Direct releases to the surface and associated complementary cumulative distribution functions in the 1996 performance assessments for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant: Direct brine release

Journal Article · Fri May 19 00:00:00 EDT 2000 · Reliability Engineering and System Safety

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0951-8320(00)00038-7· OSTI ID:755541

STOELZEL, D M; O'BRIEN, D G; GARNER, J W; HELTON, JON CRAIG; JOHNSON, J D; SCOTT, L N

The following topics related to the treatment of direct brine releases to the surface environment in the 1996 performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) are presented (1) mathematical description of models, (2) uncertainty and sensitivity analysis results arising from subjective (i.e., epistemic) uncertainty for individual releases, (3) construction of complementary cumulative distribution functions (CCDFs) arising from stochastic (i.e., aleatory) uncertainty, and (4) uncertainty and sensitivity analysis results for CCDFs. The presented analyses indicate that direct brine releases do not constitute a serious threat to the effectiveness of the WIPP as a disposal facility for transuranic waste. Even when the effects of uncertain analysis inputs are taken into account, the CCDFs for direct brine releases fall substantially to the left of the boundary line specified in the US Environmental Protection Agency's standard for the geologic disposal of radioactive waste (4O CFR 191.40 CFR 194).

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 755541
• Report Number(s): SAND99-2021J; TRN: US0003612
• Journal Information: Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Vol. 69, Issue 1-3; Other Information: Submitted to Reliability Engineering and System Safety (Special Journal Issue); PBD: 19 May 2000; ISSN 0951-8320
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
WIPP
PERFORMANCE
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
BRINES
FLOW MODELS
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
DATA COVARIANCES
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION
ALEATORY UNCERTAINTY
COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION APPLICATION
DIRECT BRINE RELEASE
EPISTEMIC UNCERTAINTY
LATIN HYPERCUBE SAMPLING
MONTE CARLO
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE
RISK
STOCHASTIC UNCERTAINTY
SUBJECTIVE UNCERTAINTY
TRANSURANIC WASTE
WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT
40 CFR 191
40 CFR 194