Syria
Radioactive Waste Management Division (RWMD)
This page is part of the Facilities Collection.
The AECS established the Radioactive Waste Management Division (RWMD) to oversee the collection, treatment, and storage of naturally occurring radioactive waste from Syria’s mining, oil, and natural gas sectors. 1
In 2001, RWMD staff member Mohammed Ghafar reported to an IAEA-sponsored conference that the AECS was planning construction of a waste processing facility. Ghafar said that the organization was undertaking these activities to manage the waste resulting from the production and use of radioisotopes. 2 Syria subsequently completed the Radioactive Waste Management Facility in September 2007. 3
In 2010, as part of the IAEA’s ongoing investigation into the activities related to the alleged nuclear reactor at Al-Kibar, the Agency requested information on possible undeclared nuclear materials under the control of the AECS Waste Management Department. 4 Although Syria initially responded that its declarations were complete, Syrian officials later admitted the existence of nuclear materials that had not been included in the country’s declared inventory to the IAEA. 5 On 19 April 2011, IAEA inspectors confirmed the existence of this previously undeclared waste material during a physical inventory verification at the SRR-1 Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR). 6
Glossary
- Radioactive waste
- Radioactive waste: Materials which are radioactive and for which there is no further use.
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- IAEA: Founded in 1957 and based in Vienna, Austria, the IAEA is an autonomous international organization in the United Nations system. The Agency’s mandate is the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, technical assistance in this area, and verification that nuclear materials and technology stay in peaceful use. Article III of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) requires non-nuclear weapon states party to the NPT to accept safeguards administered by the IAEA. The IAEA consists of three principal organs: the General Conference (of member states); the Board of Governors; and the Secretariat. For additional information, see the IAEA.
- Radioisotope
- Radioisotope: An unstable isotope of an element that decays or disintegrates spontaneously, emitting energy (radiation). Approximately 5,000 natural and artificial radioisotopes have been identified. Some radioisotopes, such as Molybdenum-99, are used for medical applications, such as diagnostics. These isotopes are created by the irradiation of targets in research reactors.
- Nuclear reactor
- Nuclear reactor: A vessel in which nuclear fission may be sustained and controlled in a chain nuclear reaction. The varieties are many, but all incorporate certain features, including: fissionable or fissile fuel; a moderating material (unless the reactor is operated on fast neutrons); a reflector to conserve escaping neutrons; provisions of removal of heat; measuring and controlling instruments; and protective devices.
Sources
- Wyn Q. Bowen, and Joanna Kidd, “The Nuclear Capabilities and Ambitions of Iran’s Neighbors,” in Getting Ready for a Nuclear-Ready Iran, eds. Henry Sokolski and Patrick Clawson (Carlisle: The Strategic Studies Institute Publications Office, 2005), p. 74.
- Mohammad Ghafar, “Radioactive waste management facility in Syria,” International Conference on Management of Radioactive Waste from Non-Power Applications, IAEA Report No. IAEA-CN-87/79, 1 July 2001, www.etde.org.
- IAEA-TC Project SYR/4/008, “Radioactive Waste Management Facility,” Country: Syrian Arab Republic, www-tc.iaea.org.
- IAEA, “Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic,” Report by the Director General to the Board of Governors, GOV/2010/63, 23 November 2010, www.iaea.org.
- IAEA, “Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic,” Report by the Director General to the Board of Governors, GOV/2010/63, 23 November 2010, www.iaea.org.
- IAEA, “Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic,” Report by the Director General to the Board of Governors, GOV/2011/30, 24 May 2011, www.iaea.org.