FROM THE TIN-MINE TAILINGS ON THE JOS PLATEAU CREST HOTEL&. GARDEN, JOS 10th -11th JULY 2007
I am very pleased and honoured to welcome you all to the Opening Ceremony of this very historical gathering, Stakeholders Forum on th4 Management of the Radioadive Waste Arising from the Tin-Mine Tailing. on the Jos Plateau. The tin-mine tailings constitute what is usually referre
to as the Naturally Occurring Radioadive Materials (NORM).
My welcome address is in three parts. The first part is to welcome ou Special Guest of Honour, the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Chie Jonah Jang who is also our Chief Host. I also wish to seize this opportunity
to congratulate His Excellency for his assumption of office and to wish him a successful tenure as the Executive Governor of Plateau State.
The second part of my address is to welcome the Chairman of the Opening Ceremony, the Hon. Minister for Special Duties/Chairman National Committee on Ecological Problems, ably represented by Engr. Babagana Zanna, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Fund Office. It is pertinent to state here that this gathering has been made possible by his office as part of the Presidential Intervention in the Management of the NORM Waste on the Jos Plateau and in the Niger Delta. You are very welcome, Sir, The third part of my address is to welcome the mining companies who generated the radioactive waste in the form of NORM and the mining communities who are ably represented by the Chairmen of the three Local Government Authorities. These communities are those that might have suffered from the deleterious effects of the radioactive waste deposited all over their territories. The Governments (Federal, State and Local) have come together here to partner with the private sector (the mining companies) and the mining communities on how to mitigate the radiological impact of the tin-mine tailings. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, you are all welcome to this important gathering to address the issues of regulatory control of radioactive waste arising from tin-mine tailings on the Jos plateau.
Your Excellency, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
In December 2003, the NNRA issued the Nigerian Basic Ionizing Radiation Regulations (NiBIRR), vide an Official Gazette of the Federal Republic No.123, vol. 90. These regulations have been tested on practices from different sectors of the economy where radioactive sources are being used or radioactive wastes have been generated. After about three years of operation, this was subsequently followed in 2006 by six practice
regulations including the Nigerian Radioactive Waste Management Regulations. These regulations however do not adequately cover a particular type of radioactive waste, which is the basis for this gathering, the NORM waste.
Your Excellency, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Nigeria does not have a nuclear power programme, but has robust and rapidly growing peaceful nuclear applications. Radioactive sources are used in about seven sectors of the Nigerian economy. These are the petroleum industry, mining industry, manufacturing industry, construction industry, agriculture a'nd water resources, the health sector and in education and research. All the radioactive sources are imported, and when they are no longer useful, they become radioactive waste, which must be properly managed. At present radioactive waste in this category are returned to countries of manufacture. There is another type of radioactive waste. These are the Naturally occurring radioactive minerals (NORM), which are generated by a wide variety of industrial activities, which in principle are not associated with radiological problems. Consequently, many members of the public and workers can be exposed to radiation from NORM wastes/residues. If these wastes/residues containing natural radionuclides are not managed properly and safely, large contaminated areas associated with different pathways can take place. This situation has two important components:
- large amounts of such NORM containing radioactive
wastes and other materials;
- potential long term hazards resulting from the fact that NORM comprise long life radionuclides with relatively high radio-toxicitie
Your Excellency, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen Prior to May 2001, the use of radioactive sources and the management of radioactive waste of all forms were not regulated although the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protedion Ad was promulgated in 1995.The Act provides for the establishment of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA). This was however established only in May 2001. The NNRA has the overall responsibility for nuclear safety and radiological protection regulation in the country. Consequently, radiation protection, safety and security of radiation sources including radioactive waste, safeguard of nuclear materials and physical protection of nuclear installations constitute the five major regulatory functions of the NNRA. The safety and security of radioactive waste is guaranteed through an effective regulatory control programme. It is in this regard that the NNRA is organizing this Stakeholders Forum with the twain objective of developing strategies for public exposure control against the radioactive waste arising from tin-mine tailings; and the consideration of the draft NORM Regulations. These regulations will among others make Radiological Impact Assessment (RIA) mandatory before disposal of radioactive waste and before embarking on activities with the potential of generating radioactive waste, such as mineral and petroleum exploitation.
Your Excellency, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Related to this regulatory infrastructure is the need to establish the capability and capacity for the management of radioactive waste in the country, especially against the current drive to generate nuclear electricity by 2015. This calls for the establishment of a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility, the need for which is already here as can be demonstrated by the following situation:
- Fire accident involving the two sources at BICOT, Yom in
2002;
- Closure and Decommissioning of the Radiotherapy Clinic at LUTH in 2003 and in an Ibadan private hospital in 2004;
- The operation of a Nuclear Reactor in Zaria;
- The operation of a Gamma Irradiation Facility in Sheda near
Abuja;
- Cobalt-60 based teletherapy clinics at ABUTH, UCH and Eko
Hospital;
- The over 200 radioactive sources at Ajaokuta;
- NORM waste in the tin-mine tailings and in the sludges and
scales from the oil and gas exploitation;
- The thousands of radioactive sources used in the petroleum industry and in the manufacturing sector
Your Excellency, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
We have used these cases to illustrate where we were before 2001, when there was no regulatory control of radioactive waste in the country and today, when we must also have the capacity and capability to safely manage the radioactive waste when the situation arises.
Once again, I welcome you all to this very first national discourse on the management of radioactive waste arising from a non-nuclear power programme and yet home grown! We sincerely look forward to frank discussion in forging ahead.
Thank you all for your attention.
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