APPROACHES TO SAFETY, ENVIRONMENT AND REGULATORY APPROVAL FOR ITER

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Engineering De sign Activities (EDA) in safety and environment are approaching the po int where conceptual safety design, topic studies and research will gi ve way to project oriented engineering design activities. The Joint Ce ntral Team (JCT) is promoting safety design and analysis necessary for siting and regulatory approval. Scoping studies are underway at the g eneral level, in terms of laying out the safety and environmental desi gn framework for ITER. ITER must follow the nuclear regulations of the host country as the future construction site of ITER. That is, regula tory approval is required before construction of ITER. Thus, during th e EDA, some preparations are necessary for the future application for regulatory approval. Notwithstanding the future host country's jurisdi ctional framework of nuclear regulations, the primary responsibility f or safety and reliability of ITER rests with the legally responsible b ody which will operate ITER. Since scientific utilization of ITER and protection of the large investment depends on safe and reliable operat ion of ITER, we are highly motivated to achieve maximum levels of oper ability, maintainability, and safety. ITER will be the first fusion fa cility in which overall 'nuclear safety' provisions need to be integra ted into the facility. For example, it will be the first fusion facili ty with significant decay heat and structural radiational damage. Sinc e ITER is an experimental facility, it is also important that necessar y experiments can be performed within some safety design limits withou t requiring extensive regulatory procedures. ITER will be designed wit h such a robust safety envelope compatible with the fusion power and t he energy inventories. The basic approach to safety will be realized b y 'defense-in-depth'. The first priority will be in the prevention of accidents through the intrinsic features of the facility, quality assu rance throughout, in design, construction, operation and maintenance, and appropriate provisions for human factors. Nevertheless, the plant will be designed to be ready for anomalous events. In addition, public will be protected with appropriate mitigative features, even for extr emely unlikely and unforeseen hypothetical accidents to add safety mar gins as appropriate. Current safety design approaches are introduced i n this paper, including a global methodology, off-normal plasma termin ation, decay heat removal, and containment and confinement strategies.