Use of vegetation cover in minimizing water infiltration into trenches at a shallow land burial facility

The radioactive waste burial site at Maxey Flats, Kentucky, was decommissioned in 1974, due to a suspected seepage of radionuclides into the surrounding environment. The radionuclides are thought to be leaving the site primarily via hydraulic conductance through geological fissures. The entry of water from the surface into the disposal trenches is considered to be a major factor associated with this problem so control of the amount of surface water entering the trenches is critical to restoring the site's stability. Manipulation of the vegetation cover is a primary means of achieving this end