This is the official policy the German government is pursuing here, and it is basic also to options discussed elsewhere in the world, such as sea-bed submersion and disposal in Arctic ice. Konrad Mine will be closed down after the storage tunnels have been filled, and the waste-containers will be inaccessible, even to managing personnel. Guardianship involves active, on-going monitoring of the wastes. Leaking containers will be detected and retrievable for repair or exchange. With final burial of radioactive materials all technical decisions and arrangements must be made beforehand.
Guardianship allows that.
With the Konrad Mine, surface markers are not foreseen, because they could motivate future excavation out of archeological interest or for treasure. According to the guardianship concept, the visibility of the sites and presence of guards and monitors ensures protection. The knowledge will not be suppressed or forgotten. Responsible awareness of the waste will be kept alive and passed on. Such concentration involves higher risks than decentralized storage.