Abstract
The deep borehole disposal (DBD) concept for certain types of radioactive wastes has been discussed for many decades, but has enjoyed limited R&D interest compared to ‘conventional’ geological disposal in an excavated repository at a few hundreds of metres depth. This article explores the circumstances under which a national waste management programme might wish to consider DBD. Starting with an assumption that further R&D will answer technical issues of DBD feasibility, it examines the types of waste that might be routed to borehole disposal and the strategic drivers that might make DBD attractive. The article concludes by identifying the types of national programme that might wish to pursue DBD further and the pre-requisites for them to give it serious consideration.
Highlights
Deep borehole disposal (DBD) involves emplacing solid radioactive wastes at depths of some kilometres in an environment where any groundwater present is likely to be effectively stagnant and unlikely to communicate with the biosphere
While the highest activity and longest-lived disused sources could be routed to DBD if it were being developed for other wastes, the level of containment and isolation provided is not justified for Model 6 countries when disposal in boreholes at conventional geological disposal depths would be adequate
In terms of depths and diameters, there is a continuum of borehole-type disposal facilities that are available for small inventories of waste of different categories, but there are few examples of operational facilities worldwide
Summary
Deep borehole disposal (DBD) involves emplacing solid radioactive wastes at depths of some kilometres in an environment where any groundwater present is likely to be effectively stagnant and unlikely to communicate with the biosphere Such conditions can result from the density stratification (increasing salinity) of groundwaters and deep fluids at depth and the reduction of topographically driven hydraulic gradients. Rather than evaluate all of the previously mentioned arguments for and against DBD feasibility, it is assumed that DBD can be implemented safely and effectively, so is an available option for an agency or country wishing to consider its use This is a reasonable starting point, given the strong belief among proponents that, with adequate resources, DBD could readily be demonstrated to a level similar to conventional GDFs
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