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Title: Technical bases for establishing a salt test facility

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5847503

The need for a testing facility in which radioactive materials may be used in an underground salt environment is explored. No such facility is currently available in salt deposits in the United States. A salt test facility (STF) would demonstrate the feasibility of safely storing radioactive waste in salt and would provide data needed to support the design, construction, licensing, and operation of a radioactive waste repository in salt. Nineteen issues that could affect long-term isolation of waste materials in a salt repository are identified from the most pertinent recent literature. The issues are assigned an overall priority and a priority relative to the activities of the STF. Individual tests recommended for performance in the STF to resolve the 19 issues are described and organized under three groups: waste package performance, repository design and operation, and site characterization and evaluation. The requirements for a salt test facility are given in the form of functional criteria, and the approach that will be used in the design, execution, interpretation, and reporting of tests is discussed.

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (USA); IT Corp., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Stearns Catalytic Corp., Denver, CO (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830; AC02-83CH10140
OSTI ID:
5847503
Report Number(s):
BMI/ONWI-243; ON: DE85011452
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English