2009 Report to Government on National Research and

5.35 The range of possible functions of underground facilities can be summarised as
follows:
1. Comparison and calibration of geosphere data collected from surface-based
investigations with that from underground investigations.
2. Comparison and calibration of data collection methods and equipment for
geosphere characterisation purposes.
3. To develop and enhance understanding of the impacts of rock excavation on
both the rock mass and existing underground openings.
4. To develop and enhance understanding, through simulating the effects of the
placement of waste in actual conditions that replicate those in a GDF.
5. To develop and enhance conceptual and numerical models for the transport
of radionuclides through a rock mass.
6. To develop an improved understanding of, and test how, a proposed
engineered barrier system (EBS) will perform under conditions that replicate
those in a GDF.
7. To design and undertake experiments that will give an understanding of the
long-term performance of the disposal facility as a whole <strong>to</strong> ensure the
robustness of the safety case for a GDF.
8. Build and maintain public confidence that all practical steps are being
undertaken <strong>to</strong> establish the technical feasibility and safety performance of a
GDF.
5.36 Some of the activities carried out in underground facilities come under the
heading of site characterisation (e.g. items 1 and 2 above); others are R&D.
Some of the R&D activities are required as input <strong>to</strong> GDF design or safety case
development. Others will be needed during much of the period that a GDF is
open in order <strong>to</strong> maintain the safety case and <strong>to</strong> allow improvements <strong>to</strong> be made
<strong>to</strong>, for example, backfilling and sealing materials and methods. Examples of R&D
<strong>to</strong>pics are shown in Box 6.
5.37 The UK has never had a URF. However, UK scientists have participated in R&D
programmes in facilities in several other countries.
5.38 By only mentioning site-specific underground investigations, the White Paper
(Defra et al., 2008) implicitly rules out the construction of a generic URF in the
UK. It states that the NDA shall undertake long-term underground investigations
<strong>to</strong> confirm that the site selected <strong>to</strong> host a GDF is suitable and that a facility can
be constructed that can meet all safety and environmental regula<strong>to</strong>ry
requirements. The process of site characterisation will commence with nonintrusive
surface based investigations followed by intrusive borehole
investigations from ground surface (Stage 5 in the MRWS site selection process).
The White Paper makes it clear that characterisation work will continue in<strong>to</strong>
Stage 6, during which tunnels at depths of hundreds of metres will be constructed
for the purpose of underground investigation. The investigations in this
underground environment are planned <strong>to</strong> be long-term and are intended <strong>to</strong> draw
on a range of scientific and technical disciplines such as geology, geophysics,
hydrogeology, chemistry and others. In the context of Stage 6 of the MRWS
process, underground investigations will in effect be the first stage of the
construction of a GDF.
CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 85 of 151