New radioactive waste storage facility needed

KUALA LUMPUR: The authorities are looking at building another interim storage facility to handle radioactive waste as the current facility is expected to be fully utilised by 2025.
Malaysian Nuclear Agency director-general Dr Mohd Ashhar Khalid said the current facility - the only one in the country – was built about 30 years ago and was now almost at its full capacity.
''A plan is already in place to build another facility. We've identified a site for it and requested for funds for this purpose,'' he told reporters after opening a coordination meeting on control of radioactive sources involving over 20 countries here today.
Among the services available at the current facility in Bangi are storage of solid and organic liquid wastes, low-level Aqueous Waste Treatment Plant, waste compactor to minimise waste volume as well as dismantling and conditioning of spent sealed source equipment.
Ashhar also said that the agency was in the midst of studying the development of what is known as the Borehole Disposal Facility as a new method to dispose of radioactive waste effectively in the country.

He noted that this system was commonly used in nuclear power states.
"This is a long term solution for radiactive waste, we have to see the impact on the ground and ground water. Not easy because we have to conduct safety assessment," he said.
He said that the study, the first of its kind being carried out in Asean, was being funded by the European Union and International Atomic Energy Agency and would take about 10 years to complete. — Bernama