| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Potential_Host_Rock_in_the_Piedmont_Georgia.pdf (1.3 MB) | 1.3 MB |
The disposal of radioactive waste in the proper geologic environment offers a high potential for isolating the waste from man's environment for the period of time required for the waste to decay to innocuous levels. As part of the National Waste Terminal Storage Program, the Savannah River Laboratory has responsibility for studies related to the storage of waste in the geologic environment in the Southeast. For the purposes of this study, the Southeast consists of the igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Piedmont, the sands and clays of the Coastal Plain, and the mudstone and shales of the Triassic basins from Maryland to Georgia. To implement these studies, a literature review of each of these ·three geologic provinces was performed by subcontract. The purpose was to designate areas that, from a geotechnical point of view, offer a potential for field exploration to investigate their characteristics and suitability for disposal of solidified high-level radioactive waste. Because of the geologic complexity of the Piedmont and its generally high potential for waste storage, the general study was complemented by four detailed studies of literature and existing knowledge by experts in the local geology. From all of these supporting studies, the Savannah River Laboratory prepared a summary report which designates the areas favorable for field exploration.
