The role of human intrusion in the dutch safety study

In the Netherlands the OPLA research program in which a large number of possible disposal concepts for radioactive waste is investigated has been carried out recently. The disposal concepts concern three different waste strategies, two disposal techiques and three different types of salt formations. In the OPLA program the post-closure safety of the disposal concepts has been investigated. The paper reviews the role of the human intrusion in this safety study. The hydrological consequences of human activities in the underground are discussed and it has been demonstrated that these effects could be taken into account during the groundwater transport calculations. Four different scenario's for human intrusion in the repository have been studied to obtain an indication of the radiological effects. The results show that extremely high doses may result if, after several hundred years, human beings come into direct contact with highly active waste. For the final assessment the probability that the doses will be received should be calculated. This should be done in a subsequent research