Abstract
This report examines a variety of monitoring activities that would likely be involved in a nuclear fuel waste disposal project, during the various stages of its implementation. These activities would include geosphere, environmental, vault performance, radiological, safeguards, security and community socioeconomic and health monitoring. Geosphere monitoring would begin in the siting stage and would continue at least until the closure stage. It would include monitoring of regional and local seismic activity, and monitoring of physical, chemical and microbiological properties of groundwater in rock and overburden around and in the vault. Environmental monitoring would also begin in the siting stage, focusing initially on baseline studies of plants, animals, soil and meteorology, and later concentrating on monitoring for changes from these benchmarks in subsequent stages. Sampling designs would be developed to detect changes in levels of contaminants in biota, water and air, soil and sediments at and around the disposal facility. Vault performance monitoring would include monitoring of stress and deformation in the rock hosting the disposal vault, with particular emphasis on fracture propagation and dilation in the zone of damaged rock surrounding excavations. A vault component test area would allow long-term observation of containers in an environment similar to the working
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Citation Formats
Cooper, R B, Barnard, J W, and Bird, G A.
Monitoring methods for nuclear fuel waste disposal.
Canada: N. p.,
1997.
Web.
Cooper, R B, Barnard, J W, & Bird, G A.
Monitoring methods for nuclear fuel waste disposal.
Canada.
Cooper, R B, Barnard, J W, and Bird, G A.
1997.
"Monitoring methods for nuclear fuel waste disposal."
Canada.
@misc{etde_20070830,
title = {Monitoring methods for nuclear fuel waste disposal}
author = {Cooper, R B, Barnard, J W, and Bird, G A}
abstractNote = {This report examines a variety of monitoring activities that would likely be involved in a nuclear fuel waste disposal project, during the various stages of its implementation. These activities would include geosphere, environmental, vault performance, radiological, safeguards, security and community socioeconomic and health monitoring. Geosphere monitoring would begin in the siting stage and would continue at least until the closure stage. It would include monitoring of regional and local seismic activity, and monitoring of physical, chemical and microbiological properties of groundwater in rock and overburden around and in the vault. Environmental monitoring would also begin in the siting stage, focusing initially on baseline studies of plants, animals, soil and meteorology, and later concentrating on monitoring for changes from these benchmarks in subsequent stages. Sampling designs would be developed to detect changes in levels of contaminants in biota, water and air, soil and sediments at and around the disposal facility. Vault performance monitoring would include monitoring of stress and deformation in the rock hosting the disposal vault, with particular emphasis on fracture propagation and dilation in the zone of damaged rock surrounding excavations. A vault component test area would allow long-term observation of containers in an environment similar to the working vault, providing information on container corrosion mechanisms and rates, and the physical, chemical and thermal performance of the surrounding sealing materials and rock. During the operation stage, radiological monitoring would focus on protecting workers from radiation fields and loose contamination, which could be inhaled or ingested. Operational zones would be established to delineate specific hazards to workers, and movement of personnel and materials between zones would be monitored with radiation detectors. External exposures to radiation fields would be monitored with dosimeters worn by workers, and internal exposures would be gauged by radioanalysis of urine and feces and by whole body counting. Security and safeguards monitoring would also be prominent during the operations stage. Safeguards monitoring would focus on maintaining continuous knowledge of the quantities and locations of used fuel from the time it left temporary storage at the reactor to its final disposal in the vault. This would be achieved through direct surveillance, coupled with techniques for identifying and sealing transportation casks. Postclosure safeguards monitoring could include seismic monitoring to detect attempts to excavate into the vault. Security monitoring would prevent unauthorized access to or movements of materials from the disposal facility, using surveillance and a variety of intrusion detection devices. The level of security monitoring would increase from an outer area surrounding the disposal facility, through a fenced protected area enclosing most site buildings, to an inner area comprising facilities where used fuel was kept or processed. Finally, monitoring of the socioeconomic conditions and health of potentially affected communities would begin with benchmark surveys in the early siting stage and continue through later stages to detect changes that were caused by the disposal facility project. A range of indicators would be monitored, along with specific characteristics or parameters that would be agreed to by the implementor and the community. (author)}
place = {Canada}
year = {1997}
month = {Nov}
}
title = {Monitoring methods for nuclear fuel waste disposal}
author = {Cooper, R B, Barnard, J W, and Bird, G A}
abstractNote = {This report examines a variety of monitoring activities that would likely be involved in a nuclear fuel waste disposal project, during the various stages of its implementation. These activities would include geosphere, environmental, vault performance, radiological, safeguards, security and community socioeconomic and health monitoring. Geosphere monitoring would begin in the siting stage and would continue at least until the closure stage. It would include monitoring of regional and local seismic activity, and monitoring of physical, chemical and microbiological properties of groundwater in rock and overburden around and in the vault. Environmental monitoring would also begin in the siting stage, focusing initially on baseline studies of plants, animals, soil and meteorology, and later concentrating on monitoring for changes from these benchmarks in subsequent stages. Sampling designs would be developed to detect changes in levels of contaminants in biota, water and air, soil and sediments at and around the disposal facility. Vault performance monitoring would include monitoring of stress and deformation in the rock hosting the disposal vault, with particular emphasis on fracture propagation and dilation in the zone of damaged rock surrounding excavations. A vault component test area would allow long-term observation of containers in an environment similar to the working vault, providing information on container corrosion mechanisms and rates, and the physical, chemical and thermal performance of the surrounding sealing materials and rock. During the operation stage, radiological monitoring would focus on protecting workers from radiation fields and loose contamination, which could be inhaled or ingested. Operational zones would be established to delineate specific hazards to workers, and movement of personnel and materials between zones would be monitored with radiation detectors. External exposures to radiation fields would be monitored with dosimeters worn by workers, and internal exposures would be gauged by radioanalysis of urine and feces and by whole body counting. Security and safeguards monitoring would also be prominent during the operations stage. Safeguards monitoring would focus on maintaining continuous knowledge of the quantities and locations of used fuel from the time it left temporary storage at the reactor to its final disposal in the vault. This would be achieved through direct surveillance, coupled with techniques for identifying and sealing transportation casks. Postclosure safeguards monitoring could include seismic monitoring to detect attempts to excavate into the vault. Security monitoring would prevent unauthorized access to or movements of materials from the disposal facility, using surveillance and a variety of intrusion detection devices. The level of security monitoring would increase from an outer area surrounding the disposal facility, through a fenced protected area enclosing most site buildings, to an inner area comprising facilities where used fuel was kept or processed. Finally, monitoring of the socioeconomic conditions and health of potentially affected communities would begin with benchmark surveys in the early siting stage and continue through later stages to detect changes that were caused by the disposal facility project. A range of indicators would be monitored, along with specific characteristics or parameters that would be agreed to by the implementor and the community. (author)}
place = {Canada}
year = {1997}
month = {Nov}
}