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Developments at the Yucca Mountain Exploratory Studies Facility

Technical Committee on Training in and Demonstration of Waste Disposal Technologies in Underground ResearchFacilities –

Claudia M. Newbury, Senior Policy AdvisorOffice of License Application and StrategyOffice of Repository DevelopmentOffice of Civilian Radioactive Waste ManagementU.S. Department of Energy

IAEA Headquarters, Vienna AustriaDecember 6 – 10, 2004

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Exploratory Studies Facility

3Claudia_Newbury-WM04-4358.ppt

Safety Upgrades to the ESF

• ESF built as a “temporary” facility more than 10 years ago

• Independent review recommended limited access until appropriate preventative maintenance programs were in place for– Electrical Systems

– Ventilation System

– Communication system

– Rail system

4Claudia_Newbury-WM04-4358.ppt

Proposed Surface Facilities

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Repository Lay-out

• Panel numbers represent the proposed emplacement sequence

• Sequence:

– Panel 1, Phase 1

Develop initial emplacement drifts

– Panel 1, Phase 2

Complete panel 1 drifts (8 total)

– Panel 2

17 drifts total

• Total emplacement length available is approximately 41 miles (65 km)

• Available contingency of 11 - 13.5 % for the 70,000 MTHM case