The State Office for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB) is a central state administration body of the Czech Republic within the meaning of Act No. 2/1969 Coll. It carries out state administration in the use of nuclear energy and ionising radiation and in the field of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.[1]
Status of the office
The office is headed by a chairperson appointed by the Government of the Czech Republic. The office has its own budget and is directly subordinate to the government.[1]
Competence
The competence is defined mainly by the Atomic Act (Act No. 263/2016 Coll.), Act No. 19/1997 Coll. and Act No. 281/2002 Coll.[1] According to the office's website, it includes the following:
The exercise of state administration, including inspection, in the fields of nuclear safety, radiation protection, monitoring of the radiation situation, management of radiation emergencies, security and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.[1] The office also grants permits for activities under the Atomic Act, for example the siting and operation of nuclear installations and of workplaces with very significant radiation sources, the handling of radiation sources and radioactive waste, and the transport of nuclear materials and radionuclide sources.[1]
It approves documentation concerning safety assurance, limits and conditions for the operation of nuclear installations, emergency rules for the transport of nuclear materials, and on-site emergency plans. It sets the conditions and requirements of radiation protection of the population and workers, for example exposure limits and controlled areas, as well as the emergency planning zone.[1]
Monitoring and records
The office monitors the exposure of the population and workers, coordinates the radiation monitoring network across the country and arranges the international exchange of data on the radiation situation. It also maintains the state system of accounting for and control of nuclear materials, the register of permit holders, of imported and exported specified items, and of radiation sources, and the register of exposure of the population and workers.[1]
International cooperation and weapons bans
The office cooperates on technical matters with the International Atomic Energy Agency. It coordinates the fulfilment of tasks arising from the conventions on the prohibition of chemical weapons and on the prohibition of biological and toxin weapons, and acts as the national authority under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and these conventions. It provides municipalities and district offices with data on the management of radioactive waste, and the public and the government with information on the results of its activities. It also provides data on the measurement and assessment of the effects of radioactive, chemical and biological substances on humans and the environment.[1]