79. 



discussed, it seems advisable to outline the various environments 

 considered. 



1. Excavations 



a. In crystalline rocks 



b. In permeable sedimentary rocks 



c. In argillaceous rocks, such as shale and clay pits. 



2. Infiltration in permeable , near-surface beds 



a. Above the water table 



b. Below the water table. 



3. Underground openings 



a. Natural caverns 



b. Abandoned ore mines 



c. Specially prepared workings. 



4. Salt beds, salt domes, abandoned salt mines, and related 

 geologic structures. 



The consensus of the committee was that several of these envi- 

 onments might be feasible but more information was needed. 



The order of feasibility in which the committee arranged these 

 various environments was as follows: (in determining this order we 

 did not get a unanimous vote and the consensus of the committee was 

 estimated) 



First: salt domes, salt beds, abandoned salt mines, and storage 

 in cavities excavated in salt below the surface but not necessarily near 

 the base of the local stratigraphic section. This would use an environ- 

 ment that, has relatively wide distribution in the United States, both in 

 coastal areas and at many places in the interior. It was pointed out 

 that the development of cavities in salt is very cheap. The figure ranges 

 from three to six dollars per barrel for cavities for the storage of hy- 

 drocarbons . How these figures can be translated into specially prepared 

 cavities for this type of waste disposal is another question. For this 

 general type of disposal several lines of research are indicated: (a) 

 laboratory study of salt under conditions of heat and pressure in contact 

 with these liquids; and (b) heat-transfer considerations. 



