Radioactive waste must be managed responsibly to ensure public safety and the protection of the environment, as well as security from unauthorised interference, now and in the future. One of the most challenging tasks is the management of long-lived radioactive waste that must be isolated from the human environment for many thousands of years. There is a consensus that engineered geologic disposal provides a safe and ethical method for the long-term management of such waste. Engineered geologic disposal involves the emplacement of waste in repositories constructed deep underground in suitable geologic media. Thus the waste is contained, and safety assured by passive barriers with multiple safety functions, so that there is no need for any further actions by future generations. The primary principles of the engineered geologic disposal concept are that waste will only be emplaced in a repository when there is a high confidence in the ultimate long-term safety, and that the long-term safety must not rely on actions following closure of the repository. This does not mean, however, that actions cannot be taken. Most repository development programmes include the possibility of post-closure activities for security and monitoring purposes.
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