Roadmap towards a Biosphere Characterisation Programme in support of a UK Geological Disposal Facility
Site characterisation supports the evaluation of the potential for sites to meet safety requirements for a GDF for UK’s higher-activity radioactive wastes.
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Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) is developing a site characterisation programme to support evaluation of the potential for sites to meet the safety requirements for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for the UK’s higher active radioactive wastes. Such a programme includes characterisation of the surface/near-surface environment (biosphere).
This report describes main topics of interest for a biosphere characterisation programme and presents the first attempt at defining a UK biosphere characterisation roadmap. It emphasises the need to integrate both the planning and execution of biosphere characterisation with other parts of the GDF programme. Major ‘end user’ needs for the information and understanding delivered by biosphere characterisation are discussed and put into an overall programme context where safety and environmental assessments are in focus. A general strategy is suggested that builds on system understanding and uses the Site Descriptive Model (SDM) as a central and integrating function within which the biosphere site characterisation tasks sit.
The recommendations presented in the report draw on experience and lessons learnt from other projects, including other national programmes for geological disposal of radioactive wastes. An integrated and holistic system understanding approach is proposed where the biosphere part of the site characterisation is linked to the geosphere, and programme functions within NWS use a common system understanding reflected in a synthesised site descriptive model. The review of biosphere characterisation undertaken in other projects is included as an appendix.
NWS-GDF-CR-22-001
QRS-10049A-1 Version 3.2 This report has been prepared by Quintessa Limited under contract to Radioactive Waste Management Limited (RWM), now part of Nuclear Waste Services (NWS).
Authors: Tobias Lindborg; Emma Lindborg; Mike Thorne; Paul Wheelhouse; Lee Hartley; Karen Smith