Long-term Safety and Security of Repositories.

The (potential) risk of radioactive pollutants from the nuclear fuel cycle will have decreased to the natural (potential) risk existing before the exploitation and utilization of uranium over a comparatively short span on the order of 10**4 years, provided the geological system is effective. After that period of time, it is smaller than the potential risk associated with the non-decaying solid waste materials arising from the other most important source of energy, coal firing. Against this background it becomes evident that the salt barrier of the planned repository at Gorleben includes major safety margins with respect to suberosion and that the suitability of the site for a repository is in no way doubtful in this regard.