skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Potential for long-term isolation by the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal system

Abstract

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) must comply with EPA regulation 40 CFR Part 191, Subpart B, which sets environmental standards for radioactive waste disposal. The regulation, Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes (hereafter referred to as the Standard), was vacated in 1987 by a Federal Court of Appeals and is underground revision. By agreement with the Sate of New Mexico, the WIPP project is evaluating compliance with the Standard as promulgated, in 1985 until a new regulation is available. This report summarizes the early-1990 status of Sandia National Laboratories' (SNL) understanding of the Project's ability to achieve compliance. The report reviews the qualitative and quantitative requirements for compliance, and identifies unknowns complicating performance assessment. It discusses in relatively nontechnical terms the approaches to resolving those unknowns, and concludes that SNL has reasonable confidence that compliance is achievable with the Standard as first promulgated. 46 refs., 7 figs.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
  2. Tech. Reps., Inc., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
DOE/DP
OSTI Identifier:
6840400
Report Number(s):
SAND-90-0616
ON: DE90013540
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-76DP00789
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ALPHA-BEARING WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; REGULATIONS; COMPLIANCE; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; INTRUSION; MODIFICATIONS; PHASE STUDIES; PLANNING; PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION; SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS; SPENT FUELS; UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL; WIPP; ENERGY SOURCES; FUELS; FUNCTIONAL MODELS; MANAGEMENT; MATERIALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEAR FUELS; PILOT PLANTS; RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; RADIOACTIVE WASTES; REACTOR MATERIALS; UNDERGROUND FACILITIES; US DOE; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTE DISPOSAL; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES; 052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage; 056000 - Nuclear Fuels- Legislation & Regulations- (1987-)

Citation Formats

Bertram-Howery, S. G., and Swift, P. N. Potential for long-term isolation by the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal system. United States: N. p., 1990. Web. doi:10.2172/6840400.
Bertram-Howery, S. G., & Swift, P. N. Potential for long-term isolation by the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal system. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6840400
Bertram-Howery, S. G., and Swift, P. N. 1990. "Potential for long-term isolation by the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal system". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6840400. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6840400.
@article{osti_6840400,
title = {Potential for long-term isolation by the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant disposal system},
author = {Bertram-Howery, S. G. and Swift, P. N.},
abstractNote = {The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) must comply with EPA regulation 40 CFR Part 191, Subpart B, which sets environmental standards for radioactive waste disposal. The regulation, Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes (hereafter referred to as the Standard), was vacated in 1987 by a Federal Court of Appeals and is underground revision. By agreement with the Sate of New Mexico, the WIPP project is evaluating compliance with the Standard as promulgated, in 1985 until a new regulation is available. This report summarizes the early-1990 status of Sandia National Laboratories' (SNL) understanding of the Project's ability to achieve compliance. The report reviews the qualitative and quantitative requirements for compliance, and identifies unknowns complicating performance assessment. It discusses in relatively nontechnical terms the approaches to resolving those unknowns, and concludes that SNL has reasonable confidence that compliance is achievable with the Standard as first promulgated. 46 refs., 7 figs.},
doi = {10.2172/6840400},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6840400}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990},
month = {Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990}
}