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

SPECIFIC C ENTS Page 1.5, par. 4, line 10: Change "absorptive" to "adsorptive."
SPECIFIC CO N"(V)ery deep hard rock formations" is not a specific medium and should
be deleted.
The title of the report appears somewhat inappropriate because low- Page 1.6, par. 1: It appears that too much emphasis Is being put on
level wastes and mill tailings, which are major components of commercially institutional controls. Although works of many ancient civilizations
generated wastes, are not addressed. Therefore, this title should are evident today, many others have been obliterated and lost. There is
specify "high-level and transuranic radioactive wastes" instead of its still much speculation on the purpose of many Inca and Mayan structures,
more general connotation, not to mention Stonehenge. We have still failed to locate many dwellings,
cities, and other work known to have been in existence somewhere. It is
Page iii, line 5: Change "reasonable" to "greatest" or "high.' also clear that many ancient works have been the object of vandalism,
destruction, probing and plundering (i.e., Great Pyramids). It is not
Page 1.1, par. 3: It certainly has not been established that mined reasonable to expect repository markers to remain evident for milleia.
geologic repositories are the best option--only that they may be an In that time period, they could easily become stolen, destroyed, or
acceptable option for the first phase of disposal. Therefore, (2) does covered by sedimentation or other works of man.
not follow from (1). ProposT (2) implies that work on promising options
other than conventional mined repositories will be dropped. Perhaps Page 1.6, par. 2: This conclusion has not yet been established by
insertion of the word "first" before "...operative disposal technology" evidence in the report and is out of place.
will help.
Page 3.1.7. Next to the last sentence. This sentence implies that the
Page 1.12. Second sentence under Media Properties. This sentence is not only difficulty with temperature is fracturing the overlying rock. Whether
correct because rock falls account for a large number of injuries and the overlying rock could be fractured in this manner would depend on the
facilities in the mines, depth of burial, as well as rock properties, and it might be expected as
a second order effect of shallow repository site. The first order effect
Page 1.27 (2nd paragraph). If there is sufficient heat to modify the of temperature would be the spalling and other failures of the cavity skin.
red clay of the ocean floor, there may be sufficient heat to initiate
convection currents In the overlying water. If sufficiently large in Page 3.1.10. In the last paragraph it Is indicated that igneous rocks
areal extent, this would cause an upwelling, bringing to the surface closely related to granite might not be suitable because of trace element
material from the lower depths of the ocean and possibly from the ocean and mineralogic composition. However, the "Sierra Nevada granites" are
floor. This material could be nutrients, Inert material, or if a shown in figure 3.1.2. These are predominantly quartz monzonites and
canister ruptured on impact, radioactive material, would this eliminate them from consideration?
Page 1.33. Fuel cycle compatibility is left out of the table. Page 3.1.13. Third paragraph. In discussing basalts and jointing, they
have left out the fact that basalts are layered with discontinuities,
Page 1.3.7. Leaving the waste in a solar orbit or disposing of it on volcanic ash, "soil," sandstones, etc., between the layers. The zone
the moon still leaves the waste available for future exposure to man. between layers ranges in permeability from opened to sealed.
Would not direct injection into the sun be preferable?
Pages 3.1.1 to 3.1.8. The geothermal temperature gradient has been left
Page 1.5, par. 1, line 10: This paragraph implies that foreign spent- out of the discussion on geologic siting considerations. At 500 meters
fuel or reactor wastes are not currently being sent to this country. depth, it would probably not be important. However, at depths greater
We are under the impression that some foreign spent fuel is coming into than 1,000 meters, the natural rock temperatures will be high enough to
the country now. Is this true? consider in the heat flow analyses. Also, the rock temperature comes
into any calculations that are made for ventilation requirements during
Page 1.5, par. 3, line 1: Insert "should" after "systems." construction and operation of the facility.
Page 1.5, par. 4, line 7: A type of canister should depend primarily on Page 3.1.28. Fifth paragraph, last sentence, is not correct. More
disposal medium, waste form, and buffer-backfill conditions. Suggest people are injured and killed from falling rocks in coal and noncoal mines
striking "and exposure" and substituting "waste form and other..." The than are Injured by rock bursts. The shale environment that is considered
word "Absorptive" should be "Adsorptive." as one of the potential repository sites will have problems of ground
support similar to those in coal mines.
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