Reactor Safety And Radiation Protection : Germany

As an industrial nation, Germany is dependent on a secure energy supply. Energy production, however, must be ecologically sound and conserve resources. The use of nuclear energy has the advantage that - in contrast to the burning me eiuiiujr Environmental protection of coal, oil or gas - virtually no pollutants are emitted which are detrimental to the climate. The basis for safety measures for nuclear power plants in Germany is the Act on the Peaceful Utilization of Atomic Energy and the Protection against its Hazards (Atomic Energy Act). It mandates high safety requirements for the licensing, construction and operation of nuclear power plants as well as for the disposal of radioactive waste.

In the course of the licensing procedure, operators of nuclear power plants must prove that in the event of potential malfunctions, the repercussions on the environment fall within the maximum limits stipulated in the Radiation Protection Ordinance. The Act obligates them to ensure that radioactive waste is reprocessed disposed of in a manner that will cause no harm. Pmtprtinn suDDorts The Federal Office for Radiation Protection supports the Federal Government in monitoring application of the Atomic Energy Act.
The use of ionizing rays such as Xrays as well the handling of radioactive materials in research, technology and the field of medicine are subject to strict maximum limits stipulated not only in the Atomic Energy Act but also in the Act on the Precautionary Protection of the Population against Radiation Exposure, the Radiation Protection Ordinance and the XRays Ordinance. Since the beginning of 1997, protection has also been provided against non-ionizing radiation by the Electro-smog Ordinance.