Geophysical measurements for assessment leakage risk in underground waste storage

There are hundreds of kilometres of underground tunnels in the coal mining are as in Upper Silesia and in the copper mining area in Lower Silesia. This empty underground area seems to be very good place for waste deposits. Materials with different levels of toxicity may be stored in these places, when the safety of the place are taken into account. Furthermore according to polish law a system of barriers must be constructed such sites. However, a catastrophic scenario must be considered. In this scenario, the stability of underground caves are disturbed; barriers are destroyed, water fIows into caves and contaminants leave the storage. Consequently, the design of an environmentally safe underground storage system and the control of its safety is achallenge for research workers.