News

Yellow Barrels and Glowing Rods? What Our Radioactive Waste Really Looks Like

There are various types of radioactive waste. However, popular culture almost always misleads us about their properties…

Nagra News – June 2026

30 years of research – for the sake of hundreds of thousands of years of safety

Research on the Opalinus Clay has been carried out at the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory since 1996. The clay rock is the key to the post-closure safety of Switzerland’s deep geological repository.

When does radioactive waste have to be emplaced in a deep geological repository and when would a landfill suffice?

A screwdriver is lying on the table in a controlled zone of a nuclear power plant. After years of use: can it simply be thrown out or will it have to be disposed of in a deep geological repository?

Self-sealing rock

It is soft and inconspicuous, and tunnel engineers view it as challenging – and yet the Opalinus Clay has been selected as the host rock in which a deep geological repository for radioactive waste is to be constructed. A first visit to the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory.

Nagra News – May 2026: What If Something Wasn't Considered?

Why Risks Are the Least Risky • What Is a Submarine Doing in a Mountain • The Path to the Swiss Deep Repository

A 'Submarine' in the Middle of a Mountain?

Because of its yellow color and size, a so-called Megapacker in the Grimsel Rock Laboratory is called 'Yellow Submarine' by the researchers. The 'submarine' is the core component of important experiments.

“Risks” are the least of our concerns

In the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory located in the Jura Mountains, Nagra is carrying out tests for Switzerland’s deep geological repository – that is to remain intact for one million years. The big question: is there a scenario of which you have not thought?

Step by Step: The Way to a Deep Geological Repository

How do you advance a century-long project like the deep geological repository? And how do authorities and politics accompany the endeavor from the theoretical concept through to the concrete project and construction?

Nagra News – April 2026

What really protects people and the environment over very long periods of time? • Why deep geological repositories are team sports

Nagra News – Terradura: Switzerland's Deep Repository Enters a New Phase

Switzerland's deep repository has a name: Terradura. The focus is shifting from research to construction — the Nagra newsletter explains what that means, featuring new expert hires, ongoing research at Mont Terri, and a fact-check on radioactive waste myths.

Long-term, geology decides

Radioactive waste must be safely packaged in containers. This protects people and the environment. However, for long-term safety, geology is the decisive factor.