Building the Safety Case for a Disposal Facility for Spent Fuel, HLW and Long-lived ILW in Switzerland

Abstract

This paper describes a generic methodology for building the safety case for a geological repository, which is currently being applied to a possible facility for spent fuel, vitrified highlevel waste and long-lived intermediate-level waste in the Opalinus Clay of Northern Switzerland. The methodology involves:1. the identification of certain basic disposal principles,2. the choice of a disposal system, via a flexible repository development strategy,3. the derivation of the system concept, based on current understanding of the phenomena that characterise, and may influence, the disposal system and its evolution,4. the derivation of a safety concept, based on reliable, well understood and effective pillars of safety,5. the illustration of the radiological consequences of the disposal system through the definition and analysis of a wide range of assessment cases, and6. the compilation of the arguments and analyses that constitute the safety case, as well as guidance for future stages of the repository programme. A range of measures, including audits, are used to promote completeness of the phenomena considered in the safety case, and to avoid inadvertent bias.

Exploring the Thermodynamic Behavior and the Effect of Temperature and Electron Radiation on the Structure of Fluorapatite Compounds

“…Depending on their level of radio‐toxicity, they are characterized as high‐, intermediate‐, and low‐level nuclear wastes [2] . Accordingly, suitable methodologies are adopted for disposal of these nuclear wastes [3–5] . High‐level radioactive wastes (HLW) are mostly immobilized in borosilicate glass matrix worldwide for interim storage orgeological repository [6–7] .…”

Radioactive Wastes

“…reviewed the development and implementation of a national program for safe transportation and disposal of the transuranic radioactive waste (TRUW) generated by the U.S. nuclear weapons complex (NWC). Based on the favorably experience gained to date on safely transporting by trucks across the country and then safely disposing it at the WIPP site, the continued safe operation of the WIPP repository showed that it was safe to both current and future generations and environments Smith, et al (2002b). described a generic methodology for building the safety case for a geology Volume 75, Number 6 repository, which was applied to a possible facility for spent fuel, vitrified highlevel waste and long-lived intermediate-level waste in the Opalinus Clay of Northern Switzerland.…”