7 Existing radiation and radiation not subject to regulatory control

Strategic objective

Norway will further develop and introduce schemes for the management of radiation risk from sources that are not subject to regulatory control. Fallout from nuclear test explosions in the 1950s and 1960s, and the fallout from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and other activities have caused contamination that is still currently present in the environment in Norway.

Exposure may also arise from activities that were previously unregulated, or in cases where regulations were not followed or the activity was not regulated according to applicable standards. This leads to contamination situations that are often referred to as ‘legacies’. In addition, radiation exposure originates from natural sources (for example, from uranium and thorium decay chains in bedrock) and from cosmic radiation in aviation. In some cases, natural radioactivity can be further enhanced by human activity, such as mineral processing and oil and gas extraction.

The international framework manages unregulated risks as so-called ‘existing exposure situations’. In such situations, a risk already exists when a decision on possible measures must be made, and the risk will be reduced in accordance with a risk-based approach. The Pollution Control Act places the responsibility for clean-up and management on the responsible polluter. This is followed up through mapping and requirements for clean-up and the management of the waste. Previous mining activities and clean-up after illegal landfills are examples of this.

Radon accounts for the highest radiation dose to the Norwegian population and increases the risk of lung cancer. In Norway, the consequences of radon exposure are reduced through advisory services, guidance and regulatory requirements. A national cross-sectoral radon strategy has been developed outlining how radon exposure and cancer cases shall be reduced.

Norway will further identify, monitor and regulate in an appropriate manner activities that may cause increased radiation exposure due to elevated concentrations of naturally occurring radioactivity, such as from NORM waste – radioactive waste containing naturally occurring radioactive material.

Norway will continue to monitor levels of radioactivity in consumables, such as food, feed, drinking water and building materials, and apply a needs-based approach to assess any necessary measures.