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

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Issue<br />

266<br />

GEOLOGIC CONSIDERATIONS<br />

Several commenters stated that the final Statement should address the interrelationship<br />

between deep and shallow ground-water aquifers and surface water systems and the potential<br />

for transport <strong>of</strong> nuclides between these systems. (43, 97)<br />

Response<br />

The relationship between subsurface aquifers and surface waters will become an issue<br />

when a proposed site is under investigation for site qualifications. The ground-water/sur-<br />

face water conditions and the associated physical parameters are likely to be different for<br />

each site and specific to each site. The potential for transport between the surface and<br />

ground water systems does exist, but the investigations and site qualification would look<br />

specifically at questions <strong>of</strong> this type. The particular set <strong>of</strong> physical conditions that will<br />

determine how effectively the water systems are isolated from each other will need to be<br />

investigated for each site and an assessment <strong>of</strong> transport potential made at that time. See<br />

Section 5.1 for a related discussion.<br />

Issue<br />

The Statement should address the unique geophysical characteristics <strong>of</strong> nuclear-<br />

overstressed caverns. (115)<br />

Response<br />

The Statement is directed specifically toward geologic disposal in openings formed by<br />

conventional mining and/or drilling methods. Nuclear-overstressed deep caverns are not con-<br />

sidered for this reason.<br />

Issue<br />

"The heat from nuclear wastes will induce stress in the hot rock" and the significance<br />

<strong>of</strong> these stresses is uncertain as is the temperature effect on the rock properties. (98)<br />

Response<br />

The study <strong>of</strong> the thermomechanical behavior <strong>of</strong> rock is included in the NWTS program.<br />

This program includes laboratory experiments, field observations, and analytical and numeri-<br />

cal solutions.<br />

Laboratory experiments are proceeding at such institutions as University <strong>of</strong> Minnesota,<br />

Texas A&M, and University <strong>of</strong> California. Field testing <strong>of</strong> the thermnmechanical behavior <strong>of</strong><br />

rock is being conducted in Sweden (Stripa granite); at the Nevada Test Site (Climax quartz<br />

monzonite); in Kansas (Project Salt Vault); at Avery Island in Louisiana; and in Washington<br />

(basalt). It is expected that this integrated program will provide the necessary<br />

understanding <strong>of</strong> heat-induced stresses in rock, and <strong>of</strong> the thermomechanical response <strong>of</strong> the<br />

rock.

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