1. Site Selection Study for Radioactive Waste Repository: Study Area of Negeri Sembilan
Che Kamaruddin, A. H.1, Tahar, K. N.2, Wan Mohamad, W. M. N.2
1Malaysian Nuclear Agency (MNA), Selangor, Malaysia
2Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM Shah Alam), Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract
Radioactive materials are used in beneficial ways such as in medical diagnosis and therapy, scientific research ‎and specialized industrial applications, many of these activities generate radioactive waste, which occur either in ‎gas, liquid or solid form. The volume and total amount of radioactive wastes is increasing every year. From ‎‎1984 until 2012, there are more than 8000 unit of disused sealed radioactive sources, 445 m³ of solid wastes, 44 ‎m³ of organic waste and 15,000 m³ liquid waste collected and managed by Nuclear Malaysia as recorded in the ‎radioactive waste inventory database Nuclear Malaysia. The government considers that the establishment of a ‎national near-surface repository for low level radioactive waste is a national responsibility and therefore feasible ‎and comprehensive strategies are needed for continuous waste management. A suitable repository site must ‎have long-term stability and attributes that will enable the wastes to be isolated so that there is no unacceptable ‎risk to people or the environment either while it is operating or after closure. Radioactive waste should be ‎disposed of in a controlled and proper manner by considering the fact that the waste contains radionuclides that ‎harmful and can bring danger to any living things. Therefore, the criteria for choosing the suitable or potential ‎sites is very important for an operator who was given responsibility to make sure safety consideration in all ‎aspects is being complied as stipulated by law from regulatory authority. A study for screening the suitable area ‎which covered whole state of Negeri Sembilan has been conducted using ArcGIS software. Two techniques in ‎Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) were considered in the GIS processing by using Boolean Overlay and ‎Weighted Sum Overlay methods.‎
Research Methodology
Analysis and Results
Can be devided into five sections:-
Data collection and GIS layer preparation
Software used
Boolean Overlay and Weighted Sum Overlay
Criteria for Site Selection
GIS Modelling using Model Builder ArcGIS
Model 1(a): BEFORE considering buffer from town
Model 1(b): AFTER considering buffer 5km from town
Model 2: More potential areas were identified by using Model 2 analysis
Conclusion
The suitable sites are located at the Mukim ‎Labu area in the district of Seremban from the west ‎of the Negeri Sembilan state. By analyzing the ‎potential area with coverage area of 100 hectares ‎or 1 km2, there are three most potential sites to be ‎selected for developing radioactive waste disposal ‎facility. This study provides an opportunity to ‎explore a survey method to find potential site for a ‎low level radioactive waste repository in the state ‎of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia using remote sensing ‎and GIS technologies. Spatial data representing ‎geological, meteorological hydrogeological, and ‎surface process were utilized for assessing and ‎characterizing the suitability of potential sites.‎