Aims & Objectives of the Conference

The objective of this conference is to examine the technical and the practical aspects of different disposal unit concepts and associated waste emplacement processes. This will include looking at concepts that fall within the boundaries of the ESDRED Project as well as looking at some other national concepts that are not being considered within ESDRED; always in the context of practical operational considerations as well as operational and long term safety. This conference aims to provide a forum for exposing the concepts that have been, or are in the process of being, developed throughout the world in various host rocks such as salt, granite, tuff and clays. The wastes concerned are vitrified waste, spent fuel as well as medium level long lived waste such as technological waste or TRU Waste.

These various concepts will be compared and discussed at an international level. For each concept, the operational and long term safety requirements, the construction and waste emplacement processes as well as the rationale in terms of occupational safety will be exposed. Specific attention will be given to full scale demonstrations and to operational experience in existing facilities, underground research laboratories (URL's) or surface mock-ups.

There will be a single stream of presentations in a large well equipped lecture hall. Posters will be on display throughout the Conference in the spacious front entrance hall of the University. Authors are free to propose papers, posters or both.

The conference should be of interest to designers, decision makers, licensing authorities, policy makers, waste producers and politicians. In particular there will be a strong representation from the New Member States including representatives from their national waste management agencies and other governmental agencies.