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Building the Safety Case for a Disposal Facility for Spent Fuel, HLW and Long-lived ILW in Switzerland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Paul A. Smith
Affiliation:
Safety Assessment Management Ltd., 20 Manor Place, Edinburgh EH3 7DS, United Kingdom. Nagra, CH5430 Wettingen, Switzerland.
Piet Zuidema
Affiliation:
Nagra, CH5430 Wettingen, Switzerland.
Lawrence H. Johnson
Affiliation:
Nagra, CH5430 Wettingen, Switzerland.
Jürg W. Schneider
Affiliation:
Nagra, CH5430 Wettingen, Switzerland.
Peter Gribi
Affiliation:
Vibro-Consult Ltd., Stahlrain 6, CH5200 Brugg, Switzerland. Nagra, CH5430 Wettingen, Switzerland.
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Abstract

This paper describes a generic methodology for building the safety case for a geological repository, which is currently being applied to a possible facility for spent fuel, vitrified highlevel waste and long-lived intermediate-level waste in the Opalinus Clay of Northern Switzerland. The methodology involves:

1. the identification of certain basic disposal principles,

2. the choice of a disposal system, via a flexible repository development strategy,

3. the derivation of the system concept, based on current understanding of the phenomena that characterise, and may influence, the disposal system and its evolution,

4. the derivation of a safety concept, based on reliable, well understood and effective pillars of safety,

5. the illustration of the radiological consequences of the disposal system through the definition and analysis of a wide range of assessment cases, and

6. the compilation of the arguments and analyses that constitute the safety case, as well as guidance for future stages of the repository programme. A range of measures, including audits, are used to promote completeness of the phenomena considered in the safety case, and to avoid inadvertent bias.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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References

REFERENCES

1. HSK-R-21/e, Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (HSK) and the Federal Commission on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (KSA), Villigen-HSK, Switzerland (1993).Google Scholar
2. Wildi, W.et al., Expert group on disposal concepts for radioactive waste (EKRA): Disposal concepts for radioactive waste: Final report. On behalf of the Federal Department for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (2000).Google Scholar