed not the Physical Protection of the
  sources
• Needs lots of funds for Physical Protection of
  sources (at present under US GTRI provides funds)
• Poor participation by key persons for awareness
  programms (send lower level persons)

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Radiological Protection in Occupational Exposure
(Challenges)

• External dosimetry
• most of key elements of RSG-1.3 considered,
• well established monitoring program.
• AEA has a laboratory with adequate equipment and
  98 of the workers are covered.
• However, Beta and Neutron dosimetry are not
  available
• AEA provides service on
• personnel dosimetry,
• training courses,
• maintenance and repair of monitoring equipment
• Internal dosimetry No service in place
• Workplace monitoring taking steps to establish

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Radiological Protection in Medical Exposure
(Challenges, according to RASIMS)

• lack of qualified experts in
• diagnostic radiology,
• Interventional procedures using X-rays,
• nuclear medicine and
• Radiotherapy
• No Local facilities to train them
• activities on optimization of patient protection
• in diagnostic radiology facilities,
• some  activities on patients  dose measurements
• in facilities performing image guided
  interventional procedures,
• In nuclear medicine and radiotherapy facilities

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Public and Environmental Radiological Protection
(Challenges)

• There is a national system for monitoring levels
  of radioactivity in foodstuffs and selected
  commodities
• The AEA conducts an environmental monitoring
  program throughout country (preparing a baseline
  data maps Ground and Marine)
• Most of the waste is low-level waste. Disposed
  by delay and decay
• A central radioactive waste storage facility has
  been established in the AEA
• Policy strategy for Radioactive Waste
  Management has not been established. However, an
  action plan is being implemented and interim
  procedures are applied
• Lack of technical knowhow and adequate funds for
  conditioning of radioactive sources.
• Difficulty in sending old high level sources to
  manufacturers as ships do not accept radioactive
  materials and funding is not available.
• Establishment of a Waste Disposal Facility is
  planning - Technology Funding is sought

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Public and Environmental Radiological Protection
(Challenges)

• No provisions given in the Act for Radiological
  Emergency Response
• No properly established mechanism to identify a
  task force for implementation
• Recruitment of permanent first respondents team
  from Police/Army
• Recruitment of permanent Medical team
• Activities of an emergency response plan is
  adopted under the Disaster Management Act.
• Establishment of Bilateral Agreements with nearby
  NP countries for support
• Lack of required Monitoring equipment
• Lack of commitments from higher level of
  administration especially in Government
  institutions
• Lack of safety culture

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ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY SRI LANKA
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Thank you !
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ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY SRI LANKA