Draft Title 40 CFR 191 Compliance Certification Application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Volume 5: Appendices D and D, DEF, FAC.


Book Description

This plan serves to describe the objectives of decommissioning for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), identifies the elements necessary to accomplish the decommissioning, and defines the steps to execute those elements in a safe and environmentally sound manner. The plan provides a strategy for progressing from the final actions of the Disposal Phase, through the Decontamination and Decommissioning Phase, and into the initiation of the Long-Term Monitoring Phase. This plan describes a sequence of events for decontamination of the WIPP facilities and structures used to manage and contain TRU and TRU mixed waste during the receipt and emplacement operations. Alternative methods of decontamination are provided where practical. The methods for packaging and disposal of the waste generated (derived waste) during this process are discussed. The best available technology at the time of this plan's development, may become outmoded by future technology and alternative strategies. If alternative technologies are identified the affected stakeholder(s), the Secretary of the Interior and the State will be consulted prior to implementation.







Draft Title 40 CFR 191 Compliance Certification Application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Volume 8


Book Description

Geohydrologic data have been collected in the Los Medanos area at the US Department of Energys̀ proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in southeastern New Mexico since 1975 as part of a study evaluating the feasibility of storing defense-associated nuclear wastes within the bedded salt of the Salado Formation of Permian age. Drilling and hydrologic testing have identified three principal water-bearing zones above the Salado Formation and one below that could potentially transport wastes to the biosphere if the proposed facility were breached. The zones above the Salado are the contact between the Rustler and Salado Formations and the Culebra and Magenta Dolomite Members of the Rustler Formation of Permian age. The zone below the Salado Formation consists of channel sandstones in the Bell Canyon Formation of the Permian Delaware Mountain Group. Determinations of hydraulic gradients, directions of flow, and hydraulic properties were hindered because of the negligible permeability of the water-bearing zones. Special techniques in drilling, well completion, and hydraulic testing have been developed to determine the hydrologic characteristics of these water-producing zones.
















Draft Title 40 CFR 191 Compliance Certification Application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Volume 9: Appendices RM, SCR, SER, SUM, WRAC.


Book Description

The Rock Mechanics Program is important to the establishment of a radioactive waste repository in salt because rock mechanics deals with the prediction of creep closure and eventual encapsulation of the waste. The intent of this paper is to give the current status of the program. This program consists of three major modeling efforts: continuum creep, fracture, and the disturbed rock zone. These models, together with laboratory material parameters, plastic flow potentials, initial and boundary input data, and other peripheral information forms the predictive technology. The extent to which the predictive technology is validated against in situ test data adds certainty to the method. Application of the technology is through simulations of the test results, design, or performance using numerical codes. In summary, the predictive capabilities are technically sound and reasonable. The current status of the program is that which would be advanced for compliance.




Draft Title 40 CFR 191 Compliance Certification Application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Volume 2


Book Description

This report describes the conceptual design of a system the Department of Energy (DOE) may implement for compliance with the requirement to control access to the disposal site. In addition, this report addresses the scheduling process for control of inspection, maintenance, and periodic reporting related to Long Term Monitoring which addresses the monitoring of disposal system performance, environmental monitoring in accordance with the Consultation and Cooperation Agreement between the DOE and the state of New Mexico, and evaluation of testing activities related to the Permanent Marker System design. In addition to access control addressed by this report, the controlling or cleaning up of releases from the site is addressed in the Conceptual Decontamination and Decommissioning Plan. The monitoring of parameters related to disposal system performance is addressed in the Long Term Monitoring Design Concept Description. Together, these three documents address the full range of active institutional controls planned after disposal of the TRU waste in the WIPP repository.