5. Conclusion

The strategy of managing very long-lived radioactive waste by geological disposal has long been advocated and studied by many countries. This is the reference path for France. From a scientific and technological point of view, it seems credible and conceivable to build and operate facilities at great depths within a host rock, enabling radionuclides to be confined for millennia and thus ensuring long-term safety. This implies the use of robust storage packages protected as far as possible from water ingress, and the selection of stable, homogeneous geological environments suitable for mining engineering work. The quality of the work carried out must ensure that the facilities can be operated for over a century and, much later, return to a geological environment very close to the initial state. Studies and research must now move resolutely towards development and demonstration. Although geological...