Raymond L. Nace 1973 <p>Problems of underground storage of waste involve geology&nbsp;in its broadest sense, including hydrology, geochemistry, and geophysics.&nbsp;Wastes may be solid, liquid, or gaseous, and they may be&nbsp;chemically toxic or noxious, esthetically offensive, or radioactive. Some&nbsp;wastes require only temporary containment, whereas others must be&nbsp;isolated for indefinitely long periods. The means and locale for&nbsp;emplacement underground depend upon many governing geological&nbsp;factors, including the physical, chemical, hydrological, and hydraulic&nbsp;properties of the host formation. These must be studied relative to the&nbsp;physical, chemical, and thermal properties of the waste and of potential&nbsp;interactions between the waste and the host formation. Thorough&nbsp;knowledge is essential because lack of it may lead to undesirable or&nbsp;disastrous environmental consequences. Escape of waste may contaminate&nbsp;the surface or near-surface environment; it may destroy the&nbsp;usefulness or accessibility of resources such as ground water, petroleum,&nbsp;and minerals. Effective management of underground waste requires&nbsp;adaptation of current technology and development of new technology.</p> application/pdf en U.S. Geological Survey Problems of underground storage of wastes article