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

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Draft p. 3.8.2<br />

Issue<br />

388<br />

ALTERNATIVE DISPOSAL CONCEPTS<br />

One suggested storage media is depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs. There are obvious<br />

problems with this, as additional hydrocarbon reservoirs are <strong>of</strong>ten found beneath depleted<br />

fields. Recovery from the underlying reservoirs would necessitate penetrating the liquid<br />

waste reservoir. As improved hydrocarbon recovery techniques are continually being deve-<br />

loped, utilization <strong>of</strong> depleted hydrocarbon reservoir area storage medium may preclude re-<br />

covery <strong>of</strong> otherwise-available natural resources. (208-NRC)<br />

Are there any other examples <strong>of</strong> porous fractured strata that could be used for deep<br />

well injection that would give a more balanced treatment to this concept? (208-NRC)<br />

Response<br />

The use <strong>of</strong> hydrocarbon reservoirs was introduced as an example <strong>of</strong> present-day reverse<br />

well disposal which is typically used, for example, for oil field brines. .However, it may<br />

be that hydrocarbon reservoirs would not be considered suitable for toxic or radioactive<br />

waste due to the numerous wells, some <strong>of</strong> which may be inadequately plugged for radioactive<br />

waste isolation, and the possible sterilization and prevention <strong>of</strong> future resource reco-<br />

very. Deep well injection at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was into a porous fractured rock.<br />

Details are given in Reference 37 <strong>of</strong> the final Statement.<br />

Draft Section 3.8<br />

Issue<br />

Shale-grout wastes would be irretrievable--what about well contamination and other<br />

underground water currents? Ten million a year is an unacceptable burden to taxpayers.<br />

(88, 121)<br />

Response<br />

Leaching <strong>of</strong> the grout is recognized as the probable primary pathway to the biosphere.<br />

It would, therefore, require extensive laboratory and field testing to ensure that release<br />

rates are such that concentrations in the biosphere would be within acceptable limits.<br />

A comparative assessment <strong>of</strong> the costs for the well injection is presented in Sec-<br />

tion 6.2 <strong>of</strong> the final Statement.

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