Effects of exploratory studies facility construction water on radionuclide release
- INTERA Inc./CRWMS M&O, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
The Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) is a planned underground laboratory to conduct subsurface exploration and testing in support of site suitability determination and license application for a potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. The ESF design includes a 7.6 m diameter, 7.8 km long tunnel loop consisting of two main access ramps from the surface down to a main drift along the conceptual repository horizon in a fractured, welded tuff called the Topopah Spring member of the Paintbrush Tuff. The ESF main drift is planned to be at least 37 m from the closest waste package emplacement zone. Standard underground excavation methods require the use of water primarily for dust control. The unsaturated condition of rock comprising the potential repository horizon is an important characteristic that will be affected by the introduction of construction water. An analysis bounding the effects of water lost to the geologic environment on radionuclide release from waste packages has been developed to help identify appropriate controls for ESF construction water use. The approach is to determine the dominant radionuclide release process, estimate natural variability in radionuclide release, and then bound water saturation changes so that changes in radionuclide release stays within natural variations. The use of water during excavation of the ESF is expected to have negligible effects on radionuclide release from waste packages, provided the volume of water lost to the geologic environment is limited to 7.4 m{sup 3}/m of linear excavation.
- OSTI ID:
- 127187
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9504179--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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