International Conference on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
(CN-242)
/opt/indico/archive/2016/C106/696174836259
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Contribution ID : 92
Type : Oral
Assessment of human intrusion and future human actions
- example from the Swedish low- and intermediate level
waste repository SFR
Abstract content
The strategy commonly adopted in the disposal of solid radioactive waste is to contain the waste and
to retain it so that it is kept away from the accessible biosphere by means of underground disposal.
The intent is to isolate the waste from man and the biosphere for as long a time as practically
possible, to allow radioactive decay to eliminate the hazard. However, the potential exposure to
radioactive material following intrusion into such a repository is an inescapable consequence of the
concentration and deposition of the radioactive waste in a repository. There is an international
consensus that future human actions resulting in some disruption to the disposal facility must be
considered in the safety assessment as part of the safety case for a radioactive waste repository.
The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has performed several analyses
of future human actions (including human intrusion by drilling) for both the existing repository
for low- and intermediate level waste (SFR) and for the planned repository for spent-nuclear fuel.
The SKB methodology to assess future human actions includes FEP-analysis, identification of
stylised scenarios and qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the stylised scenarios. Although
the methodology for handling future human action is very similar in both safety assessments, the
different waste types and depths of repositories requires different considerations. For example, SFR
is placed below the sea floor at 60-120 m depth whereas the planned repository for spent nuclear
fuel is to be placed at approximately 500 m depth.
In December 2014 Swedish Nuclear fuel and waste management company (SKB) submitted an
application to the Swedish radiation protection authority (SSM) to extend the existing repository for
low- and intermediate level waste (SFR). The planned extension includes 5 additional rock caverns
to be placed at 120 meters depth. The safety case for the application included an assessment of
future human actions for both the existing part of the repository and for the planned extension. The
methodology used, and major results of the future human action analysis, are presented. In addition,
the differences between the future human action analyses for the SFR and the spent nuclear fuel
repository are discussed, providing examples of specific considerations that may be of importance
for assessment of future human actions and human intrusion
Country or International Organization
Sweden
Primary author(s) :
Ms. ANDERSSON, Eva (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management
Company)
Mr. HJERPE, Thomas (Facilia); Mr. SMITH, Graham (GMS Abingdon Ltd.); Mr.
KÄLLSTRÖM, Klas (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company)
Co-author(s) :
Presenter(s) :
Ms. ANDERSSON, Eva (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company)
Track Classification : Disposal of Intermediate Level Waste