Nuclear Energy Agency Online Bulletin

New publications

Publications on sale can be ordered at the OECD bookshop: www.oecd.org/scripts/publications/bookshop/redirect.asp.

Free publications are available at www.nea.fr/html/pub/webpubs/. Paper copies may be requested by sending an e-mail to nea@nea.fr.

Collective Statement Concerning Nuclear Safety Research
Capabilities and Expertise in Support of Efficient and Effective Regulation of Nuclear Power Plants
ISBN 92-64-02169-8. 20 pages (59 kb).

Disponible également en français :
Déclaration collective concernant la recherche sur la sûreté nucléaire
Moyens et compétences techniques au profit de l’efficience et de l’efficacité du contrôle réglementaire des centrales nucléaires
ISBN 92-64-02060-8. 20 pages (83 ko).

The Future Policy for Radiological Protection
A Stakeholder Dialogue on the Implications of the ICRP Proposals - Summary Report, Lanzarote, Spain, 2-4 April 2003
ISBN 92-64-02165-5. 48 pages (203 kb).

Disponible également en français :
Politique future en matière de protection radiologique
Dialogue avec les parties prenantes sur les répercussions des propositions de la CIPR - Exposé de synthèse, Lanzarote, Espagne, 2-4 avril 2003
ISBN 92-64-02166-3. 48 pages (211 ko).

New Deputy Director-General appointed

Dr. Gail H. Marcus is the new Deputy Director-General of the NEA, succeeding Ms. Carol Kessler. Dr. Marcus took up her duties at the NEA on 5 April 2004. She has extensive experience in nuclear technology development and policy, nuclear regulatory policy and risk management. From 1999 to March 2004, Dr. Marcus was the Principal Deputy Director of the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology at the US Department of Energy. She carried out the research programme on advanced reactor designs, and managed the DOE research reactors, isotope production programmes, space reactor programmes and other nuclear energy initiatives. More information is available at www.nea.fr/html/general/press/2004/2004-02.html.

Radiological protection

The NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) approved a new two-year programme of work at its annual meeting in Paris on 2-4 March 2004. The programme of work includes:

The CRPPH also held a topical session on emerging radiological protection challenges for the coming five to ten years. On the basis of this discussion, the committee will begin establishing a collective opinion on the worldwide system of radiological protection. This will include an assessment of the possible policy and regulatory implications of both current and planned scientific research. The CRPPH programme of work for 2004-05 is set out in its annual report Enhancing Public Health and Safety (NEA/CRPPH(2004)1/REV1). This report is available on the NEA website at www.nea.fr/html/rp/welcome.html.

The INEX 3 planning group also met on 30 March-1 April 2004 to further develop plans for this exercise, currently planned for 2005.

Nuclear science

Burning mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel in commercial reactors is a way of using plutonium from surplus nuclear weapons or reprocessed irradiated uranium fuel. This requires the fabrication of MOX fuel rod assemblies on an industrial scale. The NEA Expert Group on Experimental Needs for Criticality Safety has highlighted MOX fuel manufacturing as an area requiring additional experimental data for validation purposes. Integral experiments with low-moderated MOX fuel are either scarce or not sufficiently accurate to provide the appropriate degree of validation for nuclear data and computer codes. New and accurate experimental data would improve the fabrication process by decreasing the uncertainties surrounding the determination of configuration multiplication factors, such as the homogenisation of MOX powders.

In this context, the NEA Nuclear Science Committee is organising a workshop in Paris on 14-15 April 2004 to address the following topics:

More information is available at www.nea.fr/html/science/meetings/mox/index.html.

The proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety (ICNC2003) held in Tokai-Mura, Japan on 20-24 October 2003 are now available in electronic form. A CD-ROM can be requested from Dr. Yoshinori Miyoshi (miyoshi@melody.tokai.jaeri.go.jp); a web version is available at typhoon.tokai.jaeri.go.jp/icnc2003/index.html.

Data Bank

Computer program services

A page listing all new programs in the last 12 months can be found at: www.nea.fr/html/dbprog/cpsnew.html. Detailed news concerning the computer program service is available at: www.nea.fr/html/dbprog/Newsletter/Whatsnew.htm.