iia Gamma Working Group: 2024 Round Up
The iia Gamma Working Group (GWG) met virtually in January and May 2024 and many members were able to meet face-to-face in November at IMRP 2024. In addition to the routine activities, we received an update on activities from the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council during the January meeting and from Gamma-Service Recycling during the May meeting.
In February the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) invited comments on OPG’s licence amendment application for the production of cobalt-60 at their Darlington reactors. The iia submitted comments in support of the licence amendment and invited members of GWG to do the same. In June, CNSC announced its decision to amend OPG’s licence to include production of cobalt-60 and other activities associated with this production. OPG intends to produce cobalt-60 in all four reactor units at Darlington.
In May the iia article ‘Global Healthcare and Nuclear Power’ was published in Nuclear Engineering International. The article highlighted the critical applications of cobalt-60 and the contribution that is made by the nuclear industry in supporting healthcare. The article also provided an update on the work that is being undertaken to maintain and grow cobalt-60 production and the opportunities that exist to develop this further.
Also in May, the work of GWG was presented at the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS 2024). This focused on the GWG’s collaboration with SNL and the cybersecurity assessment that was performed at a European gamma irradiator operated by a GWG member. This was undertaken in order to better understand the specific cyber considerations for an operator of a gamma irradiator and was the first step towards producing cybersecurity guidance specific to our industry (see below).
In June, the joint iia/WINS ‘Methodology for assessing the effectiveness of security arrangements at gamma irradiation facilities’ was updated and re-published. The methodology was updated to better facilitate self-assessment by operators, rather than a third-party assessment that was the focus of the original publication.
During the latter part of the year, as iia built up to IMRP 2024, work continued on the cybersecurity publications following the assessment performed in May. A new document ‘Guide for Assessing Cybersecurity Programs at Gamma Irradiation Facilities’ has been completed and is being prepared for publication in January 2025. This will be followed by a cybersecurity best practice guide that is expected to be ready within the first few months of 2025.
In parallel, the iia continues to participate in, and help fund, the IAEA Denial of Shipment Working Group (DoS WG). The DoS WG was set up by the IAEA to consider options for addressing denials of or delays in the shipment of radioactive material with a view of achieving a timely resolution of this issue. The group had prepared a draft ‘Code of Conduct for the Safe and Secure Transport of Radioactive Material’ but consensus on further developing the Code of Conduct could not be reached during a meeting of legal and technical experts in July. Alternative facilitation mechanisms are being pursued along with a recommendation that Member States continue consultation on DoS and nominate National Focal Points (NFP) to help facilitate shipments. A four-day training course for NFPs was held in November 2024 along with other activities such as a DoS survey and the development of e-learning material and a website. The iia will continue to support DoS WG during 2025 and a clear plan of activities has been prepared.
The next GWG meeting will take place in the first quarter of 2025. Please contact Martin Comben (mcomben@iiaglobal.com) if you wish to propose a GWG initiative for 2025 or wish to discuss the work of the group.