The European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory (ETHEL) at JRC-Ispra is constructed within the ESSOR reactor complex and is therefore required to be consistent with the existing site license agreement. This paper summarizes the status of ETHEL under the Italian licensing legislation and focuses, in particular, on the problem of tritium discharges under routine conditions. First, the available margins for additional tritium releases from the ESSOR complex are established by taking into account the existing operational requirements. The discharge requirements of ETHEL are then estimated by analyzing the various in-plant routes by which tritium may be released to the environment under normal operation conditions. An analysis is also undertaken for assessing the radiological impact on the population due to exposure and ingestion pathways. It is shown that the expected gaseous releases and tritiated aqueous discharges comply comfortably with the existing site limits and the fraction available for ETHEL.

The European Tritium Handling Experimental Laboratory is committed to investigate the propagation modes of tritium in materials, components, equipment and process loops. As for other radiochemical facilities, a number of safety criteria and principles have been introduced into the design, construction and intended operation of the facility with the aim of optimising the protection of both the workers and the population. This paper highlights a variety of safety aspects applied to the laboratory: confinement barriers, radiological protection, waste handling and, finally, precautions against internal and external events.