Integration of interpretation results of tracer tests performed in the Culebra dolomite at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site

Technical Report · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:6875675

Jones, T L; Kelley, V A; Pickens, J F; Upton, D T ^[1]; Beauheim, R L; Davies, P B ^[2]

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1. INTERA, Inc., Austin, TX (United States)
2. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Site-characterization, data interpretation, and modeling efforts have been conducted for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a US Department of Energy facility, in southeastern New Mexico as part of the evaluation of the suitability of the bedded salt of the Salado Formation for isolation of defense transuranic wastes. The Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation is the most transmissive and laterally continuous hydrogeologic unit above the Salado Formation and is considered to be the principal offsite pathway for radionuclide transport in the subsurface, should a breach of the repository occur. The potential importance of this offsite pathway has motivated the design and implementation of tests to characterize the solute-transport properties of the Culebra dolomite. On a regional scale, long-term pumping tests have been performed and analyzed to provide information concerning the broad hydrologic flow characteristics of the Culebra dolomite. At the local (or hydropad) scale, conservative (i.e., nonreactive) tracer tests have been performed to characterize the solute-transport properties of the Culebra dolomite. The tracer-test interpretations presented in this report were performed by INTERA Inc. under contract to SNL. The tracer tests and their interpretation provide data for use in performance-assessment calculations of site suitability for waste isolation. In particular, transport parameters determined from these tests are used as input for offsite solute-transport simulations.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6875675
• Report Number(s): SAND-92-1579; ON: DE93003235
• 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
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
ANISOTROPY
CARBONATE MINERALS
CARBONIC ACID DERIVATIVES
CYANATES
DIFFUSION
DOLOMITE
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
HALOGENS
HYDROLOGY
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MINERALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PILOT PLANTS
POROSITY
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SALT DEPOSITS
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WIPP