NEA Mandates and Structures


Expert Group on Repositories in Rock Salt Formations (SALT CLUB)

Chair(s): Jörg MÖNIG, Germany
Secretary:  Soufiane MEKKI
(soufiane.mekki@oecd-nea.org)
Vice-Chair(s): Sean DUNAGAN, United States
Member(s):All NEA member countries*
Russia (Suspended*)
*Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council.
Full participant(s): European Commission
Under the NEA Statute
Observer(s)(International Organisation): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
By agreement
Date of creation:01 May 2011
End of mandate:31 December 2020

Mandate (Document reference):

  • Summary Record of the 13th Meeting of the IGSC [NEA/RWM/IGSC(2011)2]
  • Mandate of the Expert Group on Repositories in Rock Salt Formations [NEA/RWM/IGSC(2012)3]
  • Mandate of the Expert Group on Repositories in Rock Salt Formation [NEA/RWM/IGSC(2014)2]
  • Extension of the mandate of the Expert Group on Repositories in Rock Salt Formation [NEA/RWM/IGSC(2014)5/PROV]
  • Extension of the mandate of the Expert Group on Repositories in Rock Salt Formation [NEA/RWM/IGSC(2016)5/PROV]
  • Mandate of the Expert Group on Repositories in Rock Salt Formations (SALT CLUB) [NEA/RWM/IGSC(2016)8]
  • Mandate of the Expert Group on Repositories in Rock Salt Formations (SALT CLUB) [NEA/RWM/IGSC(2018)2]

Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from document NEA/RWM/IGSC(2018)2

Mandate:

[...]

Objectives

 […]

  • the timely and cost-effective exchange of information on both favourable and challenging attributes of rock salt as a host rock formation for deep geological repositories (and underground research laboratories [URLs]) for long-lived and heat-generating radioactive waste;

  • the establishment and accomplishment of joint research activities on the characterisation of rock salt formations, on the design, construction, operation and closure of repositories in rock salt, on thermal, hydraulic, mechanical and chemical (THMC) processes crucial for their construction, operation, closure and safety, and on assessing the safety of reposi­tories in rock salt;

  • the establishment of a constructive international dialogue on rock salt science and engi­neering, including the distribution of the information being synthesised under the first objective to national and international organisations and in­stitutions dealing with radioactive waste management;

  • knowledge transfer, including to countries with small programmes or programmes in their initial state and adequate rock salt deposits for a repository, by organising conferences, workshops and seminars on scientific-technical issues regarding disposal in rock salt as well as on issues of general interest for deep geological disposal;

  • fostering education and training as first steps in knowledge management.