The Geological Research in France - The Dossier 2005 Argile

At the end of fifteen years of research defined by the French act of December 30, 1991 on radwaste management, ANDRA gave a report, 'Dossier Argile 2005', which concluded with the feasibility of a reversible disposal in the argillaceous Callovo-Oxfordian formation studied by means of an underground research laboratory at the Meuse/Haute-Marne site. Starting from source data like the characteristics of the geological medium and the waste inventory, the process followed by ANDRA to achieve this conclusion is of a sequential type, and iterative between concept design, scientific knowledge, in particular that of the phenomenological evolution of the repository and its geological environment from operating period to long term, and safety assessment. The 'Dossier Argile 2005' covers a broad radwaste inventory, ILLW, HLW and Spent Fuel, so that it makes it possible to cover the whole of the technological, scientific and safety topics. This article will give an overview of the geological disposal studies in France and draw the main conclusion of the Dossier 2005 Argile. It will be focused on the near field (engineering components and near field host rock), while considering, if necessary, its integration within the whole system. After a short description of the concepts (including waste inventory and the characteristics of the Meuse/Haute the Marne site) and the functions of the components of repository and geological medium, one will describe, successively, the broad outline of the phenomenological evolution of repository and the geological medium in near field, in particular, by releasing the time scales of processes and uncertainties of knowledge. On this basis, one will indicate the safety scenarios that were considered and the broad outline of performance and dose calculations. Lessons learn from the Dossier 2005 Argile will be discussed and perspectives and priorities for future will be indicated. (authors)