Background to underground laboratory research in France
Underground laboratories for the study of the geological storage of long-life waste

Before the public authorities authorize the construction of a repository, the waste manager must demonstrate that he is capable of characterizing the geological formation as well as possible before the repository is built, that he sufficiently understands and is capable of modeling the processes that determine the migration of radionuclides, both in the near field and in the geosphere, and that his ability to design and master the construction techniques is acceptable (Box1). An R&D program carried out under in situ conditions is, in most situations, more convincing than one conducted anywhere else, which is why it requires the construction of a site-specific underground laboratory. In fact, the underground research laboratory is a privileged...