: . . C RA : I OF L ORNL P 2537 . • . . * . . . . .' . . . t . . : . . . . . . . . - 6. - EEEFE EFE T 1.1.25 1.4 11.6 . MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARCS -1963 in 11 " " . . . . - - - . 7 LIT R IX ETT T.. w i l w .. ... . . . .. . 1. - - ORA P-153? CESTI PRICES P V NOV 2 9 1968 HC $ 1.00 50 Conf-660920-9 DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES IN GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS W. J. Boegly, Jr., F. L. Parker, and E. G. Struxness, Health Physics Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee MASTER RELEASED FOR ANNOUNCEMENT IN NUCLEAR SCIENCE ABSTRACTS Introduction In September 1955, the Atomic Energy Commission requested the Earth Sciences Division of the National Academy of Sciences--National Research Council to 'organize a meeting of geologists and engineers to discuss the possi- bilities of permanent disposal of radioactive wastes in geol.ogic formations. At this meeting , the disposal of high-level wastes in salt was recommended as having the greatest present potential. Disposal of diluted high-level. wastes into deep porous formations was' suggested as a possible method for the future. In subsequent discussions with representatives of the petroleum industry, it was agreed that it might be possible to dispose of radioactive wastes by pumping them into formations using hydraulic fracturing techniques. Research and development, leading up to demonstration experiments using radio- active materials, have been carried out on the disposal of high-level radio- active solids in salt formations and the disposal of intermediate-level liquid wastes by hydraulic fracturing. To date, no field demonstration has been performed on injection of low-level liquid wastes into deep permeable formations. .. For publication in the Proceedings of the First International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association, Rome, Italy, September 5-10, 1966. "Research sponsored by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission under contract with the Union Carbide Corporation. T- 2 Disposal in Salt Formations Salt was sufgested as a possible medium for high-level waste disposal was because of its availability, geographic distribution, thermal conductivity, plasticity, impermeability, and low cost of mining. 12-5) Initially, studies on the direct disposal of liquid radioactive wastes in salt were performed, but in 1961 the liquid waste studies were terminated and solid waste studies were initiated. The solid wastes to be stored in salt are those produced by the solidification or calcination of first-cycle wastes from reactor fuel reprocessing. In the United States a Waste Solidification Pilot Plant is currently under construction to demonstrate the potential methods for achieving the desired solidification. The solids produced are highly radioactive and generate significant amounts of heat. There are two ways in which the was e containers can be stored in the mine; above the mine floor in racks, or below the floor in drilled holes. For storage above the mine floor, cooling can be obtained : y convection but all handling operations would have to be performed remotely. Storage in the mine floor allows access to the rooms for transfer operations, but requires drilling of individual holes for each waste container. After detailed study, storage in the mine floor with heat dissipation by conduction thru the salt adjacent to tie containers was deemed most suitable. A computer program was written to determine the optimum spacing of waste containers to dissipate the heat in the salt and prevent over- heating of the waste cans or the salt. 167 The computer results were checked by field experiments using electrical heaters, and the calculated results agreed favorably with the experimental observations. Allowable salt temperature rises are limited by the shattering of the salt due to increased vapor pressure in small bubbles containing brine ("negative crystals") located within the salt, and by an increased rate of plastic flow of the salt. Laboratory and field studies have shown that the problems of salt MY.PL shattering and plastic flow can be minimized if the salt temperature is not allowed to exceed 200°c. As a result or the theoretical calculations and experimental studies it appeared that it would be possible to dispose of high-level solid wastes in a sult mine. In order to determine the equipment and handling operations necessary in an actual disposal operation and the most economical design of the disposal facility, a full-scale field demonstration was needed. This demonstration, called Project Salt Vault, is currently in operation in a salt mine in Lyons, Kansas." The engineering and scientific objectives of Project Salt Vault are: : mination of the possible production and release of radiolytically produced chlorine; (3) determination of the possible gross effects of radiation (up to 10% rad) on in the renge of 100-200°C; and (4) collection of information on creep and plastic flow of salt at elevateo. temperatures which car be used later in the design of : actual disposal facilities. The Iyons mine was operated for a number of years before it was placed in an inactive status in 1948. In the existing mine space the marketable salt has been mined leaving the more impure salt in the floor and ceiling. Since the impure salt remaining in the mined out areas contains significant moisture bear- IS the existing mine floor such that the fuel assembly canisters would be located in pure salt. Excavation of the new experimental area involved the mining of 19,000 re tons of salt. The new mine level, which is about 14 feet above the old mine floor, is connected by a ramp having a 10 per cent grade. A schematic cross section of Project Salt Vault is shown in Figure 1. The waste solids, after canning in Idaho, are loaded into a carrier and shipped on LEGAL NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of Governduent sponsored work. Neither the United States, nor the Commiosion, nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission: A. Makes any warranty or representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accu- racy, completeness, or usefulness of the informatiou contained in this report, or that the use of any information, apparatus, method, or proceso disclosed in this report may not infringe privately owned righto; or B. Assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for damages resulting from the uso of any information, apparatus, method, or proceso disclosed in this report. As usod in the above, "person aoting on behalf of the Commission" includes any em- ployee or contractor of the Commission, or employee of such contractor, to the extent that auch employee ng contractor of the Commission, or employee of such contractor prepares, disseminates, or provides access to, any information pursuant to his employment or contract with the Commission, or his employment with such contractor. C O RML-DWG 63-3918 R2 mont HEAD FRAME- f SHIPPING TRAILER FUEL ASSEMBLY SHIPPING CASK- A FUEL ASSEMBLY CHARGING SHAFT — -1000 ft I --- FUEL ASSEMBLY TRANSPORTER DOUBLE CONTAINMENT ENTRY 5 14 Ini . --SHIELD 14ft -- ENCAPSULATED FUEL ASSEMBLY 110 % GRADE -HOLE LINERS 1. mi- - - - - ". .. . Figure 1 .. Schematic Cross-Section of Project Salt Vault .. . . . . . .' . * Schematic Cross Section of Demonstration: Y I S ... .. . . a specially designed truck trailer to Lyons, Kansas. At Lyons the carrier is l'emoved from the trailer ind placed vertically over å steel-cased charging shaft OW which extends from the surface to the mine level, approximately 1000 feet be .ow. The waste canisters are lowered, one at a time down the shaft into a shieldea container mounted on a mobile vehicle. This vehicle (Figure 2) moves from the Iuel assembly charging shaft to the experimental area where the canisters are to be lowered into the storage holes.'°) Since high-level packaged solids were not in production at the time the demonstration was proposed, irradiated fuel assemblies from the Engineering Test Reactor (ETR) were used as the heat and radiation sources. In order to achieve a peak dose to the salt of about 109 rad, it is necessary to replace the fuel assemblies every six months witli freshly irradiated assemblies. Each shipment from the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) consists of 14 ETR fuel assemblies contained in seven stainless steel canisters. The canisters supply the secondary containment system and are about 5-in. in diameter by 7 1/2 feet long. A depleted uranium shield plug is loated at the upper end of the canisier and thermocouples are installed to monitor fuel assembly temperatures during the experiment. When Project Salt Vault has been completed all canisters will be returned to Idaho for recovery of the fuel assemblies. Project Salt Vault is composed of 4 experiments: (i) an array of seven fuel assembly canisters located in pure salt in the newly mined area; (2) a non- radioactive control array using electrical heaters to study the effects of radiation on plastic flow and chlorine release; (3) a heated pillar experiment for plastic flow and mine stability studies; and (4) an array of seven canisters in the old mine floor to determine operational problems related to the use of abandoned mines for radioactive waste disposal. Their location in the mine is shown in Figure 3. . . .. . 7 13 . FAX . . . . - 6. : . . ' W 1 ** . + . . Y . MA 1 .. 0 " 5 . . * . . .. * . . . . " . . : . . AT . ? WA - ::: 1 1. liut . 1 $ . 2 PI op - - . ar y." 7 . 2. i a . .. . . T 1 . 7 i . Y + . . Figure 2..Underground Transporter Used to Transfer Canisters at Mine Level . X 1. 9 . . - . II - 0 . r . : • ' SIC ' i . . . . to you: . 34 . . . . LE . ST tu CAT €7. AV . '.. Lv. ILS ...: 1 [ L . 4 1. . . 1 ii . . RV . #- 4 ! .SE P . . uma LR . . 1 TIE t . . , E . NY . . . 10 i... - "1. iii ... N 1 HA + ta . IN + . 4 e ..), . 10 be . . . W . PT" VV . - HAS 2 9 XVI 11 . . . . 10 t ::.. . 2. 1 1 . . - : * !, ORNL-DWG 63-774 AR2 . . . . . 1 0 DOO Unt OL 6 . ! . FEET 50 400 . 20 . 300 . . ELECTRICAL ARRAY . O . DO 0 tu 10 NO 250% . 20 1 DO . . 00 LU DO 10 40+ - 60 ft / -20 ft OUD . 2006 U 10 MO OD FEET 118-A-S-1 109-A-N-22 WHEATED PILLAR DO C- . 2 D 11 00 DO MAIN 411--A-U-3: O 100 RADIOACTIVE ARRAY OC C :-105-A-U-3 20 ft OU . SPECIALLY MINED AREA 14-f+ ABOVE EXISTING FLOOR LEVEL WASTE CHARGING SHAFT FROM SURFACE 1 1 . 30ft VC & 0 RAMP UP NO 2010. in 0 1 EXISTING MINE WORKINGS SHOWN APPROXIMATE 10 1 - . . . - U1 1 11 FLOOR RADIOACTIVE ARRAY I 17 21 10 . 1 C 11 1 1 1 111 . 1 1. Figure 3 Plan of Experimental Area . . . - W .. ! . TE 'E. L . . Tom The first transfer of fuel assemi.lies to Project Salt Vault occurred on November 17-19, 1965. Seven canisters were lowered into the mine and placed in the main radioactive array. 'The fuel assemblies were about 105 days out of reactor and contained approximately one million curies. The maximum radiation dosage received by the operating personnel during the transfer operation was 200 mr. '! Transfer of the seven canisters from the main radioactive array to the array in the existing mine floor, followed by the insertion of seven new canisters in the main array, took place June 13-15, 1966. The seven new canisters contained assemblies that were 105 days out of the reactor. The second set of assemblies received higher irradiation in the ETR and their heat generation rate was 800 w initially and they contained about 1 1/2 million curies. As in the case of the initial loading operation, no handling problems were encountered, and radiation exposures of operating personne... were minimal. Temperatures in both the electrical and radioactive arrays are reasonably close to those predicteå by the theoretical calculations. Figure 4 shows the temperature rises in the salt 1 1/2 feet from the center line of the center holes in the arrays along with the calculated temperature rises. It can be seen that most of the temperatures are somewhat lower than the calculated values. This is due in part to heat loss from the salt to the mine room. The peak fuel element temperatures reached about 300°C soon after placement in the mine. . In Fig. 5a is shown the uplift profiles for Room 1 (radioactive array), along the north-south and east-west axes of the room. It is apparent that thermal expansion of the material in the floor extends to 40 or 50 ft from the center of the array. The north-south uplift profile shows the restraining effect produced by the presence of the adjacent pillars. Vertical thermal expansion of the floor in the center of the arrays had reached nearly an inch by the end of December, 1965. The floor uplift (measured . .. Figure 4 - TV- . .- .- ..- . -- : Comparison of Actual and Theoretical Temperature Rises in Radioactive and Electrical Arrays ORNL-DWG 66-7392 - .--... -. . : . : ** CANISTERS IN PLACE- * PROPERTIES THEORETICAL FOR 20°C SX TER OF ARRAY TEMPEL STURE RISE (°C). ft FROM CENTER OF 4 - 1. MAIN ARRAY – HOLE 4 tt HOELECTRICAL ARRAY - HOLE 4. 99 NU- xin 10° 2 5 10' 2 5 102 2 TIME (hr) 5 10.3 2 5 104 ORNL-DWG 66-648 FLOOR UPLIFT (ft) & F NORTH-SOUTH PROFILE EAST-WEST PROFILE CENTER OF ral EXPERIMENTAL AREA O SOUTHERN NORTHERN ENTRY TUNNEL EDGE OF ROOM EDGE OF ROOM 15 5 5 15 25 35 45 DISTANCE FROM CENTER OF ARRAY (ft) 25 0.100 0.075 | CENTER OF ARRAY LN FLOOR UPLIFT (ft) 0.050 10 ft FROM CENTER i . * 5. " O ROOM 4 (RADIOACTIVE ARRAY) • ROOM 4 (ELECTRICAL ARRAY) I 0. 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Figure 5 Floor Uplifts - Project Salt Vault DARS la) Floor Uplift Profiles in Room 1 as of December 30, 1965. (6) Floor Uplift in Array Rooms. .." An w . -..- - . . . - ........ sritis....! in feet) as a function of time for each array at the center and 10 ft from the center is shown in Fig. 56. It may be observed that the rate of rise in and near the array is slowing down. This is due to the fact that the rate of rise of the salt temperature is also slowing down. The total vertical expansion had reached about 1 1/4 inch in May, 1966. Project Salt Vault will continue, with fuel assembly changeouts every six months until about November 1967. Following completion of the demonstration essentially all basic data necessary for the design of an actual disposal facility will have been obtained. Disposal by Hydraulic Fracturing • Hydraulic fracturing has been used for many years in the petroleum industry to increase production from oil wells. Normally, a mixture of sand and water or sand and oil is forced out into a hydraulically produced crack in the formation where the sand is deposited, allowing the oil to drain into the sand layer and then out into the well. In the case of radioactive waste disposal, however, the problem is not one of increased oil production but rather one of pumping the material requiring disposal into the fracture. The disposal well is possibly the most critical part of the disposal facility. The well must be drilled into the formation selected for disposal operation, cased, and cemented to prevent ground water from entering the well. When an injection is to be performed, this casing is slotted and water is pumped into the well until the pressure builds up producing a fracture or crack in the formation (see Figure 6). The waste-cement mixture 1.s then injected into this fracture. In the case of radioactive waste disposal, solid ingredients (such as cement, clay, and a retarder are mixed with the waste to produce a slurry which will harden in the fracture and retain the fission products. An essential prerequisite in the use of hydraulic fracturing for radioactive Figure 6 Schematic Cross-Section of Hydraulic Fracturing Operations for Radioactive Waste Disposal . ORNL-ER-DWG 76752) FLUID WASTE CEMENT MIXTURE PUMPED IN UNDER PRESSURE -STEEL CASING CEMENTED INTO ROCK - SHALE PERM. 0.0002 Md 1 NEW FRACTURE FORMING – 1 . PLUG . .....:: : K aunas PLUG OLD FRACTURES FILLED WITH SOLID - WASTE- CEMENT MIXTURE LE waste disposal is the need for producing horizontal fractures in the formation. Considerable controversy exists in the petroleum industry over the conäitions necessary to produce horizontal rather than vertical fractures. Since experi- ence in the petroleum industry is mainly with permeable formations and not the relatively impermeable formations proposed for radioactive waste injections it' was decided to perform a series of test injections in the shale at Oak Ridge. The first experimental injection was made at a depth of 290 feet and consisted of 27,000 gallons of 1 mixture of water, cement, and diatomaceous earth tagged with 35 curies of +Cs. Subsequent coring and gamma ray logging verified that the grout sheet had followed the bedding planes and that the fracture was essential.ly horizontal (See Figure 7). The second experiment Included two injections at greater depths. The final injection was made at a depth of 934 feet and consisted of 91,500 gallons of water, cement, and bentonite, tagged with 25 curies of t5cs. Several days later a second injection was made in the same well at a depth of 100 feet. Core drilling and logging again verified that the grout sheets followed the bedding planes in the formation (Ses Figure During the course of these experimental injections, measurements were made on surface uplift and wellhead and observation well pressures in order to develop an understanding of the mechanics of fracture I'ormation. Desirable characteristics of a waste-cement slurry for the disposal of radioactive waste by hydraulic fracturing are: (1) low viscosity for the period of time the waste is injected; (2) sorption and retention of the radioactive liquid after the slurry sets; and (3) a mixture that is relatively cheap. Studies of the waste-cement slurries for use with ORNL intermediate-level waste have shown that it is possible to develop mixtures with these properties. For long pumping times a "retarder" such as calcium signosulfonate (CIS) must be added; if the cement content is reduced a "suspender" such as attapulgite is required. For improved retention of radiocesium a clay material such as illite ORNL-LR-DWG 64048 SOUTH SOUTH 350f 350 ft 200 200 ft 100 100 ft 100 fi 100 ** 200 200 ft 356 350 ft NORTH NORTH MSL INJECTION WELL -850 RED SHALE GRAY SHALE -RED SHALE MSL 850- - GRAY SHALE- +800 800- GRAY SHALE RED SHALEH 750- IDIA- 700 700 MESTON LIMESTONEHO -650 0.0005 ft 650- -600 600- GROUT SEAM 5504 2 50 500 100 150 200 500- FEET 50 450-7 ! - 1 . . -". Figure 7: Location of Grout Sheet - First Experiment wi i . .... , . ! - . - - - Fierre_8__Location of Grout Sheet - Second Experiment ORNL-LR-DWG 74481 on '... 900B - - : WELL 600 N . . WELL 400 N b WELL 200 N 800 STIRILE III INJECTION WELL WELL 100 S WELL 200 S WELL 400 S 700 TITOL I IN . CONASAUGA SHALE 600 600 w - 500 g . LESERVATION WELL PROJECTED INTC LINE OF SECTION 400 2 . THREE LIMESTONE BEDS I CONASAUGA SHALE SPUMPKIN VALLEY MEMBER CONASAUGA SHALE -CC UPPER GROUT SHEET 100 . . . . . N . . . . . NAO . . . . . . SEA LEVEL OF ROME FORMATION THREE LIMESTONE BED . . . * . KO . . .. .. LOWER GROUT SHEET WO .. RO . C -100 D ST . X 2 . + S 4 . . AZ . 100D 100 - PUMPKIN VALLEY MEMBER CONASAUGA SHALE 200 . . FEET DW 1 r -200 . . 44 . . . ON . T 7 17 Second Fracturing Experiment pproximate N-S Section Along Line B-B' ROME FORMATION -300 FEET 1 2 . . . 1 . must be added. From the studies completed to date it is apparent that mixes can be designed having any range of physical properties and cost for any composition of radioactive waste. (12) Based on the results obtained in the experimental injections, an experimental plant has been built at ORNL to dispose of intermediate-level wastes and evaporator concentrates. A view of the Fracturing Plant is shown in Figure 9. The four large bins contain the mixture of solids used in the slurry. The . solids are transferred pneumatically to the mixing cell in the concrete block. structure where they are mixed with the liquid waste and the resulting slurry is pumped into the well by the high pressure pump. shown in the foreground. In order to provide radiation protection, it is necessary to enclose the waste pumps, mixer, wellhead, and injection pump in concrete cells.!)) Geologic conditions at the site are shown in Figure 10. Shale formations exist at several depths that are believed to be suitable for waste disposal . injections. Economic considerations suggested the use of the shale located at a depth of 720 to 950 feet. All of the formations are well below the deepest known water bearing formation (about 200 feet). Experimental operation of the plant during the past two years has resulted in the safe disposal of approximately 430,000 gallons of waste containing 11,500 curies. A total of seven experimental injections ranging in size from 40,000 to 148,000 gallons have been made. During these injections it has been shown that it is possible to halt the injection, clear the well and equipment, make repairs, and resume operation without undue hazard to the operating personnel. Core drilling has shown that the grout sheets from the first five experimental injections conformed to the bedding planes of the shale. Cost estimates have shown that the cost of injecting 400,000 gallons per year of "radioactive waste would be 13€ per gallon including solid ingredients, depreciation, and operating costs. The estimated costs are based on one 1 " SU YLT - - hoop 1 2 : 2 ' . : : + . S This! 1 . . . A - r . 2 T . - - VW 6 . NA T NEWS iu. 62. ita . . TO 'X' Ir Yr LI NO S W 3 wa I. DUAW m** .. 11AM . . Juni . . . TLV L . . . . Share ::. , i . 1 . E Bi OK." h View of Facilities at Fracturing Plant in 17. ! . ! { . X " . . 20 ' T *. ' . 1359 " . 4 S .. U T IS . . . 4. te 11 . . 1 . . . AIN' . -... MY - Figure 9 I , Was i. - ... ... . ri M.. . j - Kerajiny . ' L in die ht . IL R . . E * - 1 ..nw. - r. --... . .----- 1. Figure 10 Geology of Shale Fracturing Site CRNL-DWG 64-4726 SUBSURFACE GEOLOGY ORNL FRACTURING PLANT SITE : - GRAY SHALE - CONASAUGA FORMATION FEET 700 - Z_RED SHALE 24 1000 1360 HARD SANDSTONE ::::: ROME FORMATION FAULT LIMESTONE 1650 * SHALE 1850 LIMESTONE CHICKAMAUGA FORMATION E SHALE = . 2650 2850 3100 3263 LIMESTONE DOLOMITE KNOX FORMATION injection of 100,000 gallons per slot and a well life of ?0 years. .: . The major unknown in hydraulic fracturing is that of well life. As successive injections are performed and layers of the waste are built up in the formation, the earth's surface is slowly pushed up and stresses build up in the overlying formations. Exactly how many injections can be made until the stresses in the rock will produce failure in the system (vertical fractures) is currently under study. At the present time the plant used at ORNL for experimental hydraulic fracturing is being upgraded to an operating facility for injecting intermediate- Level wastes and evaporator concentrates on a routine basis. Routine operation of this facility is scheduled to begin this fall. Injection into Porous Formations - ...... --...-. For a number of years the petroleum industry has used deep well injection as a means of disposal of waste brines. In the East Texas field alone, 7 x 109 gallons of brine were injected in 1958, and the total volume of brine injected since operations were initiated in 1935 was 1 x 10+1 gallons. (15) At the present time, a number of companies are also using deep well disposal methods for their industrial wastes. (16)(17) . Before using deep well injection for radioactive wastes there must be an adequate disposal site and the waste must be compatible with the formation and its fluid. (10) An ideal site would be one in which a brine saturatei permeable formation is bounded above and below by impermeable strata. The original concept was to store the wastes in the interstices of the formation, but the current philosophy allows injection into flowing formations since the normal flow is usually very slow, sufficient decay time should be available to reduce the radionuclide concentrations to safe levels. Radionuclides have been found to move much slower in the formation than the liquid due to ion-exchange and adsorption. However, nonhomogeneities in the formation could produce higher . .. 10 velocities in given areas and this may prove to be limiting. In 1959 the American Association of Petroleum Ceologists (AAPG) was requested to make a survey of potential sites where deep well injection could be performed. Their report to describes six basins which apparently would supply the necessary permeable formations. Three of the basins selected also contain shale reservoirs and salt deposits which might be used for intermediate- and high-level waste disposal. The movement of the liquid and radionuclides in homogeneous isotropic formations can be calculated. (20) Laboratory studies using a Berea sandstone block have verified the calculations. (21) Figure Il shows the rate of movement of Osr from a single injection well. It can be seen that the measured distribution agrees quite well with the predicted behavior, Experience in the deep well injection of brines and other wastes has shown that unless the waste is compatible with the formation and its fluid the well will eventually plug. Plugging can also be caused by suspended solids or by bacterial growth. If the, well were to plug by these mechanisms it might be possible to remove the plugged area by acid treatment, but the resulting waste containing radionuclides washed from the formation would present an additional disposal problem. It would appear simpler to pretreat the waste and filter prior to injection. The type and degree of pretreatment would be dependent on the characteristics of the waste and the injection formation and would have to be determined for each specific site. At the present time there are no firm plans for a field scale demonstration of deep well injection. This is due, in part, to the large volumes of waste required to carry out a meaningful field study. It would also require a considera- ble period of time to complete a field study of any significant size. The results of a single field sutdy could not necessarily be extrapolated to other sites due ORNL DWG. 64-4601 OOO 0 -|-144 HOURS 44-72 HOURS 0 0 0 0 0 CONTOURS OF MEAN 86Sr MOVEMENT IN SANDSTONE BLOCK AS A FUNCTION OF TIME .; 0 = EXPERIMENTAL POINTS : THEORETICAL CURVES -.-. . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 1l Figure 11 Contours of Me of Time contours of Mean Movement in Sandstone Block as El Function 11 . . to local geologic peculiarities because the imperfections or non-homogeneities 01 the formation would probably control the degree of leakage, Conclusion • Field scale demonstrations have shown that it is possible to safely and economically store high-level solidified wastes in selt formations and internediate- 1 vel wastes in the slightly permeable shales at Oak Ridge. Disposal of low-level liquid wastes in permeable formation has not yet been demonstrated in field scale plants but the concept has been proven on laboratory scale models. Acknowledgment The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions by tre following individuals to the work described in this paper: R. L. Bradshaw, W. de Laguna, F. M. Empson, D. G. Jacobs, H. Kubota, W. C. McClain, W. F. Schaffer, Jr., R. C. Sexton, T. Tamura, and H. 0. Weeren. References L 1.. Committee on Waste Disposal, Division of Earth Scieżces, Disposal of Radioactive Waste on Land, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council Publication 51), April 1957, P. 6. 2. Mineral Resources of the United States, p. 180. Public Affairs Press (1958). 3. F. Birch and H. Clark, "The Thermal Conductivity of Rocks and its Dependence on Temperature and Composition," Amer. Jour. of Sciences, Vol. 238, 1940, pp. 529-558, 613-635. 4. R. L. Bradshaw, F. M. Empson, W. J. Boegly, Jr., H. Kubota, F. L. Parker, and E. G. Struxness, "Properties of Salt important in Radioactive Waste Disposal," Proceedings of the International Conference on Saline Deposits, Houston, Texas, November 12-17, 1962. (In Press). 5. A. E. Inman, Salt, An Industrial Potential for Kansas, p. 22. University of Kansas Research Foundation (1951). 6. W. J. Boegly, Jr., et al., "Disposal in Salt Formations," Health Physics Division Annual Progress Report for Period Erding July 31, 1962, pp. 10-20. 7. W. J. Boegly, Jr., et al., "Project Salt Vault: A Demonstration Disposal of High-level Radioactive Solids in Iyons, Kansas, Salt Mine," Health Physics, Pergamon Press, 1966. Vol. 12, pp. 417-424. 8. W. F. Schaffer, Jr., et al., "Project Salt Vault: Design and Demonstration of Equipment," Proceedings of International Symposium on the Solidification SS and long-term Storage of Highly Radioactive Wastes, Richland, Washington, February 14-18, 1966. (In Press). 9. Health Physics Division Annual Progress Report for Perioa Ending July 31, 1966. (In Press). 10. W. de Laguna, "Disposal of Radioactive Wastes by Hydraulic Fracturing, Part I. General Concept and First Field Experiments," Nucl. Eng. Design 3 (1966), p. 338. - mar, compare anorama proporoouse 21. W. de Laguna, "Disposal of Radioactive Wa:tes by Hydraulic Fracturing, Part II, Mechanics of Fracture Formation and Design of Observation and Monitoring Wells," Nuc... Eng. Design 3 (1.965) p. 432. 12. T. Tamura, "Disposal of Radioactive was tes by Hydraulic Fracturing, Part IV, Chemical Development of Waste Cement Mixés," Nucl. Eng. Design 3 (1966). : 13. H. O. Weeren and J. O. Blomeke, "Disposal of Radioactive Wastes by Hydraulic Fractaring," Nucl. Eng. and Design 4 (1966), pp. 108-117. 14. H.O. Weeren, "Cost Estimates for Hydrofracture Facilities," Letter to E. G. Struxness dated June 21, 1963. 15. W. S. Morris, "Sub-Surface Disposal of Salt Water from 011 Wells," 'J. Water Pollution Control Federation, 1960, Vol. 32, pp. 41-51. 16. R. F. Selm and B. T. Hulse, "Deep. Well Disposal of Industrial Wastes," Chem. Engrg. Progr., 1960, Vol. 56, No. 5, pp. 138-144. 17. R. S. Stewart, "Proposed Underground Disposal of Industrial Wastes in the Northeast U. S.," Proc. 12th Industrial Waste Conf., Purdue Univ. Engrg. Extn. Ser. No. 94, 1957, pp. 494-501. Moore, T. V. et al., "Problems in the Disposal of Radioactive Wastes in Deep Wells": Report of Subcommittee on Disposal of Radioactive Waste, Central Committee on Drilling and Production Practice, Division of Production, American Petroleur. Institue, Dallas, Tex. (1958). 19. American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Inc. Radioactive Waste- Disposal Potentials in Selected Geologic Basins, SAN-413-2 (1964) 20. D. G. Jacobs, "Ion Exchange in the Deep-Well Disposal of Radioactive Wastes," International Colloquium on Retention and Migration of Radioactive Ions in Soils, October 16-18, 1962, Center d'Etudes Nucleaires de Saclay, France (1963). 21. D. G. Jacobs and M. U. Shaikh, "Liquid Injection into Deep Permeable Formations," Health Physics Division Annual Report for Period Ending July 31, 1964, ORNL-3697, pp. 3-10, (1964). . 3 ' ! " . . .. . . u IN . f : END * ... ... . . . DATE FILMED 12/ 23/ 66 i - V T 4 . . 2 ** ? * ** tra -.. .' ' .. 1 . ! Live 17 . - ho 21. 101 ATTENT ?! 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