Research and development program of geological disposal of radioactive waste in PNC

The Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation(PNC) is conducting R and D on the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste(HLW) as well as TRU waste as the leading organization of Japan, in accordance with the overall radioactive waste management program defined by the Atomic Energy Commission(AEC) of Japan. In the HLW disposal program in Japan, the operation of repository is scheduled to start by 2030's or at latest the mid-2040's, and the implementation body will be established around the year 2000. It is recognized that the generic R and D should be carried out to provide the scientific and technical bases of safe geological disposal and to contribute to get the understandings of scientific and technical community and general public. PNC, as the core organization of R and D, submitted the first progress report to the AEC and published it in September 1992. The second progress report is scheduled to be issued before the year 2000. Its main targets are the detailed analysis of the near-field performance and a generic analysis of the far-field performance. Experiments in laboratory scale and engineering scale and in-situ tests using existing shafts and drifts are being conducted in order to achieve these goals. Constructions of a new hot facility for migration experiments and new deep underground laboratories for geological environment studies are planned. In the TRU waste disposal program, the perspective of disposal concept is scheduled to be shown by the end of 1990's. PNC has been assigned to carry out the R and D for it in cooperation with Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. PNC has started R and D putting emphasis on the specific items to TRU waste disposal. In this paper the status of the R and D for disposal of HLW as well as TRU waste will be presented. (author)