Preliminary Programme
***** Due to travel problems, Workshop rescheduled : Tuesday, 26th - Friday, 29th October 2010 *****
Carbon Capture and Storage: can anything be learned from 35 years experience in geological disposal of radioactive wastes ?
.. an informal workshop to discuss common issues
October 26th to 29th 2010, Meiringen, Switzerland
Online workshop registration is available here. Updated worksop programme for download here 414 KB 
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Objective
Geological disposal of radioactive wastes (GDRW) has taken more than 35 years of concept development and field and laboratory research to reach the point where deep repositories should be operating within the next few years: all of this has taken place on the back of a strategic, societal and political rollercoaster. The CCS field is comparatively in its infancy but is moving forward quickly and has considerable technical, political, societal and energy strategy parallels. Consequently it is likely to be exposed to some of the same issues and to tread some of the same paths as GDRW. While many in the CCS community see GDRW as an entirely unenviable analogue, it would seem unwise to ignore the lessons that might be learned – not only may there be something to be gained practically, but it may be possible to avoid some pitfalls. This workshop is intended to bring together experienced practitioners in the CCS and GDRW sectors in a completely informal, non-institutional environment to discuss their experiences and help identify what might be shared or learned. Discussions will be citable but non-attributable. The organizers will also endeavour to produce a written perspective on key outcomes, for publication.
Hotel Du Sauvage in Meiringen with the Sherlock Holmes museum to the right
Workshop Programme
| Tuesday 26th October | ||
| Morning | Arrive at Hotel du Sauvage, Meiringen: trains from Zurich airport depart – arrive: 0947 – 1212; 1047 – 1312; 1147 – 1412 |
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| 1230 – 1400 | Informal Buffet LUNCH to suit varied arrival times | |
| 1400 – 1430 | Registration | |
| 1430 – 1515 | Introductions Objectives of the workshop: Neil Chapman (ITC, Switzerland), Jordi Bruno (UPC, Spain) and Julie West (BGS) Participants introduce themselves (2 minutes each) |
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| 1515 – 1600 1600 – 1645 1645 – 1745 |
Storage and Disposal Objectives: protection and containment aims and time-scales
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Chair: Jordi Bruno, UPC, Spain Neil Chapman, ITC, Switzerland Ferenc Toth, IAEA, Vienna |
| Wednesday 27th October | ||
| 0900 – 0945 0945 – 1030 1030 – 1100 1100 – 1200 |
Safety Assessment: what are the impacts, when do they occur and how are they regulated?
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Chair: Philip Maul, Quintessa, UK Elizabeth Wilson, Uni. Minnesota, USA Johan Andersson, Streamflow, Sweden |
| 1200 - 1330 | LUNCH | |
| 1330 – 1415 1415 – 1500 1500 – 1530 1530 – 1630 |
Strategy: how much material is involved, where and when is a solution really needed?
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Chair: Ferenc Toth, IAEA, Vienna Neil Chapman, ITC, Switzerland Marie Gastine, BRGM, France |
| 1630 - 1730 | Syndicate Discussions 1: similarities, differences and lessons | |
| Thursday 28th October | ||
| 0900 – 0945 0945 – 1030 1030 – 1100 1100 – 1200 |
Legal and Political: international laws & conventions affecting transport, transfers & disposal/sequestration
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Chair: Elizabeth Wilson, USA Nick Riley, BGS, UK Neil Chapman, ITC, Switzerland |
| 1200 - 1330 | LUNCH | |
| 1330 – 1415 1415 – 1500 1500 – 1530 1530 – 1630 |
Technical: long-term fate of materials in the deep underground environment and the role of monitoring
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Chair: Neil Chapman, Switzerland Russell Alexander, Bedrock, CH Mike Stephenson, British Geological Survey, UK |
| 1630 - 1730 | Syndicate Discussions 2: similarities, differences and lessons | |
| Friday 29th October | ||
| 0830 – 0915 0915 – 1000 1000 – 1030 1030 – 1130 |
Societal: public and community responses to local & national schemes - how are stakeholders involved?
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Chair: Peter Styles, Uni. Keele, UK Samuela Vercelli, Uni. Roma la Sapienza, Italy & CO2GeoNet Jordi Bruno, UPC, Spain |
| 1130 – 1230 | Closing Discussion Lessons, messages and reporting |
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| 1230 - 1330 | Lunch | |
| 1330 | Disperse: trains to Zurich airport depart – arrive: 1346 – 1613; 1446 – 1713; 1546 – 1813 |
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| 1330 - 1630 | Visit to the Grimsel underground rock laboratory Depending on prevailing weather conditions, a visit has been arranged to the Grimsel Test Site, located in granite below the Grimsel pass, about 30 minutes from Meiringen Participants will be returned to Meiringen by 1630 |
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Application Form
Online workshop registration is available here.
Venue and Registration Fees
The workshop will be held in the tranquil and beautiful surroundings of Meiringen, located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, not far from Interlaken. Meiringen is easily accessible by rail from Zurich or Geneva airports (about a 2.5 hour journey) and is a small town famous, among other things, for its fictional connections with Sherlock Holmes – being overlooked by the Reichenbach Falls. The Hotel du Sauvage, at which the workshop will be held, is extremely comfortable and is centrally located, a few minutes walk from the railway station; the rooms have been completely modernised this year.
Weather permitting, a post-workshop has been arranged to the nearby underground rock laboratory in the Grimsel pass, managed by the Swiss national radioactive waste agency, Nagra. The GTS is about 30 minutes from Meiringen and participants will be brought back to Meiringen station afterwards.
There is a registration fee of 780 CHF, payable in advance, which covers your hotel accommodation (3 nights), all meals, coffee breaks and workshop materials. Your registration is not secured until the fee has been received and you will be invoiced when we receive your on-line application. If you have to cancel before 26th September 2010, your fee is fully refundable.