Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations Project: Disposal of radioactive waste packages in vertical boreholes: A description of the operations and equipment for emplacement and retrieval

This document presents a description of the repository operations, equipment, and hardware for emplacing and retrieving radioactive waste packages when vertical waste emplacement is employed. There are two vertical emplacement concepts described. These concepts differ in the method used to provide radiation shielding for the waste package after it is placed into the emplacement borehole. The descriptions and concepts presented are not intended to be final designs; they were developed to serve as a basis for concluding that vertical emplacement is technically feasible, to develop preliminary operational plans, and to serve as a basis for estimating equipment and operational costs. The designs presented are based on currently available technology and utilize commercially available equipment or components