原子力環境整備・資金管理センター

Radioactive Waste Management Funding and Research Center has conducted research and development on the acceptance system of returned high-level radioactive waste from oversea reprocessing , the technology for treatment and disposal of high-level radioactive waste, the technology to predict long-term evolution in the geological structures required for geological disposal, and a system to implement the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Moreover, RWMC has arranged and provided appropriate technological information to aid the government in developing policies, and has also conducted research and development on safety standards and safety regulations for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste.
In particular, in 2000, the Specified Radioactive Waste Final Disposal Act was enacted and NUMO was established as the implementing entity of disposal. In response, RWMC has expanded the scope of its research and development in preparation for implementation of disposal of high-level radioactive waste such as geological environment investigation technology, remote technology, long-term record preservation technology, and other technology to communicate and correspond with society. At the same time, RWMC is involved in the selection of basic studies and research themes requiring a lengthy period of time, and is entrusted with studies by universities and other institutes on important basic technology for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste.
As for TRU waste, RWMC formulates treatment and disposal concepts, studies treatment and disposal technologies, and conducts research and development on the phenomena as the basics of performance evaluation.

1.Research and development on geological environment

●Development of advanced geophysical prospecting technology such as the electromagnetic and acoustic tomography methods to apply to site investigation for final disposal site selection
●Development of advanced tools ( site investigation flow diagram ) to secure the transparency and traceability of geological environment investigation and to satisfy accountability

2.Research and development on disposal technology

●Development of waste containers to improve functions to confine the long half-life nuclides of TRU waste, and of technology to immobilize iodine-129 waste, important in reducing the level of future radiation exposure

FThe following research and development on the further sophistication of technology to evaluate the safety of TRU waste:
●Research and development on long-term alteration of cement and bentonite materials and evaluation of their interaction
●Research and development on the performance of engineered barrier system with respect to repository-generated gas migration
●Research and development evaluating migration behaviors of carbon-14 released from activated metals, important in evaluation of radiation exposure

●Research and development on performance assessment technology based on long-term behavior models of geological disposal systems
●Research and development on natural analogue cases of long-term safety of multiple barriers
●Research and development on remote operation technology for welding and inspection of overpack, and handling and emplacement of waste containers and buffer materials

●Research and development on the irradiation effects and prediction of the life-time of engineered barrier materials by position annihilation spectroscopy
●Research on barrier functions based on chemical mechanisms of natural barriers

3.Research and development on safety requirements

･Research and development on safety standards and safety assessment methods of geological disposal
･Research and development on methods to check returned waste from abroad
･Research and development on classification and safety assessment methods of TRU waste ･Examinations of safety scenarios of disposal of TRU waste
●Research and development on safety regulations on disposal of high-level radioactive waste (further details discussed in the section on activities to collect and provide information about radioactive waste)

4.Research and development on institutionalization and technology to communicate and correspond with society

･Research and development on the establishment of an institutional framework to implement disposal of high-level radioactive waste including the schedule for implementing such disposal, ensuring funds, and other matters
･Basic guidelines for and concept of disposal of TRU waste, and research and development to support institutional arrangements and commercialization
･Preparation of promotional materials
●Studies from the viewpoint of measures to harmonize with society such as monitoring the long-term evolution of the repository, long-term record preservation to transfer information related to repository safety to future generations, and process of decision-making concerning societal will

(Six single-sided pages of an A4-size report or 12 double-sided pages scaled down and printed on a 10 cm square plate of silicon carbide)