Laka Foundation

Publication Laka-library:
Annual report 1997

AuthorNAGRA
Date1998
Classification 2.12.4.10/18 (SWITZERLAND - WASTE (NAGRA))
Front

From the publication:

GENERAL OVERVIEW

In Switzerland producers of radioactive waste are responsible for its safe 
management and disposal. The electricity utility companies, which operate the 
nuclear power plants, and the Swiss Federal Government, which is responsible for 
wastes arising in the fields of medicine, industry and research, therefore set up 
Nagra - the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste - in 1972. 
Nagra is responsible for research and development work associated with realising 
the safe disposal of all categories of radioactive waste.

The Swiss nuclear waste management concept foresees two types of repository: one 
for short-lived low- and intermediate-level waste (L/ILW), a second for high-level 
and long-lived intermediate-level waste (HLW/TRU). In these facilities, the waste is 
isolated from the human environment by a series of engineered and natural 
(geological) safety barriers.

During 1997, Nagra was reorganised to reflect changing focuses in the Swiss 
national programme and the increasing role of international collaboration and 
consulting services (see inside cover). Nagra was also slimmed down to concentrate 
on key competence areas; at the end of the year, the 67 fulltime and 12 part-time 
staff, of whom around 40 are technical project managers, represent a reduction in 
manpower of about 15%.

The Nagra budget for the year 1997 totalled 34.8 MSFr., of which 31% represented 
manpower costs and 62% covered project work carried out by third parties. The total 
cumulative Nagra expenditure since its founding in 1972 now amounts to 725 MSFr.

International collaboration continues to represent an important component of Nagra's 
programme, with bilateral meetings being held with POSIVA (Finland), PNC (Japan), 
Obayashi (Japan), ERL (Taiwan) and ENRESA (Spain). Nagra staff were active in a 
number of working groups of the NEA and IAEA and were instrumental in organising 
the «21st Symposium on the Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management» 
(Davos) and the «Workshop on Design and Construction of Final Repositories» 
(Lucerne).

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