Role of borehole plugging in the evaluation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5381718

Hunter, T. O.

Research on borehole plugging (BHP) is part of an integrated strategy to develop technology that can assure successful nuclear waste isolation. The application of this strategy to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico has included an assessment of the role BHP plays in the development of a repository at that site. This paper presents a description of the WIPP site, repository design, and the current research and development program. The status of drill holes - those drilled for petroleum and potash exploration and those drilled for site characterization - within the proposed site boundaries is presented. Sixty-six holes are present on the 7700 hectare (19,000 acre) site, yet only 8 penetrate as deep as the proposed repository location. The assumptions made about shaft and borehole sealing in consequence assessment studies are presented. The results of these studies indicate that borehole seals with effective permeabilities greater than tens of darcies would result in doses to maximally exposed individuals of less than 0.01% of natural background.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 5381718
• Report Number(s): SAND-80-0502C; CONF-800527-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BOREHOLES
CAVITIES
CLOSURES
DESIGN
DIAGRAMS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
MANAGEMENT
MAPS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
SOUTHWEST REGION
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT