The 13th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events

Abstracts
also being used to identify the technologies required for implementing the geological disposal project, thus providing a guideline for
evaluating currently available technologies and identifying needs for further technology development. <strong>The</strong> technologies developed to
date and the plan for further technical development are explained in this paper.
2) 40150 – Stepwise Site Selection in Switzerland - Sectoral Plan: Status and Outlook
Thomas Ernst, Markus Fritschi, Stratis Vomvoris, Nagra (Switzerland)
<strong>The</strong> starting point is the nomination of siting regions that fulfil the criteria for long-term safety and engineering
feasibility defined in the Sectoral Plan. In October 2008, Nagra proposed a total of 6 siting regions for the LLW
repository and three for the HLW repository; the latter would also be suitable for shared use with the surface facilities
and part of the access tunnels for the two types of repositories.
<strong>The</strong> review of Nagra’s proposals by the safety authority (ENSI – the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate) and
its supporting commission was completed in February 2010. <strong>The</strong> decision-making process foresees evaluation of the
review and recommendations of ENSI by the various agencies at the governmental, cantonal and local level, an open
public consultation and finally, a resolution of the comments received by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, a
recommendation to the Federal Government and a decision by the Federal Government.
At the same time, the procedures and guidelines for the selection of the (at least) two potential sites for each of the
repositories are being finalised by the safety authorities. Although the safety and engineering criteria remain the same,
Stage 2 foresees a provisional safety analysis for each potential site as one of the criteria to be used in the site selection
process.
This paper will highlight the main findings of the review by the authorities and Nagra’s response to issues raised.
<strong>The</strong> next steps and preparatory activities for the initiation of Stage 2 will also be described, as well as how the criteria
and guidelines specified by ENSI will be applied by Nagra in order to meet the requirements for a successful completion
of Stage 2.
3) 40084 – Site Selection for a Geological Disposal in France: an Approach of Convergence
Gerald� Ouzounian, Roberto Miguez, Jean-Louis Tison, Andra (France)
On December 1991, the French National Assembly passed the French Waste Management Research Act,
authorizing a 15 year research program of three options for HLW: separation and/or transmutation, long-term storage,
and geologic disposal. On June 2006, the “Planning Act on the sustainable management of radioactive materials and
waste" sets a new framework and new aims to the above mentioned options.
This paper deals only with the geologic disposal research program. In a step by step approach, this program has
been broken down into three phases having intermediate goals : site selection for an Underground research Laboratory
(URL), potential disposal feasibility, potential reversible disposal design.
<strong>The</strong> first step of the research program aimed at URL site selection. From 1994 to 1996, Andra carried out
geological-characterization work in four departments. This enabled to make the Request for Licensing and Operation of
the laboratory facility on three sites. During this phase, wells, 2D seismic campaigns and land studies of geologic
outcrops were the essential activities. <strong>The</strong> result was the selection of the most suitable site for the implementation of an
underground laboratory. Main results on Bure URL will be presented in the paper.
In the second phase the research program targeted the safety and technical feasibility of a potential reversible
disposal somewhere in Meuse and Haute Marne D departments site, chosen by the government in 1998. Andra conducted
geologic survey during the URL shaft construction and experiments in drifts at depths of 445 and 490 m. This program
allowed consolidating the knowledge already acquired: geological environment, stability of the rock, containment
properties and it confirms that the rock will maintain its qualities. <strong>The</strong> 2005 Progress Report presents the results of this
phase. <strong>The</strong> main conclusion is that a potential disposal facility may be safely constructed over a zone around the URL,
called transposition zone (about250 km2). <strong>The</strong> paper will present the most important results in this phase.
From 2006, the third phase of the program, the activities were oriented, inside the transposition zone, to determine a
smaller zone in which à potential disposal facility could be designed. In 2009, Andra reported to the French authorities a
proposal describing such a zone. In this paper the main results of this phase will be presented. Finally, next steps towards
a final implementation will be given.
SESSION H2: Transportation, Storage and Waste Treatment
1) 40155 – Support of the Nuclear Research Institute Rez plc of the Shipment of Spent Nuclear Fuel from
Research Reactors to the Russian Federation for Reprocessing in the Frame of the RRRFR Program
Josef Podlaha, Karel Svoboda, Nuclear research institute plc. (Czech Republic)
In 2007, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from the Nuclear Research Institute Rez plc (NRI) was shipped to the Russian
Federation for reprocessing. A large amount of SNF of Russian origin has been accumulated after 50 years of research
reactor operation.
<strong>The</strong> shipment was realized in the frame of the Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) program under the
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