Salado Formation

Stein C. L. and Krumhansl J. L. (1988) A model for the evolution of brines in salt from the lower Salado Formation, southeastern New Mexico. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 52, 1037-1046. 

The underground WIPP repository is located in the southeastern part of the State of New Mexico, 41.84 km southeast of the city of Carlsbad. The site selected for WIPP is a 25.75 km tract of federal land. The WIPP repository is located 655 m below the surface in a bedded salt formation of Permian age known as the Salado Formation. The U.S. Congress authorized the development of WIPP in 1979 to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive waste resulting from defense programs of the United States, including weapons production and research and development. The WIPP is authorized for the disposal of 175,500 m of defense-related TRU wastes (Public Law 102-579, as amended by Public Law 104-201) and has an operational life of 35 years (until 2033). 

Underground excavation of fhe WIPP repository in the Salado formation salt beds began in the early 1980s. During siting and initial excavation activities, four shafts were drilled as discussed below. 

The WIPP site was identified in 1974 as a potentially suitable site for a TRUW repository, and an extensive site characterization program was initiated. Based on the result from the site characterization program (including laboratory testing, model developments, and analyses), the construction of an underground test facility at an approximate depth of 650 meters below the surface in the center of the candidate host rock, the Salado Formation, commenced in 1982. The Salado... 

In the United States, the seawater end liquor in the large Carlsbad potash deposit (Fig. 2.1) has been previously noted (Table 2.1), and the brines in the Salado Formation below and adjacent to this deposit have been studied by Jones and Anderholm (1995). Similar studies have been made by Graf et al. (1966) on the calcium chloride brines in the Illinois Basin, and its adjacent Michigan Basin (discussed above). The two basins have a sequence of fresh to calcium chloride brine varying with depth, with several indicators showing that the deep brine had... 

Jones, B. F., and Anderholm, S. K. (1995). Some Geochemical Considerations of Brines Associated with a Bedded Salt Repository (Salado Formation, SE New Mexico). 4th Int. Symp. Geochem. Earth s Surface, Int. Assoc. Geochem., Cosmochim., 343-353. 

Performance assessment calculations of actinide speciation and solubility, and of the potential releases that could result if the repository is breached, were carried out as part of the CCA) for the waste isolation pilot plant (WIPP) (US DOE, 1996 US EPA, 1998a,b,c,d). The calculations modeled actinide behavior in a reference Salado brine and a less magnesium-rich brine from the Castile Formation as described previously (see Tables 6 and 8). The performance assessment calculations will be periodically repeated with updated parameter sets as part of site recertification. 

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