Study to identify a reference-repository location for a nuclear-waste repository on the Hanford site. Volume I. Text

The siting process involved screening the Pasco Basin using map overlays. No subareas in the Pasco Basin outside of the Hanford Site were found to be obviously superior to those within the Hanford Site. The screening guidelines were intended to: maximize public health and safety; minimize adverse environmental and socioeconomic impacts; and minimize system costs. The screening process reduced the area under considerations to five site localities. Nine candidate sites were identified within the site localities and then reduced to seven candidate sites. The seven candidate sites were located in the Cold Creek syncline. Geophysical data revealed possibly anomalous subsurface features (lineaments). Three additional candidate sites were then identified to avoid these geophysical lineaments. The ten candidate sites thus defined were ranked by a decision-analysis process. Ranking was performed by collecting geologic, hydrologic, and seismic data into a criteria matrix based on anticipated regulatory requirements. The ranking of the ten candidate sites resulted in the identification of a Reference Repository Location (RRL) and alternate site. The RRL encompasses about 18 square miles