the future of radioactive waste management in south africa - Nuclear ...

THE FUTURE OF RADIOACTIVE
WASTE MANAGEMENT IN
SOUTH AFRICA
By:
Alan Carolissen
Senior Manager: Nuclear Liabilities Management

Pretreatment
Collection
Segregation
Chemical
adjustment
Decontamination
Processing
Radioactive Waste
Management
PREDISPOSAL OPERATIONS
Treatment Conditioning
Volume
reduction
Activity
removal
Change of
composition
Immobilisation
Packaging
Overpack
Storage Transport
Decay
storage
Interim
storage
Long term
storage
FINAL DISPOSAL
Repository

OVERARCHING OBJECTIVE OF RADWASTE MANAGEMENT
“… to deal with radioactive waste in a manner that
protects human health and the environment now
and in the future without imposing undue
burdens on future generations.”

Guiding Principles for a Successful Waste
Management Program
• Intergenerational Equity
– “fairness to future generations”
• Intragenerational Equity
– “fairness across current generations”
• Others
– Polluter pays
– Stakeholder Participation
– Transparency
– Sustainability
– Precautionary Principle

Sustainability & Precautionary Principle
Minimization Recycle
Treat &
Reduce
Disposal
Disposal is a last resort, but it is the sustainable
solution for intractable wastes, as it does not pass on
problems to future generations (intergenerational
equity) …….
… provided we are confident that it is not a practice
with significant uncertainties (precautionary principle).
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LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR RADWASTE IN SA
• Approved by Cabinet in 2005
• Establishment of the
National Committee on
Radwaste (NCRWM)
• Radwaste Disposal Inst (NRWDI)
• Radwaste Fund

REGULATORY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
• Nuclear Energy Act, 1999 (Act No. 46 of 1999);
• National Nuclear Regulator Act, 1999 (Act No. 47 of 1999);
• National Radioactive Waste Disposal Act (Act 53 0f 2008)
• Radioactive Waste Management Policy and Strategy for the Republic of South Africa (2005).
• IAEA Safety Standards, Guidelines and Principles;
• Joint Convention
• National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA);
• Hazardous Substances Act, 1973 (Act No. 15 of 1973);
• Occupational Health and Safety Act (85/1993);
• Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996);
• Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002);
• Environment Conservation Act (73/1989);
• National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998);
• Dumping at Sea Control Act, 1980 (Act No. 73 of 1980);
• Convention on the Trans Boundary Movement of Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention);
• Provincial Ordinance; and
• Local Municipal Bylaws.

CORE OBJECTIVES OF POLICY AND STRATEGY
• Public and Occupational Health
and Safety
• Environmental Protection
• Cost Effectiveness
• Safeguards and Security

Overall responsibility
For radwaste management
- Advise Minister
- Approve WM Plans
- Coordinate R & D
- Operates repositories
- WAC
- Develop new repositories
- LT Storage
- Etc
ROLE PLAYERS
MINISTER:
DoE
NCRWM
Waste Fund
Disposal
NRWDI GENERATORS
REGULATORS
WM PLAN
Regulates Regulates

RADIOACTIVE WASTE
CLASSIFICATION AND ORIGINS

Radioactivity Levels
IAEA –Classification Scheme
Very Short lived Waste (VSLW)
100 days
High level Waste (HLW)
Intermediate Level Waste (ILW)
Low Level Waste (LLW)
Very Low Level Waste (VLLW)
Exempt Waste (EW)
31 years
Decay periods
α

Past Strategic Programs
Weapons programme
Uranium
Enrichment
Fuel fabrication
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Current Nuclear Programs
13

RADIOACTIVE WASTE
MANAGEMENT AT NECSA

DECOMMISSIONING
BEFORE

During decommissioning

Decommissioning Completed

Now Reuse as Waste Store

DECONTAMINATION
TV COILS IN D BUILDING CONTAMINATED PIPES

Decontamination Facility

Decontamination
AFTER DECONTAMINATION CLEARED MATERIAL

Waste Characterisation

CHARATERIZED WASTE

Main Waste Storage Facility
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SPENT FUEL MANAGEMENT IN SA
WET STORAGE
DRY STORAGE

WASTE DISPOSAL

OBJECTIVE OF WASTE DISPOSAL
Isolate the waste from people and the
environment until natural processes of
decay & dilution prevent any
radionuclide from returning in
concentrations that pose a hazard
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WASTE TYPES AND DISPOSAL OPTIONS
HLW ILW LLW VLLW VSLW
SAFETY PRINCIPLES AND
REQUIREMENTS
REGULATORY ASPECTS
TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS
ECONOMICS
SOCIETAL ISSUES
MANAGEMENT OPTIONS – TREATMENT & DISPOSAL

Conventional waste
disposal
Very Low
Level Waste
Low
Level Waste
Intermediate
Level Waste
High
Level Waste
Storage for
decay
Yes
Yes
Yes
Does the
Waste need storage
For decay?
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for public
in a landfill
facility?
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for public
in a low level
facility?
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for public
in an intermediate
facility?
Yes
Potential radioactive waste
Yes
Is the
waste or process
excluded?
Is the
waste or process
exempt?
Can the
waste be cleared
be cleared?
Is the waste
high volume NORM
waste?
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for intrusion
in a landfill
facility?
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for intrusion
in a low level
facility?
Yes
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for intrusion
in a landfill
facility?
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for intrusion
in a tailings
facility?
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for public
in a landfill
facility?
Yes Yes
Will the
waste meet safety
requirements for public
in a tailings
facility?
Yes Yes
LOW LEVEL
Yes Yes
DISPOSAL
Yes
Yes
No No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
LANDFILL
DISPOSAL
NEAR SURFACE
INTERMEDIATE
DISPOSAL
GEOLOGICAL
DISPOSAL
No
No
No
Very Low
Level NORM
Waste
Low
Level NORM
Waste
Intermediate
Level NORM
Waste

LOW LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL REPOSITORY:
VAALPUTS
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Locality map of South Africa showing Vaalputs, Koeberg and Pelindaba.
34

VAALPUTS COMMISSIONING
• Site selection completed in 1985
• Site operating license granted in 1986
• First waste shipment arrived in November 1986
• Only solidified or solid low level waste are disposed
off.
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Red sand – 0,5 m
Red ‘clay’ – 10m
White ‘clay’ – 5m
Weathered granite – 3m
Fresh granite up to 100m
Aquifer
Compacted clay cap
Monitoring pipe
Backfill
Waste packages
DISPOSAL CONCEPT
Shallow Land Disposal (SLD)
Near surface trenches for LLW
50 m
Drainage layer – 200mm
Natural Clay
Top soil
Natural cover
5.2 m
8.0 m
36 36
36

X m
6m
3m
3m
Typical near surface trench
1.5m

VAALPUTS WASTE INVENTORY
• Design capacity
- 500 000 metal waste packages
- 50 000 concrete waste packages
• Metal waste packages
- 14 699 disposed of (3% of capacity)
• Concrete waste packages
- 3 769 disposed of (8% of total capacity)
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TYPES OF WASTE
ONLY SOLID OR SOLIDIFIED RADIOACTIVE WASTE
LLW in metal containers
LLW in concrete
containers
Spent fuel racks
39

RECEIVING WASTE
40

REHABILATED TRENCH
43

KEY CHALLENGES
Deepening and strengthening of
Stakeholder Confidence and Trust

Nuclear (waste) is an Emotional Issue…
• In nuclear (waste) business, people’s perceptions are
driven by their fears.
• Fears caused by memories/perceptions of:
– Nuclear bomb explosions
– Nuclear reactor accidents
– Health effects associated
Cancer
Genetic birth effects

Meriting Trust & Stakeholder Participation
“The disposal strategy and concept is technically sound,
however societal acceptance is at best non-existent”
Canadian Regulatory committee 1986
“The greatest single obstacle that a successful waste
management programme must overcome is the severe
erosion of public confidence”
US Office of Technology Assessment 1982

Management of High Level Waste
KEY CHALLENGES

HLW & USED FUELT FUEL MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
● Long-term storage
● Reprocessing, conditioning &
recycling
● Direct disposal

GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL REPOSITORIES
• Agreement that GD is the best option for High Level Long Lived Waste (SNF),
irrespective of SF management strategy chosen
• GD in line with safety fundamentals and sustainability
• Development of GR is a lengthy process subdivided in different phases and
requiring a stepwise approach.
• The whole process takes several decades what calls for long term provisions
and commitment, knowledge transfer, expertise level, quality management
system, etc
• The process however is multidisciplinary by nature involving legal, technical,
safety, economical but also societal requirements/ constraints
• Safety is achieved by design, not by safety assessments

DEEP GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY STRATEGY
• Site to co-host multi facilities
- Hosting of long term storage facility
- Hosting of encapsulation plant
- DG Repository
• Co-disposal of long lived waste

REPOSITORY PLANNING FRAMEWORK
Activities Timeframe
Establish governance framework 2012
Siting criteria and Potential Siting Areas 2013
Short listing of PSA and preliminary field investigations 2016
Detailed site investigation 2018
Site selection 2020
Interim storage facility 2025
Underground Rock Characterization Facility 2030
Deep geological repository 2065

CONCEPTUAL REPOSITORY DESIGNS

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A SA REPOSITORY

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Concluding Remarks
• Current radioactive waste management practises are in line with international
best practise and in some cases like the disposal of low level at Vaalputs, we are
the GLOBAL leader
• Vaalputs can easily accommodate the additional projected Low Level Waste
inventory stemming from the envisaged new build programme
• Regardless of any UsedF/HLW management strategy chosen, a Centralised offsite
Long Term Storage Facility and Deep Geological Repository are needed
• Suitable high isolation environments are available in SA to host a deep
geological repository
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Concluding Remarks
• Technical competence its not enough to ensure stakeholder
acceptability.
• Biggest challenge of any radwaste management related activity
is to ensure societal and political acceptance!!!!

To ensure societal and political acceptance…
Make communication, public participation
and stakeholder engagement
Part of your Radwaste
Management DNA !!!

Thank You!!!
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