Analysis of long-term consequences of deep well injection of liquid radioactive wastes at the mining chemical combine, Krasnoyarsk Krai: I. Hypothetical scenarios

In our previous paper, we analyzed the long-term consequences of deep-well injection disposal of liquid radioactive wastes (LRW) at the Mining and Che mical Combine (MCC) situated 60 km north of Krasnoyarsk. Our analysis was p erformed for relatively invariable current geological, hydrogeological, cli matic, and other conditions, this analysis is usually defined as a base or normal evolution scenario of a disposal system. It was concluded for this s cenario that the LRW injection site presents neither short-term risks of pu blic radioactive exposure nor long-term risks of significant contamination of surface water. This paper analyzes the hypothetical scenarios concerned with the period after the work is terminated at the disposal site. These sc enarios suggest (1) an inadvertent use of contaminated groundwater for the drinking water supply and (2) a reduction of isolation properties of the Pr avoberezhnyi fault zone due to the tectonic dislocations with subsequent di scharge of contaminated groundwater into the Yenisei River. The results of our analysis allow a conclusion that none of the hypothetical scenarios con sidered here reveals any significant short- or long-term risks of public ra dioactive exposure in the near and distant future.