Circular No. 27/2010/TT-BKHCN guiding radiation measurement, nuclear measurement, and the establishment and management of a network for environmental radiation monitoring and warning.

CIRCULAR

Guidelines on radiation measurement, nuclear measurement, and construction and management of the radiation environmental monitoring and warning network

network for monitoring and warning of environmental radiation

Pursuant to the Atomic Energy Law No. 18/2008/QH12 dated June 3, 2008;

Pursuant to Decree No. 07/2010/NĐ-CP dated January 25, 2010 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Atomic Energy Law;

Pursuant to Decree No. 70/2010/ND-CP dated June 22, 2010 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Atomic Energy Law regarding nuclear power plants;

Pursuant to Decision No. 1636/QĐ-TTg dated August 31, 2010 of the Prime Minister approving the planning for the national environmental radiation monitoring and warning network until 2020;

Pursuant to Decree No. 28/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 14, 2008, promulgated by the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Science and Technology;

The Minister of Science and Technology issues guidelines on radiation measurement, nuclear measurement, and construction and management of the radiation environmental monitoring and warning network as follows:

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular guides on radiation measurement, nuclear measurement, and construction and management of the radiation environmental monitoring and warning network including: the Radiation Environmental Monitoring and Warning Center (hereinafter referred to as the Center), regional radiation environmental monitoring and warning stations (hereinafter referred to as regional stations), provincial radiation environmental monitoring and warning stations (hereinafter referred to as local stations), and radiation monitoring stations at nuclear facilities (hereinafter referred to as facility stations).

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals within the country, overseas Vietnamese, foreign organizations and individuals, and international organizations conducting activities in the field of atomic energy in Vietnam.

Chapter II

STANDARDS FOR RADIATION AND NUCLEAR MEASUREMENTS, CALIBRATION, AND REFERENCE

EQUIPMENT FOR RADIATION AND NUCLEAR MEASUREMENTS AND RADIATION EQUIPMENT

Article 3. Establishment and maintenance of national radiation and nuclear measurement standards

1. The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute manages the national radiation and nuclear measurement standard laboratory in accordance with the provisions of the law on measurements.

2. The national radiation and nuclear measurement standard laboratory has the main tasks and powers as follows:

a) Establishing, maintaining, and transferring radiation and nuclear measurement standards and periodically calibrating or comparing them with internationally recognized standards;

b) Studying radiation and nuclear measurement methods;

c) Researching the development of procedures for inspecting and calibrating radiation measurement equipment, radiation equipment, and nuclear equipment;

d) Recognizing organizations and individuals with sufficient technical capacity to conduct inspections and calibrations of radiation measurement equipment, radiation equipment, and nuclear equipment;

e) Keeping records related to the activities of the national radiation and nuclear measurement standard laboratory.

Article 4. Inspection and calibration of radiation and nuclear measurement equipment and radiation equipment

1. The list of radiation and nuclear measurement equipment that must be inspected and calibrated is specified in the List of Legal Measuring Instruments and National Standards on Procedures for Inspecting and Calibrating Radiation Measurement Equipment issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

2. The list of radiation equipment that must be inspected and calibrated is specified in the Appendix attached to this Circular. National Standards on Procedures for Inspecting and Calibrating Radiation Equipment are issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Chapter III

MONITORING AND WARNING OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION

Article 5. Monitoring criteria and frequency

1. Airborne gamma dose rate - continuous monitoring;

2. Accumulated dose - measured once every three months;

3. Radioactive isotopes in air - continuous monitoring;

4. Total beta activity in dry fallout, wet fallout, and rainwater samples - measured once a month;

5. Radon concentration and total beta activity in water (drinking water, surface water, groundwater, and wastewater) - measured once every three months;

6. Radioisotope concentrations in soil (surface soil, sediment) - measured once every six months;

7. Radioisotope concentrations in plants, food grains, and foodstuffs - measured once every six months;

8. Related meteorological parameters - continuous monitoring.

Article 6. Construction and Management of the Control Center, Regional Stations, Local Stations, and Basic Stations

1. The Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute shall be responsible for:

a) Constructing and submitting to the Ministry of Science and Technology for issuance of a decision to establish the Control Center and regional stations within the National Radiation Monitoring and Warning Network;

b) Managing the operation of the Control Center and regional stations within the National Radiation Monitoring and Warning Network. Annually, the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute shall report to the Ministry of Science and Technology on the national environmental radiation status and immediately report any unusual radiation phenomena, while sending copies of the reports to the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency.

2. Provincial Science and Technology Departments shall be responsible for:

a) Constructing and submitting to the People's Committee of provinces and centrally-administered cities for issuance of a decision to establish local stations based on the National Radiation Monitoring and Warning Network Planning;

b) Managing the operation of local stations within their respective areas.

3. Organizations and individuals operating any of the following nuclear facilities must construct and manage basic stations:

a) Nuclear power plants;

b) Research reactors;

c) Uranium enrichment facilities and nuclear fuel fabrication facilities;

d) Facilities for processing, storing, and disposing of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.

4. The physical infrastructure, equipment, and human resources of the Control Center and regional, local, and basic stations must meet the requirements of the National Technical Regulations on radiation monitoring and warning.

Article 7. Functions and Tasks of the Control Center

1. The Control Center has the function of managing and coordinating the activities of the National Radiation Monitoring and Warning Network and serving the management of response to radiation incidents and nuclear accidents.

2. The Control Center has the main tasks as follows:

a) Collecting data from stations and monitoring points within the National Radiation Monitoring and Warning Network and the National Natural Resources and Environmental Monitoring System;

b) Processing and building a national database on environmental radiation and permanently retaining all environmental radiation data;

c) Conducting analysis and evaluation of radiation and nuclear incident trends to serve the management of response to radiation incidents and nuclear accidents;

d) Providing professional guidance, coordinating, and inspecting the activities of monitoring stations within the National Radiation Monitoring and Warning Network;

đ) Reporting to the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute on the results of periodic six-month monitoring and immediately reporting any unusual radiation phenomena or when requested by the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute.

Article 8. Functions and Tasks of Regional Stations

1. Regional stations have the function of conducting radiation environmental monitoring and warning in the region; coordinating the activities of local and basic stations within the region and serving the management of response to radiation incidents and nuclear accidents.

2. Regional stations have the main tasks as follows:

a) Collecting, processing, and analyzing radiation environmental indicators at locations within the region where there are no local stations according to the indicators and frequency specified in Clause 5 of this Circular;

b) Receiving and analyzing and evaluating radiation indicators of environmental samples sent by local stations within the region;

c) Connecting and receiving online monitoring data from local stations and basic stations of nuclear facilities within the region;

d) Conducting on-site assessment of radiation conditions when radiation incidents or nuclear accidents occur in the region;

đ) Reporting the results of regional monitoring in writing to the Control Center every three months and immediately reporting any unusual radiation phenomena or when requested by the Control Center.

Article 9. Functions and tasks of local stations

1. Local stations have the function of implementing environmental radiation monitoring and warning within the province or city where the station is located; serving the management of response to radiation incidents and nuclear incidents.

2. The main tasks of local stations are as follows:

a) Implementing environmental radiation monitoring at the local level according to the frequency specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3, and 8 of Article 5 of this Circular;

b) Collecting and sending environmental samples to regional stations as stipulated in Clauses 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Article 5 of this Circular and upon the request of regional stations;

c) Compiling data, analyzing and evaluating, and submitting monthly reports on monitoring results to regional stations and provincial Departments of Science and Technology, and immediately reporting any unusual radiation phenomena or when requested by regional stations and provincial Departments of Science and Technology.

Article 10. Functions and tasks of basic stations

1. Basic stations have the function of implementing environmental radiation monitoring and warning within the scope of nuclear facilities; serving the management of response to radiation incidents and nuclear incidents.

2. The main tasks of basic stations are as follows:

a) Implementing environmental radiation monitoring at nuclear facilities as stipulated in Article 5 of this Circular;

b) Connecting and regularly transmitting monitoring data to regional stations and local stations where the nuclear facility is located;

c) Collecting, processing, analyzing, and evaluating environmental radiation indicators; compiling and retaining monitoring data as prescribed;

d) Submitting evaluation reports on monitoring results to regional stations and provincial Departments of Science and Technology every three months, and to the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency every six months, and immediately reporting any unusual radiation phenomena or when requested by the Operations Center, regional stations, provincial Departments of Science and Technology, and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency;

e) Conducting on-site evaluations of radiation conditions when radiation incidents or nuclear incidents occur at the facility.

Article 11. Announcing Monitoring Results

The Ministry of Science and Technology has the authority to announce the results of environmental radiation monitoring.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 12. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect 45 days from the date of signature.

2. During implementation, if there are any difficulties, agencies, organizations, and individuals are requested to promptly reflect them in writing to the Ministry of Science and Technology for review, amendment, and supplementation./.