Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Preliminary identification of scenarios for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, southeastern New Mexico

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6268538
 [1]
  1. Science Applications International Corp., Albuquerque, NM (USA)

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is located in southeastern New Mexico, is designed for the disposal of transuranic (TRU) wastes generated by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) nuclear-based defense programs. This location is being evaluated for compliance with Subpart B of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes; Final Rule (the Standard). In order to determine compliance, a performance assessment of the disposal system must be carried out. An integral part of any performance assessment is the identification of the scenarios that are appropriate for the disposal system. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology used by the WIPP project for identifying these scenarios and to describe the preliminary results from applying this methodology to the WIPP. These preliminary scenarios are being used to guide the development of the modeling system for compliance calculations and to identify the data needs for performance assessment. As more data and information become available for the WIPP disposal system, and the development of the modeling system progresses, the results of the preliminary scenario development will be revised and updated where appropriate. 15 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/RW
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
6268538
Report Number(s):
SAND-90-7090C; CONF-910213--2; ON: DE90015781
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English