§ 63.322 Human intrusion scenario.
Current through Oct 5, 2026 · Read all of Part 63
For the purposes of the analysis of human intrusion, DOE must make the following assumptions:
(a) There is a single human intrusion as a result of exploratory drilling for groundwater;
(b) The intruders drill a borehole directly through a degraded waste package into the uppermost aquifer underlying the Yucca Mountain repository;
(c) The drillers use the common techniques and practices that are currently employed in exploratory drilling for groundwater in the region surrounding Yucca Mountain;
(d) Careful sealing of the borehole does not occur, instead natural degradation processes gradually modify the borehole;
(e) No particulate waste material falls into the borehole;
(f) The exposure scenario includes only those radionuclides transported to the saturated zone by water (e.g., water enters the waste package, releases radionuclides, and transports radionuclides by way of the borehole to the saturated zone); and
(g) No releases are included which are caused by unlikely natural processes and events.