View source for Vaalputs

{{Infobox settlement
|name                   = Vaalputs
|pushpin_map            = South Africa Northern Cape
|established_title      = Established
|established_date       = 1986
|founder                = [[South African Nuclear Energy Corporation|NECSA]]
|subdivision_type       = Country
|subdivision_name       = South Africa
|subdivision_type1      = [[Provinces of South Africa|Province]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Northern Cape]]
|area_total_km2         = 100
|elevation_m            = 1000
|timezone1              = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]]
|utc_offset1            =
|coordinates            = {{coord|30|07|53|S|18|34|12|E|region:ZA|display=inline,title}}
|website                =
}}
'''Vaalputs''' is the only [[South Africa]]n [[radioactive waste]]-disposal facility, called the ''Vaalputs Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility'', operated by [[South African Nuclear Energy Corporation|NECSA]].<ref name="NECSA - About Us">{{cite web|url=http://www.necsa.co.za/default.asp?pageid=761 |title=NECSA - About Us |access-date=2009-02-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524034731/http://www.necsa.co.za/default.asp?pageid=761 |archive-date=May 24, 2008 }}</ref> The facility is located about 100&nbsp;km south-east of [[Springbok, Northern Cape|Springbok]],<ref name=Fig>{{Citation | first = David | last = Fig | author-link = David Fig | title = Uranium road: questioning South Africa's nuclear direction | publisher = Jacana Media | year = 2006 | pages = 61–63 | isbn = 978-1-77009-092-7 }}</ref> in the [[Northern Cape]]. It covers an area of approximately 10,000 hectare, measuring 16,5&nbsp;km from east to west and 6,5&nbsp;km from north to south at its narrowest point.
Approximately 1,000 hectare is occupied by sites developed for [[Low level waste|low-]] and intermediate-level waste,<ref name=Fig/> an interim [[spent nuclear fuel]] storage facility, housing, roads, power lines and an airstrip. Vaalputs lies between the [[Namaqualand]] in the west and the [[Bushmanland, Northern Cape|Bushmanland]] in the east.
During 1978 a programme to select a suitable site for the disposal of [[Radioactive waste|nuclear waste]] was commenced over large parts of South Africa. The programme leader had to keep a variety of socio-economic and geology related parameters in mind. Pioneer investigations indicated that the Northern Cape was the most feasible area. Supplementary studies showed that a place approximately 100&nbsp;km southeast of Springbok was ideally suited for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level wastes.<ref name=Fig/><ref name=Vaalputs>{{cite web|url=http://www.radwaste.co.za/vaalputs.htm|title=VAALPUTS|access-date=2009-02-18}}</ref> In 1983 three farms were acquired by the state on behalf of the NECSA, which now constitute the ''Vaalputs Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility''. The first low- and intermediate-level waste arrived from [[Koeberg Nuclear Power Station|Koeberg]] in October 1986.<ref name=Fig/><ref name=Vaalputs/>
Initially, silos were envisaged for dry storage of spent fuel from Koeberg. However the spent fuel from Koeberg is stored in reactor pools on the Koeberg site. These pools have been re-racked in order to facilitate lifetime storage of spent fuel.<ref name="Necsa - Nuclear Waste">{{cite web|url=http://www.necsa.co.za/Necsa/Nuclear-Technology/Nuclear-Waste-442.aspx|title=Necsa - Nuclear Waste|access-date=2012-02-14}}</ref> Low and intermediate waste was buried in 10 meter deep trenches, which were filled with compacted soil, whereafter the surface was rehabilitated by planting local flora.<ref name=Fig/> In June 1997 it was revealed that some uncovered containers had rusted and were leaking radioactivity. The [[National Nuclear Regulator]] (NNR) temporarily suspended operations, until the licensing conditions were met by the operators. The NNR established communication with local communities in September 2003.<ref name=Fig/>
==See also==
* [[Koeberg Alert]]
* [[Koeberg nuclear power station]]
* [[South African Nuclear Energy Corporation|NECSA]]
* [[Valindaba]]
==References==
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==External links==
*[http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/vaalputs-nuclear-waste-repository-staff-doing-sa-proud-2006-12-15 Vaalputs nuclear waste repository staff doing SA proud]
*[http://www.niasa.co.za/events/past-events/vaalputs-national-nuclear-waste-repository-celebrates-its-twentieth-anniversary.html The National Nuclear Waste Repository at Vaalputs celebrated its Twentieth Anniversary in December 2006]
*[http://www.eskom.co.za/nuclear_energy/waste_re-racking/waste_re-racking.html Escom Nuclear Waste]
{{South African nuclear sites}}
[[Category:South African nuclear sites]]
[[Category:Radioactive waste repositories]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the Northern Cape]]
[[Category:Economy of the Northern Cape]]