8th – 17th September 2010, Horonobe, Japan

In collaboration with JAEA and the IAEA Network of Centres of Excellence.

You can register on-line using this registration form. Please also see the Course Assignment below the Course Programme table.

Download the Fundamentals of Geological Disposal 2010 - Japan Information flyer/poster for your notice board, cafeteria etc. available for download as a PDF ( 66 kb PDF file )
 

Course Outline

この10日間の研修コースは、IAEAネットワークプログラム2010の一環として、ITC－Schoolと日本原子力研究開発機構(JAEA)により共同開催され、地層処分場計画の管理者や関連する研究者、安全規制当局の職員、処分場のサイト調査や地下調査施設の建設に従事する環境・工学関連企業の専門家を対象としています。

ITC－Schoolでは2003年度より定期的に「地層処分の基礎」コースを開催し、地層処分計画の管理に関わる全ての側面における重要事項を幅広くカバーしてきています。今回のコースは、この拡張・最新版とも言える内容を提供するとともに、見学先にはJAEAが北海道幌延町に建設中の地下研究施設(URL)が含まれます。

また9月12日（日）には、開催地近傍の沖合にある火山利尻島の景観など、北海道北部の自然を探訪するバスツアーも予定されています。詳細は受講登録時にお知らせいたします

This is an extended and updated version of our regular ‘Fundamentals’ course which ranges across all key aspects and topical issues concerned with managing a geological disposal programme (previous ‘Fundamentals’ courses were held in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2009). The extended 2010 course includes a visit to JAEA’s Underground Research Laboratory (URL) at Horonobe in northern Hokkaido.

The Horonobe URL. East Access Shaft (green highlighted building in the foreground) and the Ventilation Shaft (pink highlights in the background) are currently under construction

The 10-day programme for 2010 consists of;

1. Lectures on topics ranging from evaluating the wastes to be disposed of, right through all the technical stages of identifying and implementing geological disposal to the societal interactions required of repository development projects. Sufficient time will be allocated for questions and discussions in each presentation module.
2. A course group exercise will be held at the end of the first week. Looking at ‘Stakeholder Dialogue:theory and practice’, the course participants will be introduced to the background of communicating with a wide range of stakeholders, including examples from around the world. The participants will then be split into small groups to work together and produce their own programme for stakeholder dialogue. They will then present their ideas to their peers and course tutors and face questioning from sceptical ‘stakeholders’.
3. A full day visit to the Horonobe URL will enable participants to go underground into the tunnels and shafts and to learn directly about experiments to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of geological disposal. In addition, there will be visits to the sites of the various boreholes which were drilled as part of the overall URL site characterisation, allowing the participants to see the problems faced by the site characterisation team on the ground. Where possible, a visit to a working borehole will be included in the visit.
4. Finally, to round off the course, a half day will be spent visiting JAEA’s extensive laboratory facilities at it’s Tokai Works to the northeast of Tokyo.

The course is ideal for those involved in any component of a national waste disposal programme. The previous fundamental courses were attended by participants from a wide range of stakeholders in sectors such as national/provincial level decision-making authorities, implementing and regulating organisations, research organisations and universities, including both member and non-member organisations of the ITC-School.

Course Location

The course will take place in new, purpose built, teaching facility in the town of Horonobe (http://www.town.horonobe.hokkaido.jp/), within easy walking distance of the hotel where participants will stay. One day will be spent at the Horonobe URL (http://www.jaea.go.jp/english/04/horonobe/index.html), a 5 minute drive from the town, and the final day will be spent at the Geological Isolation Research and Development Directorate laboratories of JAEA’s Tokai Works (http://www.jaea.go.jp/english/04/tokai-cycle/top.htm).

The rolling countryside around Horonobe town in Hokkaido

Other activities

On Sunday, 12th September, there will be an opportunity to enjoy a guided tour of the beauties of northern Hokkaido. A coach will transport the course participants around some of the stunning sub-arctic scenery, including views of the extinct volcano of Rishiri island, just off the coast of Hokkaido. Full details will be supplied on registration for the course.

Getting to Horonobe

Horonobe can be accessed by train from Asahikawa or Sapporo airports or by bus from Wakkanai airport. All three airports can be reached from Tokyo (either Haneda or Narita airports) and some international flights connect directly to Sapporo. Detailed travel information will be supplied to participants on registration for the course.

Course Organiser

The course is organised by the ITC-School in collaboration with, and supported by, JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency) and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) within its network on Training and Demonstration of Waste Disposal Technologies in Underground Research Facilities (http://www-tc.iaea.org/tcweb/default.asp).

Controlled atmosphere gloveboxes at the Tokai Works

Teaching

The course will be held in an informal, workshop atmosphere and participants will be encouraged to interact and question at all times. Each course topic will be taught by highly qualified and internationally recognised specialists from around the world. They will provide the most up to date and comprehensive information and discussions. Course materials will be provided for each topic. Modules will generally be taught throughout the day, with an extended lunch break. In addition, the course tutors will be present at dinner and afterwards in the hotel for free discussion and information exchange. The course language is English and course materials are printed in English.

Participants from IAEA Technical Co-operation Project

The IAEA will finalise arrangements for the INT 9.173 Technical Co-operation Project "Training in Radioactive Waste Disposal Technologies in Underground Research Facilities", of which this course is a part. A draft prospectus will be circulated by IAEA to target countries in the scheme which explains the application procedure and the support arrangements. Participants from the countries within the IAEA training scheme (Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, the Peoples Republic of China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, India, Lithuania, Kazakstan, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Romania, Republic of South Africa, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine) should contact responsible officers at the Agency as below.

Mr. Mykola Kurylchyk, Department of Technical Co-operation, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dr Paul Degnan, Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Participants’ profile – is this course for you ?

The course is ideal for those involved in any component of a national radioactive waste programme and who have a desire to learn about the wider aspects of working in radioactive waste disposal. While some background in radioactive waste is useful, the modules have been so designed as to ensure that any participant who currently only has limited grasp of waste disposal will profit from this course. As such, interested people who are new to waste disposal should not be put off from attending. If you are unsure if this course is for you, please feel free to contact the course director, Russell Alexander ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), for an informal chat.

To help you to get the most out of this course, we would like you to produce a short pre-course assignment. But don’t worry, we are not asking you for much effort, just a little thought in advance of attending the course which will focus your thinking and give us an insight into your requirements. And don’t worry if you cannot express yourself fluently, this is not a test, rather it is simply intended to help us get to know you a bit in advance. In return, you will be given the course tutors’ CVs when you start the course.

The Course Assignment can be found at the bottom of the application form and should be returned by 13th August, 2010.

Course Fees

The course fees cover tuition, accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner and morning and afternoon refreshments for eleven days (arriving Tuesday 7th September, departing Friday 17th September), plus a course dinner, a welcome reception in Horonobe and a day trip through the beautiful scenery of northern Hokkaido on Sunday, 12th September. Course notes and other materials are also covered by the fee, as are transport during the course to field sites, labs etc.

CHF 8500 - ITC Members

CHF 9450 - non-members

Final deadline for registration is 13th August, 2010. The course fee is due within four weeks of your registration and registration is not guaranteed until we have received the course fee. If you have to withdraw from the course after paying your fee, it will be refunded in full up to 13th August 2010. After this date, it is not refundable.

Application Form

You can register on-line using this registration form. The number of places is limited, so we would advise you to register early. Please also see the Course Assignment below the Course Programme table.

Course hotel in Toyotomi village has its own thernal bath

Insurance

Please note that participants on this course, or their employing organisations, are responsible for their own personal insurance.

Course Programme

Latest Course Programme available for download ( 30 kb PDF file )

Course Assignment

Course Assignment – please email to Gabi Vonlanthen ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) by 13th August, 2010 with 'Fundamentals Course' in the subject line.

• why have you chosen this course?
• what are your learning objectives for the course?
• what other objectives do you have for the course?
• tell us a little (a couple of sentences) about your educational and professional background
• tell us a little about your current job – and about any relevant projects you are currently working on or have recently completed. How do these relate to a course on the fundamentals of waste disposal?
• if not covered in the previous question, what is your previous experience in cement studies in general and in the field of waste disposal in particular?
• is there any specific area of the geological disposal of radioactive waste where you expect to increase your knowledge by the end of the course?
  
  
  • pick at least one topic from the agenda bearing in mind that this should be your 'guiding theme' during the course
  • how is this topic relevant to your disposal system?
  • what is already known about the topic?
  • what more do you need to know on the topic?

As an outcome of the course, we expect you to prepare a short plan on how you are going address your topic using the additional knowledge gained during the course – this will help both you and us assess if we have addressed your training requirements appropriately.