D. ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DEEP GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY

1. What will the preparation, exploration, construction and operation of the DGR mean for the wider area?

Whilst the research and development of the DGR is mainly taking place outside of the specific DGR sites, from which a final and backup site is expected to be selected in the coming years, and geological research and exploration work at the site will include drilling of borehole, geophysical measurements, water or environmental monitoring and other work, the construction of the surface part of DGR will be the most visible activity comparable to the construction of a smaller industrial site (see responses to questions D.2 - D.6). In the case of the underground part of DGR, due to the nature of the works, it will be a phased construction, operation and closure.  Therefore, the construction of the underground part of the DGR will not be a one-off process, but will be carried out in stages; i.e. after approximately 3-5 years of construction of the underground part, the DGR will be operated in the order of lower decades. Afterwards, this cycle will be repeated several times (3-5 times, depending on the selected site), until the end of RAW disposal in the DGR facility. Some of the extracted rock will then probably be brought back into the HLF during the closure period (see also response to question G.3). 

The actual operation of the DGR will have virtually zero impact on the environment at the site. The transport of material for disposal will most likely be by rail and the preparation for disposal and the actual disposal will not have any impact on the environment at the site (see also question D.7; answer prepared in cooperation with SÚRAO).

2. How will the construction of the deep geological repository affect the surrounding area? Will it be more below the surface or will there also be large volumes of surface work?

The initial phase of the project will involve surface preparation and construction. The extent of the impact on the surrounding area is specific to the particular location of the surface area, the morphology of the terrain and the character of the landscape. The largest volumes of work will take place underground. All works will be mediated to the surrounding area by transport. Addressing these impacts is an important task in the preparation of the DGR and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process and is closely linked to communication with the affected municipalities in order to find a satisfactory outcome that will ensure that these environmental impacts are minimised (response from SÚRAO).

3. How will the construction of the DGR damage local water resources (wells, streams, rivers)? Will the construction and operation of the DGR threaten drinking water resources? What if the boreholes destroy underground sources of drinking water?

During the construction of the DGR, local water resources must not be endangered, as the Water Act, which guarantees the protection of water areas, watercourses and water resources, must be respected in the planning of all works. Prior to the actual construction of the DGR, all significant water resources will be properly identified and documented. A regular monitoring will be ensured to properly assess their importance and use, and this information will be used and respected in the planning of the design works associated with the construction of the DGR, as well as with respect to the drilling works. The construction of the DGR itself will have minimal impact on surface flows.

When planning drilling operations in the horizons of interest, where groundwater resources are primarily located, drilling methods will be applied in such a way that groundwater is not lost, e.g. the method of progressive casing, special borehole hydraulics and cement reinforcement. If the aquifers of interest were to be compromised by drilling, this would only be a short-term and temporary loss. The borehole would then be abandoned and sealed to restore the original hydraulic functions of the structures of interest (e.g. partial or full cementing, special casing reinforcement, etc.). For each borehole, an implementation project will be prepared, including the design of the expected geological profile, which will provide sufficient information to properly adjust the technology and design of the borehole to minimise the risk to the surrounding environment (response from SÚRAO).

4. During the construction of the deep geological repository there will be a huge burden of heavy equipment on the roads. How will this be taken into account in the land development plans for the site concerned?

The basic input for solving this problem is a discussion with citizens in the selected locality and finding a suitable solution. The result will be taken into account in the site's spatial analysis documents according to the standard procedure as any other project (response from SÚRAO).

5. How will the heavy traffic through the villages in the vicinity of DGR be dealt with (noise, dust, road stress... during construction; safety of waste transport)? How will radioactive waste be delivered to the disposal facility and how often will it be?

Transportation will be addressed based on discussions and negotiations with the affected municipalities. For the transport of RAW it is planned to build a railway connection - a siding - outside the built-up areas of the municipalities. At present, a total of 325 transports of SNF are foreseen during the approximately 100 years of operation of the deep geological repository (response from SÚRAO).

6. What about dust and the use of heavy equipment? How will it be ensured that it will not damage our dwellings?

Dust suppression is assumed by the installation of scraping frames at the exit from the construction site, and scraping of the construction site during earthworks. Heavy equipment and its impact is related to the question above. The use on site will not affect the dwellings due to the distance of the site from the development, and as far as traffic is concerned, this will be dealt with as part of the discussions with the municipalities in the process of preparing the project (response from SÚRAO).

7. How will the operation of the deep geological repository affect the surroundings - i.e. its normal daily operating regime and the frequency of nuclear waste deliveries?

The operation of the DGR will affect the surrounding area in a minimal way. The internal operation of the DGR will be comparable to the operation inside the storage areas. External traffic will involve commuting of employees and transport services for the needs of the HP. Transportation of RAW will take place separately by rail. Increased road traffic will take place in phases of underground expansion, see response above (response from SÚRAO).