Engineered waste package concepts for high-level waste isolation in basalt

Conference · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5440933

Smith, M J

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) is charged with determining the feasibility of permanently storing commercial high-level radioactive wastes in a geologic repository located in the basalt underlying the Hanford Site. The BWIP Waste Package Program has been developed as a part of the National Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) Program to provide a focal point for the selection of materials and the development of design specifications for site-specific, mutliple barrier assemblages for spent fuel and processed high-level wastes in this medium. While the concept of a multiple barrier waste package system designed to provide redundancy in waste isolation has received wide support, the design limits, performance requirements, and functions of such a system have been described only in general terms. This paper presents the results of the BWIP efforts to more clearly define the environmental, regulatory, and performance factors that influence the development of waste package design criteria for a basalt medium. A technique for developing performance and design criteria based on the favorable environmental characteristics (low Eh, moderate pH, low ionic strength groundwater) of the basalts beneath the Hanford Site are discussed. These site-specific considerations have been utilized to greatly reduce the complexity and hence the cost of waste packages for basalt. The techniques employed in this analysis are applicable to other systems for which sufficient site-specific data exists.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Richland, WA (USA). Rockwell Hanford Operations
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-77RL01030
• OSTI ID: 5440933
• Report Number(s): RHO-BW-SA-203-P; CONF-820609-17; ON: DE82011003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
054000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BACKFILLING
BASALT
CONTAINERS
DESIGN
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HANFORD RESERVATION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PACKAGING
PERFORMANCE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REGULATIONS
ROCKS
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES