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CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION.... 0... ccc cece ccc cece teen eee nee n cere eee e ee ee een emetanceeeseee 31
WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSION eeeeees 32
Microseconds ............ cece cece eet ere eee enc ee ee ab ec eeen esse teen rereescnerece 32

Milliseconds . 0.0.20... ccc cece cece eee ence een een n ete eee seen ener teeter eres 32

Tenths of a Second .......... 00. cece cece nee e cece eee e renee eee cence sees ese eeeeree 32
A Few Seconds .......... ccc ccc eee c cece nen cee erence ence ne ne asteeeenereeereneas 32
Minutes to DayS .... 0... cece cece cece eee e cence eee e tee re eens nen etre onan enen 32

WHY NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS REMAIN CONTAINED ...........0 2c. eceeee eens
SELECTING LOCATION, DEPTH, AND SPACING: ............ 00. ccceeeee eee eeee
REVIEWING A TEST SITE LOCATION.......... 0... cece cece ence cnet ence ce eenes
CONTAINMENT EVALUATION PANEL .............0-. 2 cece eee cneeeeeetenaee
CONTAINING VERTICAL SHAFT TESTS........... 02. cece cece cece eee e eee e eee
CONTAINING HORIZONTAL TUNNEL TESTS .........0 00.0 e cece cece nce e ee eeee
TYPES OF RADIATION RELEASES .............- 2. cece cece cet eee e eect tenes

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Containment Failure: ............. 0. 0c ce cece cece cece nee e ret eecseeeremenetenees 46

Late-Time Seep 2.0.2... 0c cece cece ec cence ene e ncn e eae r eee e en eeeeteeeteeeees 46
Controlled Tunnel Purging ...........0.. 00. c cece cece cet cen erence tenet teeestennes 47

Operational Release ......... 0... cece eee ence nec e eee n cence nee e ete e nee eeneeeeaee
RECORD OF CONTAINMENT. ........... 0. cece cece cece cence cece sence eneteenees
Containment Evaluation Panel ............. sence cece ee ce eee n ence eee eee tence eens
Vertical Drill Hole Tests 2.0.22... 0... c cece cece cence cence eect ee ee ne eteeeeeeeaee
Horizontal Tunnel Tests .......... 0... cece cece eee c cece nace cece ence ete enceeeceee
From the Perspective of Human Health Risk ........... 0.0... cece cece cece eee eee
A FEW EXAMPLES:..0.. 00... cc cece cence eee eee n eee nett eee ence eeenees
IS THERE A REAL ESTATE PROBLEM AT NTS? ........... 00.0 cece cece cece eeeee
TIRED MOUNTAIN SYNDROME?........... 2... ccc c eee c nce e ce te een cweneeeeeees
HOW SAFE IS SAFE ENOUGH?........ 0... cece cece eee cence ce tereeneneneeeaees
Box

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3-A. Bameberry ..... 0c cece cence nce tent eee eben nett eee cesta ee eteeees 33

Figures

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3-1. Formation of Stress ‘‘Containment Cage”’ ................ 2c e cece cece eee eeceees 35

3-2. Minimum Shot Separation for Drill Hole Tests ................. 2 cece cece neces 38
3-3. Minimum Shot Separation for Tunnel Tests ................... 0. cece eee eee ees 39
3-4. ““Typical’’ Stemming Plan.............. 0.0. c cece cece cere rete een e cece ten eees 41

3-5. Three Redundant Containment Vessels ............... 0.20. cece cece cece eee ees 42
3-6. Vessel Doo. ccc ccc cence ce eee nee n eee teen ee te een teseeeeeeennens 43
3-7, Vessel I Closures ..... 0.0... cc ccc ccc cece nce eee eee n eee et ee eee teeeeteneees 44

3-8,Tunnel Closure Sequence .......... 0... c cece cece cece eee cee ee eeneeteeeneeees 45

3-9. Typical Post-Shot Configuration ............. 0.00... cece eee eee eee eet e eee e eee 46
3-10. Radius of Decrease in Rock Strength .............. cc cccec cece cceceeeeeceeneces 53
Table

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3-1. Release From Underground Tests ...........0 00 ccc ceee see e eer e sec necneeenecenen 48

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