METHOD FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL IN UNDERGROUND MINES

This paper presents the key parameters associated with the disposal method used to dispose of radioactive waste (RW) of Class 2 and 3 in abandoned underground mines of PIMCU site assuming additional isolation of RW containers, adjustment of bedrock geomechanical properties and compliance with regulatory requirements. The paper briefly analyzes international practices focused on RW disposal in natural and artificial underground cavities. It provides a comparison between the forecasted volumes of RW generation at the enterprises of the State Corporation Rosatom and the available underground disposal capacity at PIMCU site. It presents the main characteristics of a paste filling manufactured based on materials from uranium ore processing and used as an insulating filler inside the vaults. The paper summarizes the results of operations on rock mass reinforcement based on an injection method. It indicates the key advantages of the proposed method.

Keywords: radioactive waste, abandoned vaults, underground space, cable-injection rods, RW storage facility, bedrock reinforcement, paste filling, uranium ores, radon release, RW containers, RWDF construction.

Kuzmin E. V., Kalakutsky A. V., Morozov A. A. Method for Radioactive Waste Disposal in Underground Mines. Radioactive Waste, 2020, no. 2 (15), pp. 49—62. DOI: 10.25283/2587-9707-2021-2-49-62. (In Russian).