ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1 it was indicated that radioactive and hazardous solid wastes fall into a class that can be called dangerous wastes, based on the harm that these wastes and their reaction products can render to the environment and the health of biotic receptors. The nature of the threats from these dangerous wastes needs to be determined in order that secure containment systems can be constructed to isolate these wastes and their reaction products from contact with biotic receptors. The discussions in this chapter will examine (a) the nature of these dangerous wastes; (b) the nature and form of the threats presented by these wastes; and (c) the basic elements of containment systems, with particular focus on the clay barrier method that is used in these systems.
