FOREWORD
Concern for health, safety and the environment has grown rapidly during the past two decades. Exploitation of any mineral commodity, including uranium, involves the modification of the surrounding environment. Appropriate regulations governing such activities can assure good practices and minimize possible negative impacts on the environment and the health and safety of the workers and the general public. Unfortunately there is still a lack of information on what is considered as the natural environment in specific areas where projects are developed and upon which these regulations should be properly based, rather than on the perceived understanding of the general public.
During the past few years, a number of countries have promulgated new regulations related to uranium exploration, mining, milling and the related waste management. While many of the principles adopted generally follow a similar basis, their practical applications differ from country to country. It appears that many of these regulations are still at the evolutionary stage f implementation. Recent regulations are stricter in terms of environmental assessment, mitigation, radiation protection and control of waste. The impact of these regulations in developed countries has resulted in better planning of operations, improvement in mine and mill designs and a more efficient approach to tailings management.
There is still a need to have a more rational and uniform standard and approach to regulating mining activities that will assure safety to the workers, public and the environment, and at the same time not impede the production of a necessary mineral commodity. Furthermore, these standards should be based on actual risk that can be estimated from comparable activities.
The Technical Committee on the Impact of New Environmental and Safety Regulations on Uranium Exploration, Mining, Milling and Waste Management was held in Vienna from 14 to 17 September 1998 and was attended by 25 participants from 17 countries representing government organizations and private industry. The 21 papers presented provided information on new experiences in major uranium producing countries on the subject, past producers, as well as on country where regulations and related regulatory structure are still at the early evolutionary stage.
IAEA publications that have close relations to the theme of the meeting are: (1) Guidebook on the Development of Regulations for Uranium Deposit Development and Production, IAEATECDOC- 862 (1996); (2) UPSAT Guidelines — 1996 Edition Reference Document for IAEA Uranium Production Safety Assessment Teams (UPSATs), IAEA-TECDOC-878 (1996), (3) Environmental Impact Assessment for Uranium Mine, Mill and In Situ Leach Projects, IAEATECDOC-979 (1997). The IAEA is grateful to all participants. The IAEA staff member responsible for this publication was J.P. Nicolet of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology.
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