The reference waste package design for a nuclear waste repository in basalt

This paper describes the reference waste package design for the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP). The waste form, functional requirements, and engineering approach for the reference design are described. A short horizontal borehole emplacement configuration (SHB) containing a single waste package can meet the functional requirements during the operating, containment, and post-containment periods. The waste form will be placed in a thick-walled, low-carbon steel container. Surrounding the container is packing material made from a mixture of crushed basalt and sodium bentonite clay