National Radiation Storage Facility (New Zealand)

The National Radiation Storage Facility is a radioactive waste storage facility in New Zealand. It is located near Sanson, New Zealand and operated by the Ministry of Health.

History

From the 1950s to 1976 New Zealand dumped its radioactive waste at sea.[1] Following the adoption of the London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter and its expansion to include all nuclear waste, waste was instead stored in a shed at the National Radiation Laboratory in Christchurch.[2][1] The building was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and in 2019 the government made a decision to move it to a purpose-built facility.[2]

For security reasons the store was built on land owned by the New Zealand Defence Force, near RNZAF Base Ohakea.[3] Construction began in 2022, and was carried out in secret, without informing neighbours or local iwi.[4][5] The building was completed in early 2024, and waste was transferred to it from Christchurch in a special convoy of military vehicles.[2] The existence of the facility itself remained secret until reported by the New Zealand Herald later that year.[4]

Function

The facility stores intermediate and low-level waste, primarily medical waste.[4] The waste is encapsulated in concrete and monitored weekly.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Ryan Anderson (29 March 2024). "The radioactive waste sitting at the bottom of Cook Strait in a concrete block". Stuff. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Charlie Mitchell (17 May 2025). "A dilapidated shed with a radioactive secret". The Press. Archived from the original on 16 May 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b Michael Morrah (17 June 2025). "Security expert warns theft risk at radioactive site near NZDF can't be discounted". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Michael Morrah (27 November 2024). "Secret radioactive waste facility built near Palmerston North". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  5. ^ Michael Morrah (16 June 2025). "Manawatū iwi outraged over secret radioactive waste facility". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 June 2025.

40°10′49″S 175°25′53″E / 40.180371°S 175.431376°E / -40.180371; 175.431376


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