The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) will today provide to Australia’s independent nuclear regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), information confirming that the geological and seismological basis of the design described in the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report submitted in May 2001 for the Replacement Research Reactor, remains valid.

ANSTO’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Helen Garnett, stated that the information to be provided today describes an extensive assessment of the geology of the site, drawing on a wide range of national and international expertise.

"The studies have shown, as expected, that the faulting found on the site is very old, with a minimum mean age of last movement of nine million years", Professor Garnett said.

The fault found in the excavation at Lucas Heights is consistent with faulting throughout the Sydney Basin. Siting of the replacement reactor on such old and inactive faulting is fully consistent with the IAEA guidelines for power reactors, notwithstanding that the RRR is a much smaller research reactor.

Professor Garnett recalled that in relation to the conservatism of the design of ANSTO’s research reactor, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) peer review of ANSTO's safety case for the replacement reactor had confirmed the robustness of the seismic design of the reactor, which they noted was matched only by power reactors in Japan and California, areas which are much more earthquake-prone than Australia.

This supplementary information will be reviewed by ARPANSA. A copy of the Executive Summary will be available on the ANSTO web today at www.ansto.gov.au, and ANSTO understands that the submitted material will be posted on www.arpansa.gov.au.

The Replacement Research Reactor will become an international hub of activity for scientists seeking to use neutrons to perform world-class research into areas such as medicine and unlocking the secrets of matter. Australia will also continue to receive medical services of a first-world standard, remain at the cutting edge of new and emerging technologies, and continue to play an important role in international and regional nuclear affairs.

ENDS

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