Nuclear regulatory authority
The Radiation Safety Centre of the State Environmental Service is the state authority in the field of nuclear safety and radiation safety.
The Radiation Safety Centre of the State Environmental Service is in charge of supervising the nuclear and radioactive facilities in Latvia, overseeing every phase in each facility, from licensing and operation through to decommissioning.
Nuclear activities
Latvia has no nuclear power plant or nuclear fuel-cycle facility. It has one pool type 5 MW IRT research reactor (Salaspils Research Reactor), which has been permanently closed since 1998 and is currently in the stage of decommissioning. Spent HEU fuel was sent back to the country of origin (the Russian Federation) in 2008.
The main use of radioactive isotopes and radiation generators is for medical, scientific and industrial purposes. All are subject to prior authorisation, inspection and control.
Radioactive waste and spent fuel management
There are 1050 licensed operators under supervision and control of the Radiation Safety Centre of the State Environmental Service. Among them, there are only 41 operators generating radioactive waste.
The main operator is the State Limited Liability Company 'Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre' which is responsible for management of radioactive waste repository "RADONS" and Salaspils Research Reactor.
The main potential producer of radioactive waste is decommissioning of Salaspils Research Reactor - the foreseen total volume of radioactive waste ~1200 m³.
Main legal instruments
- Law on Radiation Safety and Nuclear Safety (adopted on 07.11.2000.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 752 “Procedures for Licensing and Registering Activities with Sources of Ionising Radiation” (adopted 22.12.2015.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 307 “Regulations Regarding Protection against Ionising Radiation when Transporting Radioactive Materials” (adopted 03.07.2001.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 1284 “Procedures for Control and Registration of the Exposure of Workers” (adopted 12.11.2013.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 129 “Requirements for Operations with Radioactive Waste and Materials Related Thereto” (adopted 19.03.2002.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 149 “Regulations for Protection against Ionising Radiation” (adopted 09.04.2002.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 535 “Procedures for Performing the Radiometric Control of Goods, Luggage, Persons and Vehicles at the Border Crossing Points, and the Requirements for Training of the Persons Involved in Radiometric Control in Radiation Safety Matters” (adopted 22.09.2015.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 398 “Procedures for the performance of activities with nuclear materials, materials and equipment associated therewith” (adopted 22.04.2004.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 508 “Requirements for Physical Protection of Sources of Ionising Radiation” (adopted 04.11.2002.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 152 “Requirements for Preparedness for Radiological Emergency and Actions in the Event of Such Emergency” (adopted 08.04.2003.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 406 “Procedures for packaging and labelling of sources of ionising radiation” (adopted 18.09.2001.)
- Cabinet Regulations No 661 “Construction Regulations in Respect of Structures Related to Radiation Safety” (adopted 24.11.2015.)
Last updated in August 2020
