DOE Issues RFI for Deep Borehole Disposal Field Study

The Department of Energy’s Idaho Operations Office is looking for a host community to conduct a Field Test for the demonstration of the feasibility of the Deep Borehole (DBH) disposal concept, according to a Request for Information issued late last week. Deep Borehole disposal for smaller packages of DOE-managed waste has been recommended multiple times for further research and development, with the most recent endorsement coming in DOE’s latest co-mingling report, and DOE had requested funding to further its development of the concept in its Fiscal Year 2015 budget request.

 

Through this RFI, DOE hopes to locate interested communities willing to host its latest field test, which would not use radioactive material. “A DBH Field Test is the next logical step in evaluating the feasibility of the DBH disposal concept,” the RFI said. “Using science and engineering in a DBH Field Test would provide better understanding of the DBH disposal concept, without any use of radioactive waste. The DBH Field Test would be a scientific and engineering experiment, conducted at full-scale, in-situ.  The field test would be well-instrumented and monitored with respect to materials, geology, hydrology, chemistry, and other sciences and engineering disciplines to provide enough measurements and data to provide a fundamental understanding of the disposal concept.” Responses are due by Dec. 8.