StacksVerified U.S. regulatory reference

40 CFR §197.26

Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
For the purposes of the analysis of human intrusion, DOE must make the following assumptions:
  1. (a)There is a single human intrusion as a result of exploratory drilling for ground water;
  2. (b)The intruders drill a borehole directly through a degraded waste package into the uppermost aquifer underlying the Yucca Mountain repository;
  3. (c)The drillers use the common techniques and practices that are currently employed in exploratory drilling for ground water in the region surrounding Yucca Mountain;
  4. (d)Careful sealing of the borehole does not occur, instead natural degradation processes gradually modify the borehole;
  5. (e)Only releases of radionuclides that occur as a result of the intrusion and that are transported through the resulting borehole to the saturated zone are projected; and
  6. (f)No releases are included which are caused by unlikely natural processes and events.