Two green hills on top of light and medium radioactive waste in Dessel

Nuclear energy caused controversy, especially in the past, on account of the radioactive waste it creates. Belgium stopped storing drums in canyons kilometres deep under the sea in 1982. Three years after they were disposed of, they would spontaneously release the waste but, according to the competent authorities, it would dilute into the sea without any risk.

The National Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (ONDRAF/NIRAS) subsequently decided to stack the waste drums above ground in special concrete bunkers under negative pressure, with 25 cm thick walls and 11 cm thick lead glass windows. Strict controls are of course systematically carried out. No radioactivity was ever released.

Now that the information campaign and the long process of permits and guarantees have been completed, the definitive above-ground disposal can start. The 70,000 drums are encased in concrete tanks called monoliths, which are also filled with mortar. After checking for radioactive radiation, they go to the first of two definitive compartmentalised disposal buildings. When these are full, in 2045, a concrete sealing slab, a metre-thick protective layer of impermeable clay, stones and finally earth with turf will be laid on top.

After 300 years, a Geiger counter measuring on the two green hills will no longer detect any radioactivity!