Conceptual structure of the 1996 performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Journal Article · Thu May 18 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Reliability Engineering and System Safety (Special Journal Issue)

OSTI ID:755471

HELTON, JON CRAIG ^[1]; ANDERSON, D RICHARD; BASABILVAZO, G; JOW, HONG-NIAN; MARIETTA, MELVIN G

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1. Sandia National Laboratories

The conceptual structure of the 1996 performance assessment (PA) for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is described. This structure involves three basic entities (EN1, EN2, EN3): (1) EN1, a probabilistic characterization of the likelihood of different futures occurring at the WIPP site over the next 10,000 yr, (2) EN2, a procedure for estimating the radionuclide releases to the accessible environment associated with each of the possible futures that could occur at the WIPP site over the next 10,000 yr, and (3) EN3, a probabilistic characterization of the uncertainty in the parameters used in the definition of EN1 and EN2. In the formal development of the 1996 WIPP PA, EN1 is characterized by a probability space (S{sub st}, P{sub st}, p{sub st}) for stochastic (i.e., aleatory) uncertainly; EN2 is characterized by a function {line_integral} that corresponds to the models and associated computer programs used to estimate radionuclide releases; and EN3 is characterized by a probability space (S{sub su}, P{sub su}, p{sub su}) for subjective (i.e., epistemic) uncertainty. A high-level overview of the 1996 WIPP PA and references to additional sources of information are given in the context of (S{sub st}, P{sub st}, p{sub st}), {line_integral} and (S{sub su}, P{sub su}, p{sub su}).

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (US); Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 755471
• Report Number(s): SAND99-1881J
• Journal Information: Reliability Engineering and System Safety (Special Journal Issue), Journal Name: Reliability Engineering and System Safety (Special Journal Issue)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
40 CFR 191
40 CFR 194
ALEATORY UNCERTAINTY
COMPLEMENTARY CUMULATIVE DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION APPLICATION
EPISTEMIC UNCERTAINTY
LATIN HYPERCUBE SAMPLING
MONTE CARLO
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RISK
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY ANALYSIS
STOCHASTIC UNCERTAINTY
SUBJECTIVE UNCERTAINTY
TRANSURANIC WASTE
WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT
WIPP