Proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Research Articles

A portable swipe monitor for alpha contamination

A portable swipe monitor has been developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the state of New Mexico. The monitor is intended for use at New Mexico ports of entry to detect removable alpha contamination on shipments bound for the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This detector uses Long-Range Alpha Detection (LRAD) technology, which monitors ionization created by alpha interactions with ambient air, and includes built-in background subtraction of external radiation fields and radon. Its sensitivity to alpha contamination is on the order of a few tens of dpm, and it has excellent linearity throughout its entire range of over 200,000 counts per minute of alpha activity. Designed to be used primarily in the field, the monitor is battery-powered and can operate continuously for up to five hours.

The Geochemistry of the Castile Brines: Implications for their Origin and Impact on the Wipp Site(1)

ABSTRACTPressurized brine reservoirs have been found in the Castile anhydrite which underlies the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The major and minor component chemistry of the brines and the isotopic abundances of the brines and coexisting minerals have been determined and evaluated. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that the brines approach saturation with all major minerals in their host horizon. The brines therefore, appear to be in equilibrium with their geologic environment and do not have the capacity for substantially degrading the integrity of the site. When analyzed through solute versus bromide plots, the data indicate that the most likely origin for the brines is Permian seawater. As a result, the reservoirs appear to have been derived from waters no longer being introduced into the rock (i.e., they have a finite source).

Hydrologic Testing of Tight Zones in Southeastern New Mexico

ABSTRACTIncreased attention is being directed toward the investigation of tight zones in relation to the storage and disposal of hazardous wastes. Shut‐in tests, slug tests, and pressure‐slug tests are being used at the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site, located in southeastern New Mexico, to evaluate the fluid‐transmitting properties of several zones above the proposed repository zone. Apparatus used to conduct these tests includes a pressure‐transducer system connected to a recording device at the land surface. All three testing methods were used in various combinations to obtain values for the hydraulic properties of the test zones. Multiple testing on the same zone produced similar results. Transmissivities determined by these tests range from 0.00001 to 10 feet squared per day (.000001 to 1 meter squared per day).