Can the Kritallin-I near-field model be considered robust

Kristallin-I is an integrated analysis of the disposal of HLW in the crystalline basement of Northern Switzerland which incorporates the findings of the Phase I (regional) geological investigations of this host rock. The emphasis on a more realistic treatment of the engineered barriers is important as the HLW programme moves away from feasibility studies towards host rock/site selection. Nevertheless, in performance assessment it is essential that the models used are demonstrably conservative in view of all uncertainties involved. This paper reviews the base-case model for radionuclide release from the near field and compares this with best estimates of the expected behavior in order to evaluate, as quantitatively as possible, some of the uncertainties associated with model simplifications. This comparison forms the basis to answer the question posed in the title of this paper