Characterizing plutonic rock sites for nuclear fuel waste disposal

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA)

OSTI ID:5494870

Davison, C C; Dormuth, K W; Whitaker, S H

The Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program is currently assessing the concept of disposal of nuclear fuel waste deep in plutonic rock formations. One of the primary objective of the Canadian program is to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate methods for characterizing the physical and chemical properties of potential disposal sites to produce reliable engineering designs and performance assessments of the disposal systems. Transport in groundwater at the site would be the primary mechanism that could bring any radionuclides released from the deep disposal vault to surface during the hazardous lifetime of the waste. Consequently, emphasis is placed on rock mass characterization methods that identify features that are potential pathways for radionuclide migration; quantify the hydrological and geochemical properties that control groundwater flow and radionuclide transport; and determine the geomechanical properties that control the excavation stability and the long-term stability of the rock mass. The methodology being developed consists of field and laboratory tests, in situ monitoring, and mathematical modeling and interpretation. The result is a description of site characteristics in quantitative and qualitative terms, which can be used to support engineering designs, licensing applications, and environmental and safety assessments.

• OSTI ID: 5494870
• Report Number(s): CONF-880601--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Journal Volume: 56
• 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
CANADA
CONSTRUCTION
DESIGN
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GROUND WATER
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
OPERATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIC ROCKS
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RELIABILITY
ROCKS
SAFETY
SITE SELECTION
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER