Safety assessments for low and intermediate level waste repositories: The importance of proper characterization of the disposal system

Low and intermediate level wastes vary widely in their composition and properties. The required level of characterization of the packages which can be received at a particular repository should be directly derived from analyses of all steps in handling, transport and storage of wastes. In particular, safety assessment of the operational and post-closure phases can be used to quantify waste acceptance criteria. The paper discusses those parameters which influence long term safety along with the problems of their direct or indirect measurement. (author). 18 refs, 2 figs, 1 tab