Recently, Dawie Burden, a livestock farmer from the Kamiesberg region in the Northern Cape, found a notice attached to his gate that read: “Environmental Impact Assessment Process.”
The notice was issued by an environmental consultant, alerting stakeholders about a study related to plans for the storage of spent nuclear fuel at the government’s Vaalputs facility, located about 10 km from his farm.
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This notice confirmed plans that Burden and his neighbors had only previously encountered in the media.
Established in the 1980s, Vaalputs has, until now, been designated for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste, as noted by Dave Nicholls, chairman of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa).
Since 1985, nearly all nuclear waste from Koeberg—including used fuel racks and protective equipment from the plant—as well as similar waste from Necsa’s Safari research reactor at Pelindaba, has been disposed of in steel and concrete drums at Vaalputs.
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This waste is classified as low-level nuclear waste, while intermediate-level waste consists of materials like filters and resin, encased in concrete drums.
These materials are transported via road along the R355 route between Calvinia and Springbok, buried in trenches at Vaalputs, and then covered with clay.
The area is remote, with spotty cellphone reception, and the road conditions are quite poor, Burden notes as he advocates for the Kliprand Agricultural Association—one of five such organizations in the region. He insists that government communication has been sparse for the past 40 years, except with one other association.
“They hold occasional meetings, but these occur in communities, focusing mainly on student bursaries and employment opportunities. Our safety concerns remain unaddressed,” Burden asserts.
“The emergency plan for transporting the waste depends on summoning help if a truck carrying nuclear material faces an accident due to inadequate road conditions.” But what about situations without a signal? Transporting low- and intermediate-level waste is one matter; how will they handle spent nuclear fuel?
Nicholls clarifies that the waste currently at Vaalputs has a half-life of 30 years, which means the risk of radiation from contact halved over that time. It will take approximately 300 years to become entirely harmless, which is ten times longer.
Listen/read: What happens to the nuclear waste generated by Koeberg?
The situation with spent fuel is more intricate. “They glow upon removal,” Nicholls explains.
This type of waste decays swiftly in the first ten years but will take over 100,000 years to reach radiation levels similar to natural uranium, he adds.
‘Interim’ measures
Until about five years ago, spent fuel at Koeberg was stored in a specially designed on-site pool, which is relatively small. “If you lined up all the spent fuel from Koeberg, it wouldn’t fill a tennis court,” Nicholls states.
Five years ago, Eskom began removing the oldest spent fuel and is currently storing it in 5-meter-long steel canisters on-site.
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However, the government has chosen to keep high-level nuclear waste from Koeberg—and possibly from future nuclear facilities in South Africa—at a central interim storage site that is to be developed at Vaalputs.
This storage is labeled ‘interim’ since it will be moved to a permanent disposal site several hundred meters underground in 50 to 200 years. “It’s essentially a mine,” Nicholls confirms.
This whole process adheres to strict regulations set by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and safety measures for nuclear waste storage are consistent worldwide, he explains.
Currently, the license from the South African National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) allows only low- and intermediate-level waste disposal at Vaalputs. Until recently, Necsa held the license, but management of nuclear waste was recently transferred to a new entity, the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI).
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The NRWDI will only be permitted to store high-level waste at Vaalputs once it complies with all safety requirements stipulated by the NNR. This is why the environmental impact study that Burden received was initiated.
Nicholls explains that interim disposal will involve constructing a substantial concrete slab where steel canisters will be stacked at ground level.
Burden realizes it is unlikely that farmers’ concerns will cause the government to amend its plans for spent nuclear fuel storage at Vaalputs. Their primary request is for transparency, effective governance, and diligent monitoring.
“The ecosystem in Namaqualand is incredibly delicate, showcasing unique biodiversity,” he notes.
He estimates that over 200 farms lie within a 50 km radius of Vaalputs, producing livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats. Around 20% of this livestock is slaughtered locally, while the remaining is processed at distant abattoirs in the Western Cape and then distributed nationally by retailers.
“While the risk of radiation may be minimal, the potential impact could be significant,” Burden emphasizes.
Farmers are worried that even the slightest issue at Vaalputs could damage the reputation of their products.
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