The thick and regionally extensive sequence of shales and associated clastic sedimentary rocks of Late Devonian and Early Mississippian age has been considered among the “nonsalt geologies” for deep subsurface containment of high-level radioactive wastes.

There are two waste management R&D programs of national significance that are being administered for ERDA by the Union Carbide Corporation — Nuclear Division (UCC/ND). The National Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) program is concerned with the development of geologic repositories for commercial nuclear fuel cycle wastes, and is organized as the Office of Waste Isolation within UCC/ND.

This report presents a management plan and a technical program plan for the National Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) program. It was prepared by the Office of Waste Isolation (OWI) which is part of Union Carbide Corporation-Nuclear Division (UCC-ND). These plans are based on guidance provided by the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA). The technical plan is an extension of over 15 years of studies of waste storage in geologic formations.