Safety documentation

To ensure the very highest levels of safety are met before and during operation, OPAL has been required to satisfy three stages of licensing.  Each has demanded rigorous regulation and review.

Site licence
 

The application for the Site Licence (Facility Licence, Site Authorisation) was submitted to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) in April 1999.  This application was required in accordance with the ARPANS Act to demonstrate the suitability of the proposed site for the construction of a research reactor.
 

The principal document supporting the site licence application was the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  The EIS was prepared in accordance with the Environmental Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974 by specialist consultants PPK Environment & Infrastructure Pty Ltd, as part of the overall environmental impact assessment.

Other principal documents supporting the Site Licence application included the Siting Safety Assessment (which covered site characteristics and site-related design bases) and the Reference Accident Submission ('Reference Accident' is the term given to the determination of the consequences of a hypothetical accident at the facility).

Both the Siting Safety Assessment and the Reference Accident Submission were prepared in accordance with ARPANSA's Draft Criteria for the Design and Siting of Controlled Facilities.

The EIS and the ARPANSA assessment of the submissions was reviewed by Environment Australia and the general public, and then referred to the Federal Government's Minister for the Environment.  The Minister found no environmental reason for the proposal not to proceed.

Tenders were then called for in August 1999 for the design and construction of the reactor.  A contract for the construction of OPAL was signed with INVAP SE of Argentina in July 2000.

Construction licence

The application for the Construction Licence (or Facility Licence, Construction Authorisation) was submitted to ARPANSA in accordance with the ARPANS Act in May 2001. 

The principal document supporting the construction licence application was the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR), the purpose of which was to demonstrate the safety of the basic OPAL design, and in particular that the worst credible accident at OPAL would have less consequence than the reference accident used for the approval of the site licence. 

The PSAR was prepared in accordance with the guidance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and demonstrated that the design of OPAL complied with ARPANSA requirements as specified in the Site Licence.

The principal legal and technical review was performed by ARPANSA. The ARPANSA Nuclear Safety Committee (an independent body, made up of experts and community members selected by the CEO of ARPANSA) also reviewed the application, specifically in relation to seismicity, spent fuel and radioactive waste, and the safety analysis.

The PSAR was also subjected to an independent peer review by a team of six experts nominated by the IAEA, who presented their findings to ARPANSA. In addition, the PSAR was reviewed by the Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear (ARN), the Argentine regulator, and by the general public, and all documents were made publicly available.

After a Public Consultation Report was prepared summarising all public submissions, and all the previous evidence and reports had been taken into consideration, the CEO of ARPANSA granted the Construction Licence in April 2002.

Operating licence

The application for the Operating Licence (or Facility Licence, Operating Authorisation) was submitted to ARPANSA in September 2005. Approval of this application was required in accordance with the ARPANS Act prior to the loading of nuclear fuel and the commencement of hot commissioning (commissioning with fuel in the reactor core) and operation of OPAL.

The principal document supporting the operating licence application was the Safety Analysis Report (SAR), the purpose of which was to demonstrate the safety of the "as-built" reactor facility. The application also contained significant additional documentation associated with the management and operation of the reactor, including Plans and Arrangements for Managing Safety and the Operational Limits and Conditions as required by ARPANSA.

The Operating Licence application was subjected to extensive and detailed review, similar to the Construction Licence.

The operating licence was granted in July 2006.

Ongoing safety documentation

Upon granting of the Operating Licence, the Plans and Arrangements for Managing Safety and the Operating Limits and Conditions became statutory rules for the management and operation of the reactor.

The Plans and Arrangements for Managing Safety are a part of the Business Management System (BMS) of ANSTO's Reactor Operations Division. The BMS contains all the policies, procedures, instructions and manuals used to manage and operate the reactor.

Adherence to the BMS ensures compliance with the conditions of the Operating Licence. Consistent with good international practice, the BMS incorporates safety, environmental and quality aspects into a single integrated management system.