Salt repository project waste package conceptual design, licensing strategy, and testing plans

The conceptual design for the waste package is the first phase of a multiphase design effort. Its objective is to develop design concepts that are expected to satisfy the waste package design and regulatory requirements based on available engineering expertise and judgment and on preliminary analysis, evaluations, and data. The components of the waste package include the waste form, canister, container, and packing. A discussion of all requirements for the waste package is beyond the scope of this paper. However, the conceptual design has been most influenced by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's requirements to provide substantially complete containment of the waste for up to 1000 years after repository closure, and to provide controlled release of radionuclides for the period from 1000 to 10,000 years after repository closure.