Environmental Impact Assessment for the licensing procedure under Article 7 (3) of the radiation protection ordinance for the construction and operation of the interim storage for the AVR reactor vessel in Jülich

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Versuchsreaktor GmbH (AVR GmbH) has submitted an application to the Cologne district government for a licence in accordance with Section 7 (1) of the Radiation Protection Ordinance for the operation of an interim storage facility for other radioactive substances at the Jülich site. In addition, authorisation for the construction of the interim storage facility has been applied for from the building regulations office of the city of Jülich. The interim storage facility is intended for the interim storage of the reactor vessel of AVR GmbH. The experimental power plant of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Versuchsreaktor AVR GmbH was in operation from the end of 1967 to the end of 1988. Following a decision by the federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, an application was submitted for the complete dismantling of the AVR experimental power plant. The plan is to backfill the reactor vessel with concrete, lift it out of its current position and then store it undismantled in the interim storage facility for 30 to 60 years. The reactor vessel is then to be dismantled in a facility still to be built at the interim storage site and the individual parts stored for final disposal. In a contract dated 6 July 2006, the Öko-Institut e.V. was commissioned by the Cologne district government to prepare an expert opinion on environmental and FFH compatibility.

The report by the Öko-Institut is intended to enable the licensing authority to assess, in accordance with § 1a AtVfV, whether the construction and operation of the AVR interim storage facility is likely to have an impact on the protected assets of humans, including human health, animals, plants and biodiversity, soil, water, air, climate, landscape, cultural assets and other material assets, as well as interactions between the aforementioned protected assets.