Geological Characteristics of “Mayak” Enterprise Area Regarding Underground Nuclear Waste Disposal and Rehabilitation of Territory (Southern Urals, Russia)

The geological investigations necessary for the HLW underground disposal site selection were udertaken on the contaminated territory mostly covered by vegetation and water-bodies. For lack of availiable outcrops, special attention was given to detailed petrological and geochemical studies for more reliable extrapolations. As a result, models of structure, geochemical background, and rock basement origin scenario provided general criteria for selection of geological blocks suitable for HLW deep burial.