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Hazards and scenarios examined for the Yucca Mountain disposal system for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste

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  • Rechard, Rob P.
  • Freeze, Geoff A.
  • Perry, Frank V.

Abstract

This paper summarizes various hazards identified between 1978 when Yucca Mountain, located in arid southern Nevada, was first proposed as a potential site and 2008 when the license application to construct a repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste was submitted. Although advantages of an arid site are many, hazard identification and scenario development have generally recognized fractures in the tuff as important features; climate change, water infiltration and percolation, and an oxidizing environment as important processes; and igneous activity, seismicity, human intrusion, and criticality as important disruptive events to consider at Yucca Mountain. Some of the scientific and technical challenges encountered included a change in the repository design from in-floor emplacement with small packages to in-drift emplacement with large packages without backfill. This change, in turn, increased the importance of igneous and seismic hazards.

Suggested Citation

  • Rechard, Rob P. & Freeze, Geoff A. & Perry, Frank V., 2014. "Hazards and scenarios examined for the Yucca Mountain disposal system for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 74-95.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reensy:v:122:y:2014:i:c:p:74-95
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2013.06.014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Helton, Jon C. & Sallaberry, Cedric J., 2009. "Conceptual basis for the definition and calculation of expected dose in performance assessments for the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 94(3), pages 677-698.
    2. Norman A. Eisenberg & Michael P. Lee & Timothy J. McCartin & Keith I. McConnell & Mark Thaggard & Andrew C. Campbell, 1999. "Development of a Performance Assessment Capability in the Waste Management Programs of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(5), pages 847-876, October.
    3. Helton, Jon C. & Hansen, Clifford W. & Sallaberry, Cédric J., 2012. "Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis in performance assessment for the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 44-63.
    4. Rob P. Rechard & Martin S. Tierney & Larry C. Sanchez & Mary‐Alena Martell, 1997. "Bounding Estimates for Critical Events When Directly Disposing Highly Enriched Spent Nuclear Fuel in Unsaturated Tuff," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(1), pages 19-35, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Richard A. Muller & Stefan Finsterle & John Grimsich & Rod Baltzer & Elizabeth A. Muller & James W. Rector & Joe Payer & John Apps, 2019. "Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste in Deep Horizontal Drillholes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-28, May.
    2. Suh, Jung Woo & Sohn, So Young & Lee, Bo Kyeong, 2020. "Patent clustering and network analyses to explore nuclear waste management technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    3. Edoardo Tosoni & Ahti Salo & Enrico Zio, 2018. "Scenario Analysis for the Safety Assessment of Nuclear Waste Repositories: A Critical Review," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(4), pages 755-776, April.

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