PAGIS & PACOMA: Performance Evaluations of Deep Geological Disposal. Results and Conclusions

Cadelli, N.; Cottone, G.; ,

PAGIS & PACOMA: Performance Evaluations of Deep Geological Disposal. Results and Conclusions

by N. Cadelli, Commission of the European, Communities, Belgium,
G. Cottone, Commission of the European, Communities, Belgium,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: High Level Radioactive Waste Management 1990

Abstract:

Two coordinated research projects were undertaken by the Commission of the European Communities to study the safety performances of geological radwaste disposal systems in the post-operational phase: PAGIS (ended in 1988) for vitrified HLW in clay, granite, salt and submarine sediments and PACOMA (to be complete in Spring 1990) for alpha and MLW in continental formations. The paper, which is focused on PAGIS, summarizes the objectives, the main features and the most significant results and conclusions for deterministic and stochastic calculations. The two complementary approaches were implemented to evaluate dose rates vs. time and their expectation values and to identify the predominant radionuclides and pathways to man; they also allowed uncertainty and sensitivity analyses to be carried out. The main conclusion is that in no case doubts have been arisen about the safety disposal of radwaste into any of the geological options investigated, if appropriate sites are selected and the repositories are designed and builts according to sound engineering principles. Further improvements in the methodology are also presented and discussed.

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