CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S OVERVIEW
I am deeply humbled and privileged to present to you the 2017/2018 NRWDI Annual Report.The application of radioactive materials and radiation provides numerous benefits to people and society and plays a significant role in everyday life. This includes scientific, medical, agricultural and industrial applications. It is a natural consequence of such applications that radioactive waste is generated.
The key strategic thrust of the National Radioactive Waste Disposal is the long term management and disposal of radioactive waste in a technically sound, socially acceptable, environmentally responsible and economically feasible manner to ensure that no undue burden is placed on future generations due to our past, present and future involvement in nuclear energy applications.
Low level waste, which represents 95% of all radioactive waste generated, has been disposed at our Vaalputs National Facility Disposal Facility, in the Northern Cape since 1986. The disposal operations and waste acceptance criteria for Vaalputs are in line with international best practice and we as a country should be proud that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has identified Vaalputs as a global leader in the disposal of low level waste in near surface geological repositories.