THE SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE
2. SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE 1. Manufacture and distribution of sources
South Africa is in a fortunate position in that radioactive sources are manufactured in one facility for the whole country and for export. The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA), through its business division, Nuclear Technology Products (NTP), produces a variety of radioactive sources.
NTP’s products are produced to internationally approved standards and under ISO 9002 certification. The categories of NTP products relevant to this conference are shown in Table I.
Other sources used in South Africa are stationary sources used in industrial irradiators, for example 60Co sources used in food irradiation plants.
NTP production facilities have other international certifications in addition to ISO 9002. For instance, the radiochemical production facilities have United States Food and Drug Administration as well as Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration appraisal. Environmental management is maintained according to ISO 14000 guidelines.
South Africa uses sources internally and also has a large export component. As regards distribution, while NECSA undertakes direct
TABLE I. CATEGORIES OF RADIOACTIVE SOURCES MANUFACTURED AT NECSA
Product category Example
Sources used in public access facilities Tc-99m, I-131 (radiopharmaceuticals)
Sources used in public areas Ir-192, Cs-137, Co-60, Mo-99, P-32, (well logging or pipeline radiography, I-131
radiochemical products)
distribution internationally, it also has business arrangements to distribute to customers through a South African company.
South Africa has a storage facility at NECSA for spent sealed sources.
The country is currently finalizing a national waste policy and strategy that will address issues of disposal. The current situation with NECSA is satisfactorily managed.
2.2. Regulatory control and security
According to South African legislation, the Directorate Radiation Control under the Department of Health and the National Nuclear Regulator have the responsibilities for exercising regulatory control over radioactive sources.
According to the Hazardous Substance Act (Act 15 of 1972), ‘Group IV hazardous substance’ means a radioactive material which is outside a nuclear installation, and is not a material which forms part of or is used or intended to be used in the nuclear fuel cycle, and
(a) Has an activity concentration of more than 100 Bq/g and a total activity of more than 4000 Bq; or
(b) Has an activity concentration of 100 Bq or less per gram or a total activity of 4000 Bq or less and which the Minister of Health has by notice in the Gazette declared to be a Group IV hazardous substance, and which is used or intended to be used for medical, scientific, agricultural, commercial or industrial purposes, and any radioactive waste arising from such radioactive material.
The Directorate Radiation Control has the responsibility for regulatory control over Group IV hazardous substances.
According to the National Nuclear Regulator Act (Act 47 of 1999), however, the National Nuclear Regulator has responsibility with respect to a radioactive source when it is within a nuclear installation site.
For more effective monitoring and control of radioactive material, the National Nuclear Regulator Act requires the National Nuclear Regulator to enter into co-operative governance agreements with all organs of State that have responsibilities over radioactive materials, for the purpose of co-ordinating functions, minimizing duplication and promoting consistency. To this effect the Directorate Radiation Control and the National Nuclear Regulator co-operate in the regulatory control of radioactive sources.
South Africa’s regulatory practices are in line with international standards and requirements.
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With regard to security, the regulatory bodies work in close co-operation with security agencies through the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), which has a statutory responsibility to protect the interests of the State. Co-operation with the security agencies addresses the issues of theft and loss of radioactive sources.
2.3. Vulnerabilities and orphan sources
South Africa recognizes that there are many situations and scenarios both nationally and internationally that may result in vulnerabilities and consequently the need to heighten and strengthen regulatory control, especially compliance assurance, quality assurance and enforcement.
Weaknesses in these areas may contribute to radioactive sources posing a serious threat globally.
The South African Government is committed to ensuring that the security of radioactive sources is improved both within South Africa and internationally. South Africa has participated in and contributed to IAEA processes and other international forums to improve the control and management of radioactive sources internationally, and mainly in Africa.
Sealed radioactive sources have been and still are used widely in Africa;
for instance, 226Ra was used extensively during the early years (1950s and 1960s) for treatment of various cancers. These sources were generally imported from European countries and other international suppliers. There were always challenges with regard to arrangements for the return of these sources to the original owners. Often after falling into disuse they were stored somewhere inside the facility in which they were used, sometimes next to a patient waiting room, and of course this resulted in unacceptably high levels of exposure to patients.
Another problem with the radium sources and also with other spent sources is that in many instances few or no records existed, making it an even bigger challenge to control all the spent sources properly. Some African countries, however, have managed to collect the sources from the different storage places and put them into one central storage place. It is these countries that have applied to the IAEA through AFRA processes for assistance for the radium sources to be conditioned. The South African team responsible for conditioning radium sources in Africa has to date conditioned radium and other spent sources in ten African countries. After conditioning, these sources are stored under proper control for later disposal. A total of more than 3000 mg of 226Ra has been conditioned in this manner so far.
South Africa has processes to ensure that orphan sources when discovered are reported and that the necessary steps are undertaken to place
such sources in appropriate storage. The Directorate Radiation Control records that there are approximately 22 000 sealed and unsealed sources in South Africa. South Africa supports a cradle to grave approach to regulation.
2.4. Public information and confidentiality
Like any other sovereign State in the modern world, the Republic of South Africa has to serve and protect its own interests. In a democratic and open society committed to transparency, the need for secrecy and thus information security must realistically match the threats against the country and its people. The South African NIA has a statutory responsibility to protect the interests of the State.
With this imperative in mind, the NIA as well as other members of the intelligence community have focused their attention on the process used to formulate and implement information security policies on a national basis within South Africa.
Like most democratic countries, South Africa is faced with the challenge of making information available to the public. While the Promotion of Access to Public Information Act further entrenches the right of the public to information, it also provides for appropriate information to be given to the public. Through the provisions of this Act, South Africa is able to screen information so that information that is commercially sensitive or sensitive with respect to national and international security can be disseminated appropriately and to the relevant people. In addition, information security in South Africa is administered in accordance with the Minimum Information Security Standard, which was approved by the Cabinet on 4 December 1996 as the national information security policy.
3. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
The nuclear industry is home to, amongst others, scientists, technicians and artisans — in most cases people interested in science and technology — and unfortunately there remains a dire need to advance public awareness of issues relating to this industry, which has so much potential for contributing to solving the world energy lust. For improved public acceptance and involvement of the needed expertise, the nuclear industry is dependent on there being properly sensitized media that report in a constructive manner the events happening in the industry.
Efforts directed at educating the media as a priority for more effective public education and information are of vital importance for any industry, and more so in the nuclear industry.
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South Africa supports a number of initiatives that would go a long way towards improving the security of radioactive sources globally. Some of these initiatives include:
(a) Fast tracking the development of activities that make the return of a source to the supplier more feasible;
(b) Increased focus on regional and international co-operation on source conditioning and disposal;
(c) Continued support for borehole disposal issues such as technical know-how, economic aspects, site selection, safety and feedback from the current Technical Co-operation project in Africa;
(d) Discussions on mechanisms of international direct assistance;
(e) Strengthening of regulatory infrastructure in all countries and especially in developing countries.
The Borehole Disposal Concept currently being developed by South Africa is viewed as a viable option for the future. While several IAEA Member States, including the Russian Federation, the USA and many others, have utilized the concept in one way or another, the current South African project is attempting to demonstrate the economic, technical and safety aspects of the concept to be used in developing countries. This option appears attractive for solving the problem in many developing countries.
It is not an illusion that radioactive sources pose a threat to all. South Africa supports attempts to find appropriate and humane options to address this problem at national and international levels. It is our hope that international forums will continue to increase efforts to support Africa, and developing countries in general, in improving the situation of control over radioactive sources.