A key challenge in the development of safety cases for the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste is handling the long time frame over which the radioactive waste remains hazardous. The intrinsic hazard of the waste decreases with time, but some hazard remains for extremely long periods....

In underground repositories for radioactive waste, significant quantities of gases may be generated as a result of several processes. The potential impact of gas generation, accumulation and migration on the performances of the various barriers and, ultimately, on the long-term safety of a...