Dealing with uncertainties in the safety of geological disposal of radioactive waste

Confidence in the safety assessment of a possible project of radioactive waste geological repository will only be obtained if the development of the project is closely guided by transparent safety strategies, acknowledging uncertainties and striving for limiting their effects. This paper highlights some sources of uncertainties, external or internal to the project, which are of particular importance for safety. It suggests safety strategies adapted to the uncertainties considered. The case of a possible repository project in the Callovo-Oxfordian clay layer of the French Bure site is examined from that point of view. The German project at Gorleben and the Swedish KBS-3 project are also briefly examined. (C) 2002 Academie des sciences/Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.