On 25 April 2017, the operator responsibilities for the Asse II mine as well as the Konrad and Morsleben repositories were transferred to the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung mbH, BGE). This website of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) will therefore no longer be updated and displays the status as on 24 April 2017. You will find current information at the BGE: www.bge.de

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Morsleben Overview

Microsite Morsleben

Morsleben Overview

In the former Bartensleben potash and rock salt mine near Morsleben (Saxony Anhalt), the GDR set up a repository for low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste. The Federal Republic of Germany continued to use this repository until 1998. Altogether 36,754 cubic metres of low-level and medium-level radioactive waste have been stored in the Morsleben repository.

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Want to see at first hand how things look at 500 metres beneath the earth's surface? Let us take you on an interesting and informative journey into the inner workings of Morsleben. We’ll show you what goes on underground, where the radioactive waste will be stored.

Multimedia: Experience Morsleben

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Multimedia: Experience Morsleben

In the Media centre you can find publications and videos of the future Morsleben repository.

Topics

SafetySafety and radiation protection

Comprehensive monitoring measures serve to ensure the current and future safety of the Morsleben repository. The mine safety of the site is being controlled and the radiation exposure to persons, facilities and the vicinity of the repository is being monitored. The objective is to provide consistent proof of the radioactive materials discharged from the mine and to quickly detect possible changes in order to be able to take action should this become necessary.

SafetyStabilisation of the Morsleben repository

In order to be able to safely operate the Morsleben repository until the nuclear decommissioning procedure concludes with the implementation of the decommissioning measures applied for by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, the mine openings need to be stable. Neither natural rock movements nor inflowing water must impede the stability. The barrier function of the covering rock layers needs to be kept.

Morsleben RepositoryDisposed radioactive waste

From 1971 to 1991 and from 1994 to 1998, altogether 36,754 cubic metres of low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste were disposed of in the Morsleben repository for radioactive waste (ERAM). This also includes 6,621 sealed radiation sources. About sixty per cent of the inventory currently being stored originates from the time after the repository had been taken over by the BfS in the course of reunification, starting on 3 October 1990.

Decommissioning conceptThe sealing structures according to the decommissioning concept

In case relevant volumes of influent solutions enter the mine – which is not very probably but needs consideration as well – the emplacement areas eastern field and western-southern field are additionally separated by the other mining districts by sealing structures. Thus, isolated areas which will be dense for the long term will be created in the large and complex mine openings.

SafetyInfluent solutions and brines

In practically all mines, various volumes of influent solutions and brines occur. Influent solutions are groundwater that is saturated with rock salt and flows into the mine workings from outside. Solutions originate from the operation of the mine or were enclosed when the salt rock was generating. In contrast to the solutions from the operation of the mine, the latter are also entirely saturated with rock salt.

Other BfS-Websites

Das Gebäudes des Hauptsitzes in Salzgitter

Federal Office for Radiation Protection

Responsibility for people and the environment: BfS works for the safety and protection of man and the environment against damages due to ionising and non-ionising radiation.

www.bfs.de

Fördergerüst und Schachthalle Schacht Asse 2

Asse II mine

The Asse II mine near Wolfenbüttel is an approximately 100-year-old potash and salt mine. Between 1967 and 1978 radioactive waste were storaged here. In 2009 the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) took over operatorship for the Asse II mine. The task of BfS is to retrieve the radioactive waste and to decommission the Asse mine.

www.asse.bund.de

Der Förderturm von Konrad 1

Konrad Repository

The Konrad mine, an abandoned iron ore mine located in the area of the city of Salzgitter is currently being converted to a repository for radioactive waste with negligible heat generation. About 90 per cent of the radioactive waste accruing in Germany is in this category; it does only contain about 0.1 per cent of the total radioactivity of all waste, though.

www.endlager-konrad.de

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