Method of sealing permeable unconsolidated materials

The method of preparing a site located on alkaline soils or overburden or having a naturally occurring layer of water-permeable carbonate bedrock for use as a landfill, said method comprising:

• (a) analytically determining the pH of ground waters within said alkaline soils, overburden or bedrock;
• (b) contacting said soils or bedrock with an aqueous solution of chemical components which, in the presence of said groundwaters and bedrock, produces precipitated calcite in quantities which substantially fill all cracks, voids and fissures in said bedrock, rendering at least the upper stratum thereof substantially fluid impermeable;
• and
• (c) constructing an alkaline sub-base soil buffer zone on the order of 2 feet thick of dry chemical components to serve as a barrier against future leachate incursion.

The method of disposing of low level radioactive waste comprising:

• (a) placing said waste in an underground chamber;
• and
• (b) completely filling substantially all of the space within said chamber surrounding said waste with a layer of material having physical and chemical characteristics such that, when said material is contacted by water, from naturally occurring or manually applied sources, calcite is precipitated in sufficient quantities to provide a cementing of said material, thereby rendering said chamber essentially fluid impervious. alkaline waste strata;
• (c) mixing with said known increment of said ash a quantity of said preselected chemical components equal to or greater than said calculated amount of said preselected chemical components;
• and
• (d) contacting the mixture of sad ash and said chemical components with water to produce said precipitate of calcium carbonate.