Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Compliance Research Articles

Experimental determination of the solubility constant for magnesium chloride hydroxide hydrate (Mg 3Cl(OH) 5·4H 2O, phase 5) at room temperature, and its importance to nuclear waste isolation in geological repositories in salt formations

In this study, the solubility constant of magnesium chloride hydroxide hydrate, Mg 3Cl(OH) 5·4H 2O, termed as phase 5, is determined from a series of solubility experiments in MgCl 2–NaCl solutions. The solubility constant in logarithmic units at 25 °C for the following reaction, Mg 3 Cl(OH) 5 · 4 H 2 O + 5 H + = 3 Mg 2 + + 9 H 2 O ( l ) + Cl - is calculated as 43.21 ± 0.33 (2 σ) based on the specific interaction theory (SIT) model for extrapolation to infinite dilution. The Gibbs free energy and enthalpy of formation for phase 5 at 25 °C are derived as −3384 ± 2 (2 σ) kJ mol −1 and −3896 ± 6 (2 σ) kJ mol −1, respectively. MgO (bulk, pure MgO corresponding to the mineral periclase) is the only engineered barrier certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for emplacement in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in the US, and an Mg(OH) 2-based engineered barrier (bulk, pure Mg(OH) 2 corresponding to brucite) is to be employed in the Asse repository in Germany. Phase 5, and its similar phase, phase 3 (Mg 2Cl(OH) 3·4H 2O), could have a significant role in influencing the geochemical conditions in geological repositories for nuclear waste in salt formations where MgO or brucite is employed as engineered barriers. Based on our solubility constant for phase 5 in combination with the literature value for phase 3, we predict that the composition for the invariant point of phase 5 and phase 3 would be m Mg = 1.70 and pmH = 8.94 in the Mg–Cl binary system. The recent WIPP Compliance Recertification Application Performance Assessment Baseline Calculations indicate that phase 5, instead of phase 3, is indeed a stable phase when the WIPP Generic Weep Brine (GWB), a Na–Mg–Cl-dominated brine associated with the Salado Formation, equilibrates with actinide-source-term phases, brucite, magnesium carbonates, halite and anhydrite. Therefore, phase 5 is important to the WIPP, and potentially important to other repositories in salt formations.

Scenario development for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Compliance Certification Application

Abstract Demonstrating compliance with the applicable regulations for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) requires an assessment of the long-term performance of the disposal system. Scenario development is one starting point of this assessment, and generates inquiry about the present state and future evolution of the disposal system. Scenario development consists of four tasks: (i) identifying and classifying features, events and processes (FEPs); (ii) screening FEPs according to well-defined criteria; (iii) forming scenarios (combinations of FEPs) in the context of regulatory performance criteria, and (iv) specifying of scenarios for consequence analysis. The development and screening of a comprehensive FEP list provides assurance that the identification of significant processes and events is complete, that potential interactions between FEPs are not overlooked, and that responses to possible questions are available and well documented. Two basic scenarios have been identified for the WIPP: undisturbed performance (UP) and disturbed performance (DP). The UP scenario is used to evaluate compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Individual Dose (40 CFR § 191.15) and Groundwater Protection (40 CFR § 191.24) standards and accounts for all natural and waste- and repository-induced FEPs that survive the screening process. The DP scenario is required for assessment calculations for the EPA's cumulative release standard (Containment Requirements, 40 CFR § 191.13) and accounts for disruptive future human events, which have an uncertain probability of occurrence, in addition to the UP FEPs.

Radioactive and nonradioactive waste intended for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Transuranic (TRU) waste generated by the handling of plutonium in research on or production of US nuclear weapons will be disposed of in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This paper describes the physical and radiological properties of the TRU waste that will be deposited in the WIPP. This geologic repository will accommodate up to 175,564 m{sup 3} of TRU waste, corresponding to 168,485 m{sup 3} of contact-handled (CH-) TRU waste and 7,079 m{sup 3} of remote-handled (RH-) TRU waste. Approximately 35% of the TRU waste is currently packaged and stored (i.e., legacy) waste, with the remainder of the waste to be packaged or generated and packaged in activities before the year 2033, the closure time for the repository. These wastes were produced at 27 US Department of Energy (DOE) sites in the course of generating defense nuclear materials. The radionuclide and nonradionuclide inventories for the TRU wastes described in this paper were used in the 1996 WIPP Compliance Certification Application (CCA) performance assessment calculations by Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM).