Salt Disposal of Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste

Table 1. Salt and potash mines in the continental United States
Name
Salt
Type Location Company
Depth
(ft)
• Bedded salt in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Permian
bedded salt deposits in the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma were
found to be technically suited for waste disposal, and locations in northeastern
Deaf Smith County and north-central Swisher County, Texas, were initially
identified as potentially acceptable.
In 1985, the Secretary of Energy nominated three salt formation sites from among
the five sites taken forward for further consideration as repositories: Deaf Smith
County, Texas, Davis Canyon, Utah, and Richton Dome on the Gulf Coast.
Subsequently, in 1986, the Deaf Smith County site was selected to fully
characterize. However, site characterization was not completed prior to the
enactment of the 1987 amendments to the NWPA, which left only the Yucca
Mountain site for full characterization.
Mining experience in different salt terrains and at different depths demonstrates
successful underground operations and extensive knowledge of isothermal
conditions that would be considered in design of mined openings for disposal in
salt. In the U.S., repository development would likely not involve conversion of
operating salt mines into repositories because of the specific design requirements
desired for HLW disposal. Rather, a concept of operation would be developed
Mined
Height
(ft)
Cayuga Bedded Ithaca, NY Cargill 1,800 13
Whiskey Island Bedded Cleveland, OH Cargill 1,850 28
Lyons Bedded Lyons, KS Lyons Salt < 1,000 16
Kanopolis Bedded Kanopolis, KS Independent Salt < 1,000 16
Hutchinson Bedded Hutchinson, KS Vaults and Storage 1,000 16
Detroit Bedded Detroit, MI Detroit Salt 1,800 18
Fairport Bedded Fairport, OH Morton Salt 1,850 13
Hampton’s Corner Bedded Geneseo, NY American Rock Salt 1,100 15
East North Bedded Carlsbad, NM Intrepid Potash 700–2,000 6–7
Nash Draw Bedded Carlsbad, NM Mosaic Potash 900–1,200 6–7
Avery Island Domal Avery Island, LA Cargill
25–100
Weeks Island Domal Weeks Island, LA Morton Salt Vertically very deep 25–100
Cote Blanche Domal Louisia, LA Compass Minerals with limited lateral
extent
25–100
Hockley Domal Hockley, TX American Salt 25–100
Grand Saline Domal Grand Saline, TX Morton Salt 25–100
7