- •Final Report of the RK&M Initiative
- •Foreword
- •Acknowledgements
- •Table of contents
- •List of figures
- •List of tables
- •List of abbreviations and acronyms
- •The glossary of terms of records, knowledge and memory (RK&M) preservation
- •Executive summary
- •Key findings and recommendations
- •Chapter 1. Introduction
- •1.1. Background and scope of the RK&M initiative
- •The formulation of a dedicated initiative under the aegis of the RWMC
- •Modus operandi of the RK&M initiative
- •Key questions and objectives of the RK&M initiative
- •A product and process-oriented initiative
- •The fields of application and target audiences of the RK&M initiative
- •1.2. Evolutions in RK&M preservation thinking: A historical review
- •The RK&M reference bibliography
- •Popular themes in RK&M preservation literature
- •Landscape of Thorns
- •Atomic Priesthood
- •Summary of lessons learnt from the historical review
- •1.3. References
- •Chapter 2. RK&M preservation: Fundamentals
- •2.1. RK&M preservation and its connection to safety
- •The repository: From “seclusion and oblivion” to a societally embedded facility
- •Introducing the concept of oversight
- •2.2. Protecting humans and the environment
- •2.3. Supporting informed decision making
- •2.4. References
- •Chapter 3. RK&M preservation: Challenges and opportunities
- •3.1. Information life cycle management
- •3.2. Causes and consequences of RK&M loss
- •Lessons from RK&M loss in the nuclear field
- •Lessons from RK&M loss outside the nuclear field
- •3.3. RK&M preservation in a regulatory context
- •National RK&M preservation regulation
- •Planning responsibilities over time
- •International soft law
- •Regulation: a necessary condition for RK&M preservation
- •3.5. References
- •Chapter 4. Key characteristics of RK&M preservation approaches and mechanisms
- •4.1. Introducing the idea of a “systemic strategy” for RK&M preservation
- •4.2. Multiple time frames
- •The short term
- •The medium term
- •The long term
- •4.3. Multiple media
- •4.4. Multiple contents
- •4.5. Multiple transmission modes
- •4.6. Multiple actors
- •Multiple disciplines
- •Multiple interests, concerns and roles
- •4.7. Multiple locations
- •4.8. References
- •Chapter 5. RK&M preservation approaches and mechanisms
- •5.1. Introduction to the RK&M preservation “toolbox”
- •5.2. Dedicated record sets and summary files
- •5.3. Memory institutions
- •5.4. Markers
- •5.5. Time capsules
- •5.6. Culture, education and art
- •5.7. Knowledge management
- •5.8. Oversight provisions
- •5.9. International mechanisms
- •5.10. Regulatory framework
- •5.11. References
- •Chapter 6. Towards a systemic strategy for RK&M preservation
- •6.2. Meeting national needs
- •6.3. RK&M preservation starts today – life cycle thinking
- •6.4. RK&M preservation is an ongoing process
- •6.5. RK&M preservation is a participatory process
- •6.6. Illustration: Two fictional examples
- •Fictional example 1
- •Compliance activities
- •Best practice activities
- •Supporting activities
- •Fictional example 2
- •Compliance activities
- •Best practice activities
- •Supporting activities
- •6.7. References
- •Chapter 7. Conclusions and outlook
- •7.1. Conclusions
- •Embedding disposal facilities in society
- •Preventing inadvertent human intrusion and supporting informed decision making over time
- •Developing a systemic strategy for RK&M preservation
- •The importance of multi-disciplinarity and participation
- •7.2. Outlook
- •Upholding and elaborating an open and holistic attitude
- •Creating awareness, supporting engagement and starting RK&M preservation today
- •Developing international collaboration
- •7.3. Reference
- •Annex 1. RK&M glossary
- •Archive
- •Awareness
- •Control
- •Composite expressions
- •Cultural heritage
- •Data
- •Information
- •Knowledge
- •Composite expressions
- •Long term
- •Marker
- •Mediated/non-mediated transmission
- •Medium term
- •Memory
- •Message
- •Monument
- •Oversight
- •Record
- •Redundancy
- •Short term
- •Stakeholder
- •Systemic strategy
- •Very short term
- •References
- •Annex 2. Descriptions of RK&M preservation mechanisms
- •2.1. Mechanism description sheet: template
- •2.2. Mechanism description sheets
- •Dedicated record sets and summary files
- •Key information file (KIF)
- •Set of essential records (SER)
- •Memory institutions
- •Archives
- •Libraries
- •Museums
- •Markers
- •Surface markers
- •Monuments
- •Sub-surface markers
- •Deep geological markers
- •Surface traces
- •Time capsules
- •Large visible time capsules
- •Large invisible time capsules
- •Small time capsules
- •Culture, education and art
- •Industrial heritage
- •Alternative reuse of the disposal site/infrastructure
- •Heritage inventories and catalogues
- •Local history societies
- •Intangible cultural heritage
- •Education, research and training
- •Public information dissemination activities
- •Knowledge management
- •Knowledge retention tools
- •Knowledge risk analysis
- •Knowledge sharing philosophy
- •Oversight provisions
- •Monitoring
- •Land use control
- •Clear and planned responsibilities
- •International mechanisms
- •International regulations and agreements
- •International standards and guidelines
- •International inventories and catalogues
- •International co-operation
- •International education and training programmes
- •International archiving initiatives
- •Regulatory framework
- •National regulatory framework
- •Safeguards
- •2.3. Mechanisms overview table
- •Annex 3. Deliverables of the RK&M initiative
- •Workshop and conference proceedings
- •Studies
- •Reports
- •Website
- •Annex 4. Members and participating organisations of the RK&M initiative
- •NEA PUBLICATIONS AND INFORMATION
Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning 2019
Preservation of Records,
Knowledge and Memory
(RK&M) Across Generations
Final Report of the RK&M Initiative
NEA
Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning
Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory
(RK&M) Across Generations:
Final Report of the RK&M Initiative
© OECD 2019
NEA No. 7421
NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY
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© OECD 2019
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Cover photos: High Level Radioactive Storage and Treatment Building – HABOG (COVRA, the Netherlands); Artist’s impression of a future deep geological radioactive waste repository (COVRA, the Netherlands).
FOREWORD
Foreword
Many member countries of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) are engaged in the development of projects for the final disposal of radioactive waste and spent fuel. Disposal facilities will be developed, implemented and operated over many decades and are meant to remain functional for up to hundreds of thousands of years. For high-level, long-lived radioactive waste and spent fuel, geological disposal is the reference management strategy. Such repositories are designed to be intrinsically safe and final: their safety should not rely on human maintenance or intervention. Nevertheless, there is no intention to abandon these repositories or to lose oversight of them. Records, knowledge and memory (RK&M) of the repository and the waste it contains should be preserved as long as possible. Consequently, RK&M preservation, aimed at avoiding inadvertent human intrusion and supporting informed decision making in the future, has been identified as an integral part of responsible radioactive waste management in line with a prudent approach to safety and a conscious attitude to ethics. It constitutes a dedicated management task that is best addressed while waste management plans are being designed and implemented, and while funding is available.
Against the background of increasing demands by waste management specialists and other involved parties for international reflection and progress towards viable and shared strategies in this field, the NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) launched an initiative on the “Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory (RK&M) Across Generations” – the so-called “RK&M initiative” – in 2011. The objective of the initiative was twofold: to develop a theoretically founded, broad-based understanding – technical, managerial, institutional, societal and cultural – of the issue, and to develop a practice-oriented “toolbox” of concrete RK&M preservation methods, a “menu” that will allow people to identify various approaches and mechanisms to develop a strategic action plan for RK&M preservation across generations.
Membership of the initiative was varied with regard to organisations, disciplines and nationalities and included representatives from implementing agencies, regulatory agencies, nuclear research institutes and national archives from Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States (see Annex 4). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Commission (EC) also participated. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the topic, the RWMC also reached out beyond its members for insights from research fields not typically represented in waste management organisations, such as history, archaeology, social sciences and cultural studies. The RK&M initiative ran from March 2011 up to April 2018. This report presents its overall findings.
PRESERVATION OF RK&M ACROSS GENERATIONS: FINAL REPORT OF THE RK&M INITIATIVE, NEA No. 7421, © OECD 2019 |
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Acknowledgements
The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) would like to thank the many who contributed to the RK&M initiative by participating directly as a member, by taking part in project meetings, workshops or conferences, by responding to project questionnaires, or by providing input to project documentation.
The initiative was initiated and co-ordinated by Claudio Pescatore (former NEA) from the start in 2011 until August 2015, and chaired by Stephan Hotzel (Gesellschaft für Anlagenund Reaktorsicherheit – Global Research for Safety [GRS], Germany) from September 2015 until the end in April 2018. The RK&M Bureau Members were Arne Berckmans (National Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Material [NIRAS/ONDRAF], Belgium), Anne Claudel (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste [Nagra], Switzerland), Jean-Noël Dumont (National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management [Andra], France), Sofie Tunbrant (Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company [SKB], Sweden), Simon Wisbey (Radioactive Waste Management – Nuclear Decommissioning Authority [RWM-NDA], United Kingdom) and Abe Van Luik* (Department of Energy [DoE], United States). This final report was prepared by Jantine Schröder (Nuclear Research Centre [SCK•CEN], Belgium).
*Dr Abraham (Abe) van Luik was a key member of the RK&M team, but passed away in July 2016, prior to the report being completed. He is sorely missed.
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PRESERVATION OF RK&M ACROSS GENERATIONS: FINAL REPORT OF THE RK&M INITIATIVE, NEA No. 7421, © OECD 2019 |