Restructuring and Streamlining CSA N292 Standards on Radioactive Waste Management

Abstract

Within Canadian Standards Association, operating as CSA Group (CSA), the N292 technical committee (TC) is responsible for standards on radioactive waste management. In step with the evolving plans and increasing efforts for managing Canada’s radioactive waste and irradiated fuel, the CSA N292 series of Standards has expanded from three to eight standards over the past 10 years. This evolution has resulted in some overlap between standards in the series and differences in wording among clauses on the same topic. Consequently, an opportunity emerged to improve consistency and ease of use of the CSA N292 series of Standards.

In 2019, the N292 TC commenced work to assess in detail the degree of overlap within the series, explore options for restructuring the contents, and recommend the order and timeline for revising applicable standards. This resulted in a plan to consolidate and streamline contents so that the series will comprise five standards in all post-restructuring. The N292 TC also decided to modify the structure of its standards to align with the steps in the management of radioactive waste and the stages of a waste management facility’s lifecycle, to improve clarity on applicability of requirements and reduce risk of gaps or overlaps.

Implementation of the restructuring of the CSA N292 series of Standards is now nearing completion, and this paper describes the approach, status, and planned end state. The benefits of the CSA N292 restructuring initiative are also discussed.