Date: 17 May 2005

OPAL Reactor Peer Review Report Published

The report by the international Peer Review Team that reviewed the OPAL Research Reactor operating licence application in Sydney over two weeks in March has been published on ARPANSA’s web site.

Agency CEO Dr John Loy said, “In February I invited a team of nuclear safety experts through the International Atomic Energy Agency from Belgium, Hungary, the Netherlands and South Africa to examine the OPAL Reactor operating licence application and to provide comment on the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s (ANSTO’s) proposed arrangements for operating the nuclear facility and the detailed commissioning documentation.

I urge anyone with an interest in this reactor to read the Peer Review Team Report now available at this web address: http://www.arpansa.gov.au/rrrp_operating.htm. The team made a number of recommendations about mandatory operating safety conditions, reactor staffing arrangements and documentation supporting the licence application. I will take their recommendations and comments into account in my decision-making on the licence application.”

Promised additional information on the operating licence application has also been placed on the ARPANSA web site. Parts D (Operational Limits and Conditions), E (Plans and Arrangements for Hot Commissioning) and the Probabilistic Safety Assessment have all been added in summary form.

A more detailed version of the Safety Analysis Report (Part C of the application) will shortly be sent as a hardcopy to State libraries nationally and to pre-identified environmental groups and other stakeholders with an interest in the reactor project.

As announced previously, the deadline for public submissions on the licence application has been extended until 31 August. Comments should be sent to ARPANSA at 619 Lower Plenty Road, Yallambie Vic 3085 or emailed to this address: operatinglicenceapplication@arpansa.gov.au.

ENDS