39 research outputs found
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Thermohydrologic Modeling and Testing Program Peer Review Record Memorandum
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Geological problems in radioactive waste isolation - second worldwide review
The first world wide review of the geological problems in radioactive waste isolation was published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1991. This review was a compilation of reports that had been submitted to a workshop held in conjunction with the 28th International Geological Congress that took place July 9-19, 1989 in Washington, D.C. Reports from 15 countries were presented at the workshop and four countries provided reports after the workshop, so that material from 19 different countries was included in the first review. It was apparent from the widespread interest in this first review that the problem of providing a permanent and reliable method of isolating radioactive waste from the biosphere is a topic of great concern among the more advanced, as well as the developing, nations of the world. This is especially the case in connection with high-level waste (HLW) after its removal from nuclear power plants. The general concensus is that an adequate isolation can be accomplished by selecting an appropriate geologic setting and carefully designing the underground system with its engineered barriers. This document contains the Second Worldwide Review of Geological Problems in Radioactive Waste Isolation, dated September 1996
Basic Research Needs for Geosciences: Facilitating 21st Century Energy Systems
Executive Summary
Serious challenges must be faced in this century as the world seeks to meet global energy needs and at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Even with a growing energy supply from alternative sources, fossil carbon resources will remain in heavy use and will generate large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2). To reduce the atmospheric impact of this fossil energy use, it is necessary to capture and sequester a substantial fraction of the produced CO2. Subsurface geologic formations offer a potential location for long-term storage of the requisite large volumes of CO2. Nuclear energy resources could also reduce use of carbon-based fuels and CO2 generation, especially if nuclear energy capacity is greatly increased. Nuclear power generation results in spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive materials that also must be sequestered underground. Hence, regardless of technology choices, there will be major increases in the demand to store materials underground in large quantities, for long times, and with increasing efficiency and safety margins.
Rock formations are composed of complex natural materials and were not designed by nature as storage vaults. If new energy technologies are to be developed in a timely fashion while ensuring public safety, fundamental improvements are needed in our understanding of how these rock formations will perform as storage systems.
This report describes the scientific challenges associated with geologic sequestration of large volumes of carbon dioxide for hundreds of years, and also addresses the geoscientific aspects of safely storing nuclear waste materials for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. The fundamental crosscutting challenge is to understand the properties and processes associated with complex and heterogeneous subsurface mineral assemblages comprising porous rock formations, and the equally complex fluids that may reside within and flow through those formations. The relevant physical and chemical interactions occur on spatial scales that range from those of atoms, molecules, and mineral surfaces, up to tens of kilometers, and time scales that range from picoseconds to millennia and longer. To predict with confidence the transport and fate of either CO2 or the various components of stored nuclear materials, we need to learn to better describe fundamental atomic, molecular, and biological processes, and to translate those microscale descriptions into macroscopic properties of materials and fluids. We also need fundamental advances in the ability to simulate multiscale systems as they are perturbed during sequestration activities and for very long times afterward, and to monitor those systems in real time with increasing spatial and temporal resolution. The ultimate objective is to predict accurately the performance of the subsurface fluid-rock storage systems, and to verify enough of the predicted performance with direct observations to build confidence that the systems will meet their design targets as well as environmental protection goals.
The report summarizes the results and conclusions of a Workshop on Basic Research Needs for Geosciences held in February 2007. Five panels met, resulting in four Panel Reports, three Grand Challenges, six Priority Research Directions, and three Crosscutting Research Issues. The Grand Challenges differ from the Priority Research Directions in that the former describe broader, long-term objectives while the latter are more focused
Earth science, environmental risk and decision-making: The role of conceptual geoscience in a consultative approach to environmental decision making.
The research presented in this thesis examines the changing nature of environmental decision-making processes and their implications for scientists. The fundamental issue is how can we get the right science, in an appropriate social context, to support environmental decision-making This question is considered by examining the issues surrounding the management of radioactive wastes. Specifically, the research looks at the qualities and culture of the geosciences in fostering participatory risk analyses. The primary aim of the work is to identify vehicles for debate in order to build a knowledge platform shared by a range of stakeholders. Social science theory is used to guide scientific practice in risk assessment. The thesis has been structured into three sections A literature review examining modern trends in the social framing of decisions and the management of risk An analysis of the specific case of radioactive waste management New studies exploring the implications of increased stakeholder engagement in evaluating the risks from the deep geological disposal of radioactive wastes. Overall, it is concluded that opportunities for developing and sharing knowledge between scientists, stakeholders and the public can and should be created. Because of the highly quantitative nature of risk analyses, this sharing is best addressed at a conceptual, qualitative level. Important considerations are that the knowledge building process is iterative and reflexive and that dialogue between participants begins early in the process. If an appropriate process is adopted, conceptual understanding can be used to support both social learning and quantitative analysis for expert regulation. A methodology for a participatory risk assessment for deep geological disposal is advanced. The research concludes that conceptual models can provide vehicles for debate, but the construction of a shared knowledge platform is more elusive
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Federal Register
Daily publication of the U.S. Office of the Federal Register contains rules and regulations, proposed legislation and rule changes, and other notices, including "Presidential proclamations and Executive Orders, Federal agency documents having general applicability and legal effect, documents required to be published by act of Congress, and other Federal agency documents of public interest" (p. ii). Table of Contents starts on page iii