Deep Borehole Disposal of Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel

The United States has focused its past efforts on disposing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) in a geologic repository. Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy has been investigating Deep Borehole Disposal (DBD) as an alternative for disposal of SNF and HLW because of a recommendation by the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC). Borehole disposal has long been recognized as a means for isolating hazardous materials from the environment. It is widely and routinely used for the disposal of liquid hazardous waste, particularly within the petroleum industry. This book discusses the research, development, and demonstration roadmap for DBD; the reference design and operations for DBD of high-level radioactive waste; and DBD of high-level radioactive waste.