Safety in Asse mine clearly increased
BfS publishes progress report on stabilisation and safe decommissioning
Since the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) took over responsibility, the safety standard in the Asse mine has been continuously increased. In the progress report published on 30 September 2010, the status of works conducted by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) is described relating to the stabilisation and safe decommissioning of the Asse II repository. For the long-term security of the waste, the BfS is preparing for retrieving the waste. Currently, one intends to drill into the first emplacement chamber. When all licences have been granted, the drilling process will already begin in this year.
Plans for retrieval provide for a waste volume of at least 100,000 cubic metres. For building an interim storage facility, a conditioning plant and all other waste treatment buildings, an area of around 85,000 square metres is needed. Altogether, an area of around 25 hectares is required. To this date, it is not clear what level of radioactivity the BfS will have to deal with when the waste is retrieved. No exact figures relating to the stored inventory have been available so far.
The Asse mine threatens to drown. Therefore, the BfS must lose no time. In order to be prepared in case of an uncontrolled inflow of water, the BfS has set up a comprehensive emergency plan. An emergency storage facility containing pumps, tubes and other essential equipment has been established. To the greatest possible extent, cavities are filled with concrete without impeding the retrieval of the waste. The objective of all concrete works is to improve the stability of the repository.
What was happening in the Asse mine had still been considered a local problem until 2009. Meanwhile, each step has become an issue of national importance. As there has been no attempt to retrieve radioactive waste from a mine, the works are observed at the international level. The BfS informs the public about all steps. Only when the retrieval of the waste has been successfully concluded will it be guaranteed that no danger emanates permanently from the radioactive waste in the Asse mine.
The brochure “Asse II repository, status of works on the stabilisation and safe decommissioning” can be ordered free of charge at the BfS (info@bfs.de; Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, P.O. Box 10 01 49, D-38201 Salzgitter) and can be downloaded on the internet at www.endlager-asse.de. The progress report supplements and updates the report “Asse II repository. Basic conditions and position of points since the mine has been taken over by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection on 1 January 2009” (published in August 2009).
Progress report 2010 (in German only)
"Endlager Asse II: Aktueller Stand der Arbeiten zur Stabilisierung und sicheren Schließung"