Assessing the performance of a radioactive waste repository over geological timescales: past experience and the way forward

Abstract

The successful implementation of plans to develop a repository for radioactive waste in the United Kingdom will require an assessment of the ability of the facility to meet appropriate regulatory safety criteria at all stages during its construction, operation and after closure. As part of this assessment, an environmental safety case (ESC) will be presented and this will contain a collection of claims, arguments and evidence which collectively demonstrate that long-term safety can be achieved and maintained. Natural analogues (NA) can be helpful in demonstrating understanding of aspects of repository performance by, for example, providing evidence that certain materials can survive for long periods. Appropriate NAs can be critical to providing long-term practical demonstrations to support the theoretical and mathematical arguments of the ESC and they may have a significant role in the overall process understanding. As part of the ongoing repository development programme in the UK, an updated version of an existing catalogue of NA studies (focussed on the requirements of the ESC) has been produced and the background to NA studies in general, and to the catalogue in particular, are presented here. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Sustainable geological disposal and containment of radioactive waste collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/radioactive