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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Commercial nuclear waste repository in basalt

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6766865

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) is an ongoing research and engineering effort being conducted by Rockwell Hanford Operations (Rockwell), which is under contract to the US Department of Energy. The objectives of this program are to assess the feasibility of and to provide the technology needed to design and construct a licensed commercial nuclear waste repository in the deep basalt formations underlying the Hanford Site. An extensive preconceptual design effort was undertaken during 1979 to develop a feasible concept that could serve as a reference design for both surface and underground facilities. The preconceptual design utilized existing technology to the greatest extent possible to offer a system design that could be utilized in establishing schedule and cost baseline data, recommend alternatives that require additional study, and develop basic design requirements that would allow evolution of the design process prior to the existence of legislated criteria. This paper provides a description of the concept developed for the subsurface aspects of this nuclear waste repository.

Research Organization:
Agapito (J.F.T.) and Associates, Grand Junction, CO (USA); Rockwell International Corp., Richland, WA (USA). Rockwell Hanford Operations
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-77RL01030
OSTI ID:
6766865
Report Number(s):
RHO-BWI-SA-57; CONF-8006102-2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English