ABU DHABI- The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, FANR, has issued a draft radiation safety regulatory guide and invited the public to review the draft and give their comments.

FANR newly drafted Regulatory Guide 027 on 'Near Surface Disposal of Radioactive Waste', clarifies the regulatory requirements of FANR-REG-27 related to the radioactive waste and its classifications.

The newly drafted regulatory guide provides guidance for disposing radioactive waste in near-surface radioactive waste facility as well as during the operation and closure of such a facility. The nuclear regulator in the UAE is mandated to protect the public and the environment alike from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. FANR develops regulations and regulatory guides that identify safety standards to be adhered by the licensees. Since acceding to 2009, the UAE has been a Contracting Party to the International Atomic Energy Agency Joint Convention of the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. The Joint Convention calls upon all parties to take necessary measures to protect people and the environment when managing radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.

The draft regulatory guide is available on the FANR website. Members of the public are invited to send their comments to the following email: regulation@fanr.gov.ae from 4th September to 1st October, 2019. FANR's Safety, Security and Safeguards Glossary can help the public to understand the specific terminology used in this regulatory guide. It will consider all comments before preparing the final draft. As with previous regulations and regulatory guides, this draft regulatory guide has already been made available for 30 days to local and federal government entities for their comments.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2019.