Summary of site-characterization studies conducted from 1983 through 1987 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site, southeastern New Mexico

Technical Report · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6960344

Lappin, A R

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is being constructed at a depth of 650 m in bedded halites of the Salado Formation. The geologic setting of the WIPP site has been active for at least 250 million years, and is presently responding to the end of the last pluvial period, within the 10,000-year time scale of regulatory interest. Both construction of the WIPP facility and WIPP site-characterization activities impose additional transient effects, some of which will last until hydrologic and structural closure of the facility. The Bell Canyon Formation beneath the WIPP facility contains shales, siltstones, and sandstones. Studies suggest that no channel sandstone is present in the Bell Canyon beneath the WIPP site. Fluid movement would be downward if drilling interconnected the Bell Canyon with the Rustler Formation, the first water-bearing zone above the WIPP facility. The Salado and Castile Formations contain abundant bedded halites and anhydrites, and deform in response to gravity. Fluids play a major role in this deformation, although the regional permeabilities of both units are extremely low. Pressurized brines may be present within the Castile Formation 200 m or more beneath the WIPP waste-emplacement panels. The hydrologic and structural characteristics of the Salado change within an altered zone extending a few meters from the WIPP underground workings. 124 refs., 91 figs., 22 tabs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6960344
• Report Number(s): SAND-88-0157; ON: DE88013140
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
CHEMISTRY
DOCUMENT TYPES
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NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
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SITE CHARACTERIZATION
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US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
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WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
WIPP