A system and method of disposing nuclear waste and other hazardous waste includes means for, and the steps of, blending a waste stream, which includes either a radioactive waste or a hazardous waste (or both), with a liquid and, optionally, a solid material to produce a dense fluid and pumping the dense fluid into a tubing string of an injection boring. The dense fluid then exits a perforation in a casing of the injection boring and enters a fracture in a rock strata, where it continues to propagate downward until it reaches an immobilization point. The dense fluid may be a slurry formed by a metal and a cross-linked polymer gel or hydrated clay slurry. The metal can be one that has a melting temperature less than the temperature at the bottom of the injection boring. The solid material could also be other nuclear waste or a radionuclide.

The invention relates to a repository (1) for storing radioactive material in a rock formation, wherein there are at least two cavity systems (4, 6) which are spaced apart from each other, and wherein a first cavity system (4) forms a repository chamber (10) for the radioactive material in containers (20) and the second cavity system (6) forms an access system (12), wherein the rock formation is a mountain mass (2), in which the first and second cavity systems (4, 6) are connected to each other via connecting passages (14) at a plurality of transition points, wherein the first cavity system (4) forms a repository chamber (10) in which the containers (20) are free-standing and are accessible and removable, even when the repository chamber (10) is completely full, and the second cavity system (6) forms an access system (12) enabling permanent access and being at a distance from the repository chamber (10) such that the access system (12) forms a radiation-free region for access to the repository chamber (10) at different locations of the first cavity system (4).

A hazardous material storage bank includes a wellbore extending into the Earth and including an entry at least proximate a terranean surface, the wellbore including a substantially vertical portion, a transition portion, and a substantially horizontal portion; a storage area coupled to the substantially horizontal portion of the well bore, the storage area within or below a shale formation, the storage area vertically isolated, by the shale formation, from a subterranean zone that includes mobile water; a storage container positioned in the storage area, the storage container sized to fit from the wellbore entry through the substantially vertical, the transition, and the substantially horizontal portions of the wellbore, and into the storage area, the storage container including an inner cavity sized enclose hazardous material; and a seal positioned in the wellbore, the seal isolating the storage portion of the wellbore from the entry of the wellbore.

A method for lining an existing waste disposal site having a waste level includes, for example: installing perimeter barrier walls about the site and interior barrier walls within the perimeter barrier walls to define cells; transferring waste, such as for example ash, from one of the cells to one or more other cells to form an empty cell with a layer of contaminated material at the bottom of the empty cell; removing the layer of contaminated material from the empty cell to form a clean cell with a noncontaminated bottom layer; installing a barrier liner layer in the clean cell to form a lined cell; and transferring waste from other cells into the lined cell.

A hazardous material storage bank includes a wellbore extending into the Earth and including an entry at least proximate a terranean surface, the wellbore including a substantially vertical portion, a transition portion, and a substantially horizontal portion; a storage area coupled to the substantially horizontal portion of the well bore, the storage area within or below a shale formation, the storage area vertically isolated, by the shale formation, from a subterranean zone that includes mobile water; a storage container positioned in the storage area, the storage container sized to fit from the wellbore entry through the substantially vertical, the transition, and the substantially horizontal portions of the wellbore, and into the storage area, the storage container including an inner cavity sized enclose hazardous material; and a seal positioned in the wellbore, the seal isolating the storage portion of the wellbore from the entry of the wellbore.

An apparatus and method for endwise connecting subterranean barrier members is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least two barrier members with each barrier member extending between top and bottom edges. Further, each barrier member has a side first edge having a flange defining a first connector and an opposed second side edge having a channel defining a second connector. The channel is sized and shaped to receive the flange of an adjacent barrier member in slidable interconnection therein. The apparatus further include a first side panel shaped to lie against a first side of the barrier members, a second side panel shaped to lie against a second side of the barrier members and a bridging plate located between the first and second panel members so as to bridge a gap therebetween, wherein the gap has a width corresponding to a width of the first and second barrier members. The associated method is directed toward creating the apparatus.

An underground ventilated system for storing nuclear waste materials. The system includes a storage module having an outer shell defining an internal cavity and an inner shell. A majority of the height of the outer shell may be disposed below grade. The outer shell may include a hermetically sealed bottom. First and second canisters are positioned in lower and upper portions within the cavity respectively in vertically stacked relationship. A centering and spacing ring assembly is interspersed between the first and second canisters to transfer the weight of the upper second canister to the lower first canister. The assembly may include centering lugs which laterally restrain the first and second canisters in case of a seismic event. A natural convection driven ventilated air system cools the canisters to remove residual decay heat to the atmosphere. In one non-limiting embodiment, the shells are made of steel.

A method for in-situ subsurface isolation of nuclear material at a nuclear power or nuclear waste facility during an emergency includes a borehole located in close proximity and at a depth sufficient to safely isolate the radioactive material. A gravity fracture in the surrounding rock formation is located at the bottom end of the borehole, with the radioactive material entering the gravity fracture. A dense slurry or fluid could be mixed with the radioactive material to create and propagate the gravity fracture.

Disclosed herein are in situ waste remediation methods and systems configured to hydraulically isolate waste material from groundwater. Methods for enclosing and/or remediating waste impoundments, landfills and the like using discrete in situ solidification/stabilization techniques are provided. The disclosed methods and systems provide containment techniques to create a vertical barrier to further isolate waste from groundwater and enhance geotechnical stability by increasing embankment strength, reducing saturated conditions and increasing the overall factor of safety for slope failure.

A method for desalinating and recycling the brine exiting a salt cavern. This method reduces the overall make-up water demand to wash a salt cavern, eliminates the brine disposal well and controls the cavern growth rate during disposal operations. The method includes the steps of: a) desalinating brine emerging from the salt cavern, and creating a stream of saline water, a stream of non-saline water and a stream of salt; b) recycling the stream volumes and combining the stream of non-saline and saline water with make-up water, thereby reducing demand for make-up water, c) pumping the salinated water into the salt cavern, and controlling the rate of growth of the salt cavern while disposing of wastes in the cavern, and repeating steps a) and b) substituting the make-up water with a waste mixture.