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Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste - U.S. ...

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Draft p. 1.14<br />

Issue<br />

211<br />

GEOLOGIC CONSIDERATIONS<br />

One commenter stated that predictions, which need be known with a high degree <strong>of</strong> cer-<br />

tainty for only a few hundreds <strong>of</strong> years, are much easier to be comfortable with than those<br />

for 100,000 years. The commenter suggested the following addition in the second paragraph:<br />

"Some media (i.e., salt and deep sea sediments) <strong>of</strong>fer opportunities for confidence in uni-<br />

formity <strong>of</strong> characteristics and predictability <strong>of</strong> future conditions." (154)<br />

Response<br />

For the purposes <strong>of</strong> this Statement the critical period cannot be said to be only the<br />

first few hundred years--this may depend on the final waste form, type <strong>of</strong> container, type<br />

<strong>of</strong> engineered barriers, etc., as well as the disposal alternative selected. The Statement<br />

in its overall treatment at this stage considers the state <strong>of</strong> the repository and waste after<br />

several hundreds <strong>of</strong> years just as significant as before, even though the processes that can<br />

affect the repository may be different in importance than say during the high thermal activ-<br />

ity phase for the waste.<br />

The "uniformity <strong>of</strong> salt characteristics" comment may be misleading to readers who are<br />

not aware that most massive bedded salt contains layers/beds <strong>of</strong> anhydrite, gypsum, lime-<br />

stone, dolomite, shale, sandstone, siltstone, polyhalite, sylvite. (See reference 8, draft<br />

Section 3.1.1).<br />

Draft p. 1.14, Fourth Paragraph<br />

Issue<br />

This indicates an attempt to dismiss a real problem. Presumably water will enter any<br />

mined repository, except perhaps one above a deep water table in an arid western basin.<br />

Leachability is still an unresolved issue. (218-DOI)<br />

Response<br />

It is agreed that water might eventually enter a mined repository but not in signifi-<br />

cant quantities. The site investigation and testing program will characterize the repos-<br />

itory well enough to show that sizeable amounts <strong>of</strong> water would not be present--any indica-<br />

tion that a significant amount <strong>of</strong> water might enter the repository would likely delay or<br />

prevent use <strong>of</strong> the site.<br />

Leachability is an area <strong>of</strong> hydrologic and waste rock interaction which is currently<br />

being studied. See final Section 5.2 and Appendix L for additional information.

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