What will be done with the radioactive waste?
According to the present state of knowledge, the best variant is retrieving the radioactive waste from the Asse II mine
Within the scope of a so-called comparison of options, BfS has investigated three different options as to how Asse II can be safely decommissioned. Since nobody exactly knows how long Asse II will be accessible for a methodical decommissioning, this decision needs to be taken by the involved parties at an early stage. In coordination with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), BfS has determined which decommissioning concept will be pursued further. The result was published in January 2010.
Panel Discussion on the Result of the Comparison of Options
The result of the comparison of options
According to the present state of knowledge, the best variant of how to further deal with the radioactive waste emplaced in the Asse II mine is retrieving the waste. Apart from the retrieval of the waste, the complete backfilling of the mine and the relocation of the waste to deeper parts of Asse were examined, too. According to the present state of knowledge, proof of long-term safety can be furnished for the option of retrieving the waste.
The three options
Three possible decommissioning options for the Asse II mine were available: Retrieval, relocation, and complete backfilling.
Option of Retrieval
The radioactive waste will be retrieved from Asse II. For this purpose, the drums are initially recovered from the chambers and placed into new packages for transport. The waste is taken through the shaft to the area above ground and delivered to an interim storage facility. For later disposal, the retrieved waste needs to be conditioned, i.e. placed into packages in a way that is in compliance with the waste acceptance requirements.
Option of Relocation
The radioactive waste will be relocated inside the mine. For this purpose, new cavities will be mined in the mountain. The drums will be taken from the old chambers and repackaged for the transport inside the mine. For disposal, they are then taken into the newly mined cavities which will be backfilled with Sorel concrete and finally sealed in such a way that they will be safe for a long period of time.
Option of Complete Backfilling
The radioactive waste will remain where it is stored now. All still accessible cavities and galleries and the emplacement chambers will be backfilled with Sorel concrete. The residual pore spaces can possibly be backfilled with an appropriate thin fluid material to achieve a quicker stabilisation of the mine.