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Yucca Mountain Project Area Exists for Quality Data Development in the Vadose Zone Below About 400 Feet

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Yucca Mountain Project Area Exists for Quality Data Development in the Vadose Zone Below About 400 Feet < I Mifflin & Associates 2700 East Sunset Road, SufteInc. C2 Las Vegas, Nevada 89120 PRELIMINARY 7021798-0402 & 3026 FAX: 702/798-6074 ~ADd/tDaeii -00/( YUCCA MOUNTAIN PRO1. A Summary of Technical Support Activities January 1987 to June 1988 By: Mifflin & Associates, Inc. LaS Vegas, Nevada K) Submitted to: .State of Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects Nuclear Waste Project Office Carson City, Nevada H E C El V E ii MAY 15 1989 NUCLEAR WASTE PROJECt OFFICE May 1989 Volume I 3-4:0 89110o3028905a, WASTE PLDR wM-11PDC 1/1 1 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRO DUCTION ............................................................................................................................ page3 AREAS OF EFFORT A. Vadose Zone Drilling Program ............................................................................................. 4 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 5 Issues ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Appendix A ............................................................................................................................... 9 B. Clim ate Change Program ....................................................................................................... 15 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 16 Issues ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Appendix B ............................................................................................................................... 24 C. Geochem istry and Mineralogy Program ................................................................................. 34 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 35 Geochemical RetardatiorvTransport of Radionuclides to the Accessible Environment ........... 37 Issues ............................................................................................................................... 38 Site-Specific Mineralogy and Geophysical Studies to Establish the Hydrogeology of the Vadose Zone ................................................................................. 49 Issues ............................................................................................................................... 50 Past Climate and Related Genesis of Authigenic Desert Carbonates and Silicates .......... 54 Issues ............................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix C ............................................................................................................................... 61 D. Disturbed Zone Program ....... ........................................ 62 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 63 Issues ....................................................................................................................................... 65 Ap pendix D............................................................................................................................... 71 E. Review of Technical Docum ents Program ............................................................................ 77 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 78 Appendix E ............................................................................................................................... 80 -2- MY89051 Id INTRODUCTION The Nevdda Nuclear Waste Project Office, State of Nevada, has developed a technical oversight program as provided for In the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA). This Act and subsequent amendments has led to the selection of Yucca Mountain In Nevada for site characterization as a high-level nuclear waste repository. The Intent and letter of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act Is to establish a geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste that is predicated on long-term waste Isolation soley supported by a combination of the geologic environment and engineered barriers. A 10,000 year time frame for waste Isolation is required due to the long-lived nature of the radionuclides associated with high-level radioactive waste and the need to prevent these radionuclides from reaching the accessible environment in any significant concentrations. The technical and scientific challenge of establishing such a repository is unprecedented due to a combination of factors, Including: the large volumes and heat-producing nature of the waste, the long period of time necessary for waste Isolation from hydrologic or other natural systems, and the Impossibility of using or relying upon engineered barriers for prolonged waste Isolation. The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been charged with executing the selection, construction, and operation of the high-level nuclear waste repository program; and the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has the regulatory responsibility of issuing the varying licenses for construction and operation of the repository. The State of Nevada, as an affected party under the NWPA, has an oversight role. The Nuclear Waste Project Office of the State of Nevada executes the technical oversight, and Mifflin & Associates, Inc. (MAI) Is one of its technical support contractors In hydrogeology and closely-related technical areas. This report is a summary of the technical support activities of Mifflin & Associates, Inc., during the 18-month period beginning 01 January 1987 and ending on 30 June 1988. It covers the following topics: Vadose Zone Drilling Site Selection, Permits, and Quality Assurance (QA) Procedures Climate Change Geochemistry and Mineralogy Disturbed Zone Hydrogeology Review of Technical Documents The report is organized by generally discussing each topic from the following perspectives: Issue(s) Objective(s) of Activity Finding(s) Interpretation of Finding(s) Additional Work Needed Recommended Program Existing Program Each Topic/Section has its own Appendix and Is preceded by a general Introduction. In order to keep the size of the report reasonable, while at the same time, ensuring coverage of crucial points, only lists of technical procedures and research plans contained in the past monthly reports are provided as well as three samples of such technical documents: Technical Procedures for Documentation of Research Activities and Daily Drilling Activity Summary Form; Research Plan for Sampling at or near Yucca Mountain; Research Plan for Vadose Drilling and Cuttings Sampling at or near Yucca Mountain. However, all published works and important progress reports or findings emanating from our activities are Included in the Appendices for each section. -3- MY89051 ld I I Section A Vadose-Zone Drilling Program -4- MY89051 ld Vadose-Zone Drilling Program Introduction Review of the DOE vadose-zone drilling program and borehole history reports Indicate that water or water-based fluids have been Injected Into all drillholes which fully penetrated the vadose zone at Yucca Mountain. In addition, UZ-1 borehole was drilled with a vacuum method at great expense but failed to fully penetrate a zone of (perched?) saturation. UZ-1 Is so large in diameter that moisture conditions may not equilibrate to predrilling conditions before the useful lives of the emplaced monitoring instruments terminate. UZ-6 also did not fully penetrate the vadose zone using the same method and it also proved extremely costly. UZ-6 is also too large In diameter for useful monitoring .of moisture with conventional instruments. Numerous shallow moisture-monitoring holes (N-series neutron logging) were drilled with the ODEX method using air as the circulation fluid, but the depths achieved (maximum is less than 400 ft.) are Insufficient to study the full thickness of the vadose zone. The WT-series holes were drilled with air-foam, which requires addition of large amounts of water. The G and H series holes were drilled using conventional drilling fluids. Therefore, not one borehole at Yucca Mountain project area exists for quality data development In the vadose zone below about 400 feet. The Ideal drilling method should be capable of air drilling to 2,000 feet for full penetration of the vadose zone in some areas. The proposed State of Nevada vadose-zone drilling program sites are located to sample as many of the unsaturated tuff zones as possible without drilling on the repository block or in the DOE "core" area. The first round of drilling would establish the methodology In terms of drilling and sampling in the hydrogeologic environment of Yucca Mountain and allow analytical results on samples to be compared with DOE postulates. DOE samples of either water or rock from the repository block would not be comparable to sample obtained utilizing the proposed drilling methodology. Eventually, similar data must be developed from several boreholes on the repository block to confidently characterize the site. The proposed State of Nevada sites are located to allow penetration- in the vadose zone for suspected key hydrostratigraphic horizons at the repository block. The uppermost
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