REGULATORY ACTIVITIES AND ISSUES IN OPERATIONAL SAFETY

摘要

Currently, Argentina has two NPPs in operation - Atucha I (PHWR, 340 MW(e), natural uranium, heavy water and pressure vessel) and Embalse (CANDU, 640 MW(e), natural uranium, heavy water and pressure tubes), which have been in commercial operation since 1974 and 1984, respectively. A third NPP is presently in an advanced stage of construction, Atucha II (similar to Atucha I, but 650 Mw(e)). The regulatory activities in Argentina include: regulatory inspections and audits performed to verify compliance with both operation and construction licences; independent safety analysis and assessments; the issue of formal standards and guidelines; analysis of incidents; and personnel training, both for those responsible for safety in practices submitted to control and for those performing regulatory activities. Concerning NPPs, the National Board of Nuclear Regulation (ENREN) has established a set of minimal requirements that are mainly based on fundamental safety objectives. The regulatory approach is probabilistic in nature and involves a criterion for risk acceptance in NPPs based on the concept of individual risk and using the philosophy underlying the ICRP's dose limitation system.