Near-surface disposal sites for medium and low-level radioactive waste

Radioactive waste (RAW) of medium and low-level of hazard are to be disposed in near-surface RAW disposal facilities – facilities located at the same level with the ground surface or at a depth of up to one hundred metres from the ground surface. Radioactive waste of medium and low-level is isolated for the entire period of its potential hazard – for 300 years it will be stored in closed form until the radionuclides decay completely.

The safety of the RAW disposal sites is ensured by implementing the concept of defence in depth, based on the application of a system of physical barriers (engineering and natural) to the spread of ionising radiation and radioactive substances into the environment.

Below is a scheme of the near-surface disposal facility, where bentonite is used to create clay ‘locks’ around a concrete structure with RAW of medium or low-level of hazard packed in containers. In addition, bentonite geosynthetic clay liners and buffer backfill for the inter-container space are used as additional protection.