Applicability of salt deposits for final storage

For the purposes of the waste management of nuclear power plants in the Federal Republic of Germany, the final storage of radioactive wastes is planned in a salt deposit. Since the Government of Lower Saxony has designated the salt deposit Gorleben as a possible site for a final storage facility, this concept is discussed in the public opinion emphatically and controversially. The present contribution to this discussion shall present the special characteristics of rock salt in a generally intellgible manner, which are the reason for the applicability of this rock for a long-term safe final storage. Moreover, open questions and problems will be explained at least by means of examples. (orig.)