Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 96 Part 2.djvu/888

 96 STAT. 2250

Testing.

PUBLIC LAW 97-425—JAN. 7, 1983

initial isolation is provided by engineered barriers functioning as a system with the geologic environment. (c) OPERATION.—(1) Not later than 88 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall begin an in situ testing program at the test and evaluation facility in accordance with the mission plan developed under section 301, for purposes of— (A) conducting in situ tests of bore hole sealing, geologic media fracture sealing, and room closure to establish the techniques and performance for isolation of high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or other radioactive materials from the biosphere; (B) conducting in situ tests with radioactive sources and materials to evaluate and improve reliable models for radionuclide migration, absorption, and containment within the engineered barriers and geologic media involved, if the Secretary finds there is reasonable assurance that such radioactive sources and materials will not threaten the use of such site as a repository; (C) conducting in situ tests to evaluate and improve models for ground water or brine flow through fractured geologic media; (D) conducting in situ tests under conditions representing the real time and the accelerated time behavior of the engineered barriers within the geologic environment involved; (E) conducting in situ tests to evaluate the effects of heat and pressure on the geologic media involved, on the hydrology of the surrounding area, and on the i n t ^ r i t y of the disposal packages; (F) conducting in situ tests under both normal and abnormal repository conditions to establish safe design limits for disposal packages and to determine the eflfects of the gross release of radionuclides into surroundings, and the effects of various credible failure modes, including— (i) seismic events leading to the coupling of aquifers through the test and evaluation facility; (ii) thermal pulses significantly greater than the maximum calculated; and (iii) human intrusion creating a direct pathway to the biosphere; and (G) conducting such other research and development activities as the Secretary considers appropriate, including such activities necessary to obtain the use of high-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or other radioactive materials (such as any highly radioactive material from the Three Mile Island nuclear powerplant or from the West Valley Demonstration Project) for test and evaluation purposes, if such other activities are reasonably necessary to support the repository program and if there is reasonable assurance that the radioactive sources involved will not threaten the use of such site as a repository. (2) The in situ testing authorized in this subsection shall be designed to ensure that the suitability of the site involved for licensing by the Commission as a repository will not be adversely affected. (d) U S E OF EXISTING DEPARTMENT FACILITIES.—During the conducting of siting research activities under section 214 and for such period thereafter as the Secretary considers appropriate, the Secretary shall use Department facilities owned by the Federal Government on the date of the enactment of this Act for the conducting of

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